City Council approves Measure U exemption for mixed-use development near downtown train station

REDLANDS, Calif. — A contemporary mixed-use apartment project near the Downtown Redlands train station is one step closer to approval.

Last month, the Redlands City Council unanimously approved a resolution allowing the project to be exempt from Measure U, a local growth management initiative.

Why it matters: The project aligns with the city's General Plan, which designates the area as a Transit Village intended for mixed-use, transit-oriented development. It also falls within the Transit Village Overlay Zone, which covers a half-mile radius around the downtown train station.

Details: The project, on a 3.15-acre site at the northeast corner of Stuart Avenue and Eureka Street, will feature 85 apartments and 7,686 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The development is planned to be up to four stories high and designed in a California Contemporary architectural style. 

The development will also include 53 off-street parking spaces inside two ground-level parking garages, a public access walkway, a private community room and on-site landscaping.

What is Measure U: Measure U, a citizen-sponsored initiative passed in 1997, implemented growth management principles in Redlands. It includes provisions limiting high-density residential projects to 18 dwelling units per acre and a maximum height of two stories or 35 feet.

However, the measure also provides exemptions for certain types of development, including those "directly related to proposed Metrolink stations in the City of Redlands."

The city has used two main criteria to evaluate Measure U exemption requests for transit-related developments. First, the project site must be within one-quarter mile of a transit station with a clear pedestrian route available. Second, the project must provide residential units at a density of at least 20 units per acre.

The proposed project meets both of these standards, with its proximity to the station at roughly 550 feet and a density that exceeds 20 units per acre. 

“This project easily met the criteria that has been used thus far,” Development Services Director Brian Desatnik said. The Redlands Planning Commission had unanimously recommended approval of the exemption on Nov. 12, 2024. 

Moving forward: While the City Council's approval of the Measure U exemption is a significant step forward, the project still needs to complete the full development review process.

The applicant has submitted a Development Application, which will be reviewed by staff and scheduled for future consideration by the Planning Commission.