Riverside County supervisors unanimously vote to establish standards for ranch events

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to establish standards for Rancho Community Event Facilities conducted on date palm and agriculture farms in unincorporated areas of the Western Coachella Valley Area Plan and Eastern Coachella Valley Area Plan.

The Board will consider changes to existing ordinances that will set up permitting requirements for ranchos in order to "balance and protect neighborhood character and minimize the potential for negative impacts on communities and the environment, such as noise, trash, parking, and traffic, while establishing land use regulations for Rancho Community Event Facilities, which are primarily hosted outdoor events, such as anniversary, celebration, ceremony, wedding ceremony, and/or reception, birthday, quinceañera, sweet-sixteen event, baby shower, holiday party, graduation, fundraiser for a charitable non-profit organization, or farm-to-table event, according to the county ordinance.

Once adopted, likely at the next meeting July 30, certain provisions must be met by rancho owners/operators in order to obtain the proper permit needed to host events.

Event facilities will not be allowed to be located closer than 15 feet from a property line, have sufficient onsite parking to accommodate all attendees and employees and be accessible to people with disabilities, all live music and amplified sound must stop by 10:00 p.m., all outdoor lighting must stop by midnight, and event facilities will not be allowed to operate between midnight and 6:00 a.m.

Additionally, no fireworks or fire pits will be allowed at the facilities. Site management will also be required to have a noise mitigation plan in compliance with Riverside County Ordinance No. 847. That rule has established that enforcement officials conduct sound level measurements through the use of sound level meter. The Board is expected to discuss changes to the existing noise ordinance at a later date.

A fire protection/emergency medical services plan will also be required as part of the event management plan and must be approved by the County Fire Department.

The Board is expected to adopt the agreed upon amendment at their July 30 meeting, with the updated ordinance set to take effect August 29. Between August and September the county will look to host an a workshop aimed at helping rancho owners fill out and submit permit applications. The submittal deadline for existing ranchos is November 2.

You can find News Channel 3's previous reporting on the matter here and here.