More than $1.2 million in state funds were awarded for construction of housing and pedestrian access ways in the Riverside metropolitan area, it was announced Thursday.
Three Riverside-area projects were included in a $12.3 million appropriation across six counties, according to the Southern California Association of Governments.
SCAG’s Regional Council approved the distribution under the state’s Regional Early Action Planning, or REAP, 2.0 grant program.
“We congratulate these awardees for the innovative approaches they’re taking in addressing housing and land-use across the Inland Empire and Southern California and applaud the collaboration and hard work that went into securing this critical funding,” SCAG Regional Council Vice President Curt Hagman said.
The funds originated from Senate Bill 1 — the Road Repair & Accountability Act of 2017 — revenue, derived from gas taxes and cap-and-trade receipts.
Riverside is slated to receive $500,000 for the “Missing Middle Prototype Plans for Infill Housing Sites” project, which is intended to expand housing inventory in locations designated for low-rise residential projects. The project focuses mainly on streamlining the permitting process to put these types of development plans on a fast track, according to SCAG.
Jurupa Valley will receive $478,894 for the “Pedley Town Center Plan,” centered on mixed-use zoning in the existing town center area, with the objective of making living space available in close proximity to the Pedley Metrolink station.
The smallest allocation among the Riverside County projects will go to Moreno Valley, with a total $294,018 for the “Pedestrian Access Plan.” According to SCAG, the project calls for establishing “pedestrian routes to access major employment centers, shopping centers, regional transit centers, schools and residential neighborhoods.”
Accommodations for “vulnerable road users,” including the physically disabled and children, is a primary objective of the effort.
More information on the REAP funding is available at the SCAG website.
