For City Council Meeting March 25, 2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
APPROVAL: Tanya Williams, City Manager
FROM: Colby Cataldi, Director of Community Development
Title
Request the City Council adopt Resolution No. 8335 declaring opposition to a proposed 311,315 square foot industrial warehouse building, known as the Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project (PROJ-2023-00162), within the jurisdiction of the County of San Bernardino.
(ACTION)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
City Council to adopt the Resolution declaring opposition to the Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project (PROJ-2023-00162).
BACKGROUND
County Project Notice
In February 2025, the Community Development Department received a “Project Notice” from the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department regarding a proposed 311,315 square foot industrial warehouse building on approximately 15.9 acres of land located on the west side of Maple Avenue approximately 200 feet south of Bohnert Avenue. The project site is located within an unincorporated island of land under the jurisdiction of the County of San Bernardino. The proposal includes changing the zoning of the project site from Single-Residential (RS-1) to Community Industrial (IC) and changing the land use designation of the project site from Very Low Density Residential (VLDR) to Limited Industrial (LI). The project is also known as the “Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project”, and the County has assigned it a project number of PROJ-2023-00162.
The project site is located within the Sphere of Influence of the City of Rialto and is surrounded by existing single-family residential uses to the north and east.
Previous Project
In 2018 development applications for a similar industrial warehouse project on the same project site were filed with the City of Rialto Planning Division. The applications filed in 2018 included a proposal to annex the project site into the City of Rialto. In June 2019, the City Council voted 5-0 to adopt Resolution No. 7539 denying the industrial development proposed at that time. In doing so, the City Council found that the development would:
• Create an imbalance between itself and the adjacent single-family residences; and
• Result in the development of a large-scale industrial building that would negatively impact scenic views and create large expanses of unsightly concrete walls up to forty-five (45) feet in height from the finished floor; and
• Create an extreme change in scale between structures; and
• Create significant levels of air pollution, noise, and traffic from trucks in an area immediately adjacent to sensitive single-family residences; and
• Negatively disrupt the quality of life of the existing residents living in the surrounding area
Additionally, the City Council found the development to be inconsistent with the following Goals of the Land Use Element of the Rialto General Plan:
• Goal 2-8, which encourages the preservation and improvement of established residential neighborhoods in Rialto, specifically by discouraging extreme changes in scale between adjacent structures
• Goal 2-9, which strives to protect residential, schools, parks, and other sensitive land uses from the impacts associated with industrial and truck-related land uses
Economic Development Committee
On March 4, 2025, the Economic Development Committee (EDC) reviewed and discussed the Project Notice provided by the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department. The EDC expressed concerns over the proposal and the potential impacts the project may have on residential uses in the immediate area. After discussion, the EDC requested that staff prepare a resolution declaration opposition to the project for consideration by the City Council.
Meeting with County Staff
On March 12, 2025, Community Development Department staff met remotely with staff from the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department to discuss the Project Notice and the project itself. County staff informed City staff that the Project Notice signifies that the County has deemed the application filed as “complete”. The County staff also indicated that environmental documents will be prepared and circulated to the City for review once available, and that the City will also receive notices to attend public review board meetings and public hearings as they are scheduled.
ANALYSIS/DISCUSSION
At the request of the EDC, the Community Development Department has drafted a Resolution Declaring Opposition to the Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project (Exhibit A). The Resolution stresses that the City of Rialto maintains the same concerns about this project as it had over the previous project in 2019. If adopted, the Community Development Department will provide copies of the Resolution to the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department, the County Administrative Office, and the Board of Supervisors.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
The requested action does not constitute a “Project” as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Pursuant to Section 15378(a), a “Project” means the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. According to Section 15378(b), a Project does not include organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment. Additionally, pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3), the proposed resolution declaring opposition to the Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project is exempt from CEQA review as there is no possibility that the resolution would have a significant effect on the environment, insofar as it expresses concerns regarding a proposed development project in another jurisdiction.
GENERAL PLAN CONSISTENCY
The Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project, as currently proposed, is not consistent with the following goals of the Land Use Element of the Rialto General Plan:
Goal 2-8: Encourage the preservation and improvement of established residential neighborhoods in Rialto, specifically by discouraging extreme changes in scale between adjacent structures.
Goal 2-9: Strive to protect residential, schools, parks, and other sensitive land uses from the impacts associated with industrial and truck-related land uses.
LEGAL REVIEW
The City Attorney reviewed and approved the staff report and the draft Resolution.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Adoption of the Resolution declaring opposition to the Vineyard Avenue Warehouse Project will not incur direct costs to the City.