Assemblywoman Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-San Bernardino) has authored a bill now under consideration by the California Legislature that calls for more intensive regulation of future warehouse construction.
AB 1547 would require that a 1,000-yard or .58 mile buffer zone be maintained between the outer boundary of the warehouse site and what are deemed to be sensitive land uses, which include schools, parks, daycare centers, churches or residences.
Under the bill, prior to a warehouse use being being considered by the agency with land use authority over it, wider notice than is required with other developments must be given to the community in which it is located, and that agency is to require, at the project proponents expense, an analysis of air quality impacts of the warehouse development, taking into account the truck traffic increase caused by the project. AB 1547 would further mandate the project applicant hold a series of community meetings with affected residents to develop a community benefits agreement. This agreement is to include a plan to incorporate zero emission trucks, the use of zero emission last- mile delivery and local employee recruitment.
The bill, if passed, will further require that on-site equipment such as forklifts and other dock machinery be powered by zero emission technology. The bill mandates the use of equipment employed for construction during a warehouses development phase that meets the most stringent emission standards currently applied in the state.
“If California is going to meet its environmental goals, we must develop environmental standards for warehouse developments, which often are built near already disadvantaged communities and account for nearly half of nitrogen oxide emissions,” Reyes said. “The lockdowns required because of the COVID-19 pandemic showed the ability of the logistic industry to get supplies and necessary household items to people all across
California. This efficiency comes with a cost to the health of communities near warehouses that suffer from the emissions of diesel truck traffic nearly every day, all day. We must find a balance between the logistics industry and the protection of residents’ health.”
Fontana Mayor Acquanetta Warren, who has aggressively pushed for the development of warehouses as an economic development panacea in Fontana and the Inland Empire, indicated she was concerned about the breadth and depth of the regulations and wanted an “opportunity to discuss this legislation. We hope we can be at the table for this dialogue. Fontana has been a leader in adopting policies to ensure that all businesses are good neighbors. Among other efforts, we ensure every new business that is constructed follows the California Environmental Quality Act and all other state and federal laws.
“What we need to discuss is ensuring that cities can retain the ability to establish land use policies that are appropriate for the local area,” Warren continued. “We don’t need one-size-fits-all mandates from Sacramento that will eliminate jobs and force Fontana residents to go elsewhere for work.”