Redlands rezoning plan clears key hurdle, paving way for 2,400+ new homes

REDLANDS, Calif. — More than 2,400 new homes could be built across Redlands under a sweeping rezoning plan approved by the Planning Commission on April 22, a major step in the city's push to comply with state housing law and address growing demand for affordable and diverse housing.

Why it matters: The rezoning is required under California's Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), which assigned Redlands a target of 3,516 new housing units—plus a 20% buffer—for the 2021–2029 cycle. Cities that fail to comply risk losing local control over development and may face penalties.

Details: The plan—formally known as the 2021–2029 Housing Element Rezoning Project—would reclassify 24 parcels of land throughout the city, mostly shifting commercial and industrial sites to medium- and high-density residential zones.

Planning staff explained that the proposed sites had already been identified during the city's Housing Element update process in 2022, which included public outreach and state review. This latest step aligns zoning maps with the city's approved housing plan.

What's changing: The proposal includes General Plan and zoning map amendments, with most of the changes clustered in West Redlands near Citrus Avenue, Nevada Street, and Alabama Street.

One site occupied by Montessori in Redlands would be rezoned for public/institutional use, while another parcel would be "upzoned" to allow higher residential density.

Additional parcels in North Redlands would also be rezoned to allow up to 30 housing units per acre.

Public voices call for even more housing: While a few speakers raised caution about the loss of industrial property, most public comments focused on the urgent need for more housing—and urged the city to go further.

We are in a severe housing crisis," said Bobby Gariety, Lead of Redlands YIMBY. "Rents are far too high, homeownership too inaccessible, and the only way out for both of those problems is to build a lot more homes." Gariety said he supported the proposal while urging the commission to consider the benefits of approving higher density in future proposals.

Doug Waters, a Redlands native and business consultant, also called for a citywide shift toward higher-density zoning. "We're not living in the 1950s anymore," he said. "Growth and preservation can complement each other when balanced with care. And as someone who's deeply invested in Redlands' future and has a huge love for this city, I see tremendous potential for our city to lead the region in truly showing what beautiful, sustainable growth can look like."

His mother, a former Measure U supporter, offered an emotional appeal in support of the rezoning—and requested that three additional parcels be added in future actions. "We owe it to future generations to think bigger and act more boldly," she said.

Environmental impacts: A city-commissioned environmental study found that while many impacts could be mitigated, the project would result in significant and unavoidable effects related to agricultural land loss, air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and vehicle miles traveled.

Some commissioners expressed concern about reducing industrial land or losing agricultural legacy areas, but others emphasized that the parcels chosen were surrounded by existing residential uses and selected through a rigorous, multi-year public process.

Individual development projects will still undergo environmental review.

What's next: The City Council will take up the commission's recommendation in the coming weeks. If approved, the zoning changes would bring Redlands into compliance with its state housing mandate, helping preserve local control and potentially clearing the way for development of more than 2,400 new units.