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The 31-acre site in Oceanside is already zoned for industrial use. Neighbors have a wide range of concerns, from traffic to pollution to emergency access.

OCEANSIDE, Calif. - Some neighbors in Oceanside are calling it a 'David-versus-Goliath' fight.

A local developer is hoping to get the green light for a massive new warehouse project which it says will bring hundreds of well-paying jobs to the area.

But residents who live nearby want to put the brakes on this proposal and are organizing their opposition.

The proposed warehouse project would be located on a 31-acre vacant lot near the Oceanside Municipal Airport. It's the project's other neighbors, though -- hundreds of residents who live nearby -- who are voicing their concerns, from traffic to pollution to emergency access during wildfires.

"Shock and revulsion. I think it's an affront to our quality of life, our safety," said Oceanside resident Scott Becker, who lives just north of the Eddie Jones Project, a warehouse, manufacturing and distribution center proposed to be built on Eddie Jones Way just off State Route 76.

The facility would include 114 semi-truck loading bays, nearly 600 parking spaces, and a nearly 600,000-square-foot building.

"As proposed...it's just way too big!" said Dee Keck. She also lives near the proposed project and has intense concerns over the traffic impacts.

"We worry about traffic currently on a day-to-day basis," Keck told CBS 8. "You can barely move at certain times of the day when the 76 is impacted because of people coming to and from the 5 and 15."

Keck said that adding the slower-moving semi-truck traffic generated by this project would further clog the already congested roadways, especially Benet Road off the 76, which residents would share with the facility.

"That is going to impact our traffic tremendously," she added.

"It's a big site, it's a big site," said Arlene Tendick, a spokesperson for the developer, RPG.

"Thirty-one acres is a very large project site," she added. "For context, it is about a third of the size of the San Diego Zoo, so we have a lot of space to work with out here."

Tendick pointed out that this land is already zoned for industrial purposes, and has been used in that capacity stretching back to the early 1960s, well before the residential neighborhood was built.

She is aware of the concerns over the potential impact on traffic and said a dedicated right-turn lane off of Benet Road would be added to allow project traffic to get out of the way of traffic heading north into the residential neighborhood.

"I think it's easy to see the number of truck bays that are proposed to make that assumption, but it really is not going to function that way," she told CBS 8.

Even though there are over 100 truck bays, she said that would not translate to hundreds of semi-trucks coming and going at all times of the day, adding that a traffic study by the developer shows that during peak traffic times, there would be an average of 13 semi's in the morning and nine in the evening.

"Those peak times that people are concerned about," Tendick said. "How does it impact getting to work or taking my kids to school? Those are pretty minimal with thirteen and nine respectively."

"The fire issues up here we are very, very concerned about," Keck said.

Residents opposed to the project also worry about emergency access, pointing to a 75-acre wildfire last year in their community, forcing some evacuations.

"There was difficulty with that getting the emergency vehicles up the hill to us and those residents out," Keck added.

"It will be a monumental chore to evacuate," Becker said. "EMS, fire, even for ordinary house fires, someone calling 911 could be an issue."

Tendick said that as part of the application process, the Oceanside Fire Department must first sign off.

"Fire has reviewed our plans," Tendick said, "and that has not come up as a concern that has been shared with us."

As for evacuations, Tendick said that in the event of a wildfire, the concrete construction of the building would allow those at the facility to shelter in place.

"So we wouldn't have hundreds of semi-trucks evacuating with the community at large," she added. "They would most likely shelter in place and the the community could evacuate the way they would evacuate regardless of whether this project is built."

"I think it's the right project, wrong place," said Becker. "Neighbors are also concerned about the unknown: while the project could provide space for four to six tenants, no tenant has yet been identified, although Tendick said that it is highly unlikely that this would be an Amazon facility.

"If we're approved and once we get built, we don't anticipate it stating vacant for long," she told CBS 8.

In the meantime, the draft Environmental Impact Report for this proposal is anticipated in late summer, providing the public a chance to weigh in before the final report is complete.

The Oceanside Planning Commission would then review the proposal later this year or early next year.

"I think we can elevate that land and make it something beautiful, bring high-quality jobs and really ultimately have something that is additive to Oceanside," Tendick said.

But many residents are not sold, and plan to keep fighting. They have already gathered thousands of signatures on a petition opposing the project.

"When the shovels start digging up, it is too late!" Becker said. "We're not anti-development, but this is a monumental expansion of the use permit, and that's the bone of contention."

"Our idea is it may or may not go," Keck added, "but we need to be able to say that we have done everything within our power to make a change, make a difference and to oppose this, because it is not suitable for four our neighborhood."

For more detailed information on this project, click here.
WATCHR RELATED: Inside the effort to keep the 'local feel' in downtown Oceanside

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Community members rise up against proposed warehouse project in North County

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The 31-acre site in Oceanside is already zoned for industrial use. Neighbors have a wide range of concerns, from traffic to pollution to emergency access.

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i. From this project, I learned more on how communities may take action to advocate for the changes they wish to see or stop to the surrounding areas. The project has been highly discussed with many residents actively and publicly disapproving the proposed warehouse. Petitions, community meetings, and outreach to city officials are just some of the methods residents have been utilizing in order to push for the removal or restriction of the project. Additionally, I found it interesting how the project proposes to help in the preservation of industrial zoning areas especially as it sits alongside areas that focus on environmental conservation. This is especially important as the San Luis Rey river runs through this area which further affects the western portion of the city and the ocean. The juxtaposition of the natural areas with the industrial sites is incredibly interesting and may further effect how zoning throughout the city may be approached.

ii. With this project, I feel very anxious and unfavorable to it due to the effects it may have upon the environment and economy of the area. The outcomes the project may produce such as pollution, traffic congestion, and further industrialization of the area outweigh the benefits that the projects may produce. Additionally, from the article it is seen that zoning for the project's proposed location has been zoned as industrial for decades and presumably has not been updated. This highlights how zoning of the location has failed to take into consideration the changing environment of the site seeing that neighborhoods, parks, and conservation areas have added. This further adds to the anxiousness of how large and thought out the project will be as zoning laws may not align with the sites current conditions.

iii. This project affects me directly as I live in the neighborhood north to this proposed warehouse. The warehouse sits less than a mile away from my neighborhood and utilizes the same main road. The potential for traffic congestion on this road is already high with many trailers and commercial vehicles already utilizing this main road but with this project it is expected that road activity will increase greatly. Additionally, there are major concerns regarding pollution as the warehouse may contribute to greater emissions and pollution in the area. Undoubtedly this would affect the nearby communities and due to the proximity of the free-way to this site it may further exacerbate air, soil, and water pollution.

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Allyn, R. (2023, June 23). Community members rise up against proposed warehouse project in North County. CBS8. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/community-members-rise-up-against-proposed-warehouse/509-8e5240ac-fb4a-4821-95a0-1aca734592af

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i. Oceanside is the Northern most city of San Diego County sitting to the South of Camp Pendleton and bordered by the Pacific Ocean. The city has a growing population with estimations in recent years exceeding 150,000. The city's economy relies upon its industrial, agricultural, and touristic activities alongside those associated with the nearby military base. Due to the city's growth within recent years there has been increased industrialization of the Eastern portion of the city but this has further across the entire city. Additionally, the city faces high rent and home prices with those sitting near the coast being especially coveted. Downtown Oceanside is especially an area of concern with its increasing demand for housing due to its proximity to the coastline and other amenities. With this, Oceanside's main planning concerns have surrounded housing, transportation, industrialization, and conservation.

ii. The community most directly affected by the proposed warehouse is the Airport neighborhood which sits to the north of the site's location. The community is primarily composed of single-family homes and reaches close to hills alongside Camp Pendleton to the edge of the San Luis Rey River. Residents in these areas have pushed for effective development for the neighborhood as it lacks communal green spaces and accessible resources. Around the project's location a Humane Society, a small airport, and small commercial businesses surround it to the East and South. Another group affected by the project include the unhoused residents who often utilize the main roads nearby and have set up small campsites along the edges of the San Luis Rey river behind the project's location. With this project most residents disagree with it differing in their opinions on whether the project's physical size be restricted, relocated or all together rejected.

iii. The main planning issue under consideration is how the project will affect the nearby environment along with the impact it may have on the traffic flow of the area. The physical impact it may have on residents overall health and ability to access services outside of the area is a major concern as inhibited evacuation routes may result from the increased traffic flows to the area. Additionally, there is significant focus placed on how the proposed warehouse will affect pollution in the area as it sits near residential areas and could further result in greater industrialization of the area which is not adequately equipped to deal with this. Furthermore, there is a significant concern over how the project will actually be able to keep within its Light Industrial zoning restriction as the warehouse will be a large scale commercial zone.

iv. For the project's outcomes there has been a significant emphasis on the employment opportunities that may arise with the addition of the warehouse. Additionally, other economic opportunities for the city may arise with the construction of the project since the city would be better equipped for large scale projects that entice various industries. However, this is not guaranteed and while economic opportunities may arise there is a large potential for increasing pollution of the area. The addition of a warehouse would place more commercial vehicles on the road and result in greater emission rates. Higher pollution would affect nearby residents and further result in the degradation of the nearby environment which already faces many risks most notably wildfires. Alongside, this there is a concern for how increased traffic in the area may affect pedestrians and cyclists with the area sitting near a bike and hiking path. These areas are also frequented by community youths and could result in traffic collisions if proper safety guidelines are not set in place.

Another concern that arises is how the project will influence noise pollution and the overall cohesiveness of the area. Noise pollution would be increased greatly already as the site sits alongside a small airport and highway. This has called into question how zoning of the city has not been properly updated to align with current conditions. The project has however, proposed that it will work to decrease its environmental impacts and work alongside community residents in helping improve conditions of the nearby areas including the roads, sidewalks, and conservation sites.

v. The project has not resulted in policy changes but due to the increased involvement of the community there has been greater emphasis placed on current city policies on development especially on its social and environmental effects. Concerns about how much development throughout the city has been called into question especially as the city faces environmental concerns such as decreasing sand retention alongside the coastline, water and air pollution, and extreme weather conditions.

vi. The project is currently undergoing city evaluation and while it appears some evaluations are still ongoing the city has received outlined plans for the project including alternative drafts for foot traffic and building proposals. The project has presented various studies on the GHG emissions, cultural impacts, drainage, and technical analyses to the city. Changes to the physical conditions of the site have occurred and previous buildings that occupied the space have been removed. Construction of the actual warehouse has not begun and there has not yet been a tenant tied to the warehouse.

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The article focuses on a proposed project, the Eddie Jones Warehouse, in Oceaside, California. The project has been met with high disapproval by residents due to the risks it may bring to the area including environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and increasing industrialization. These concerns have been greatly pushed by residents who have organized to create petitions against the project and have utilized different networks to push city officials to take action against the project. The social and environmental impact the project may bring could have significant impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods and are especially relevant to how the city has been approaching planning and zoning. This has brought up many question as to how the city will continue to manage high development throughout the region as it faces more push back from residents.

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The article's main topic focuses on residential and environmental concerns of a proposed warehouse project that will sit near Freeway-76 and the Airport neighborhood of Oceanside, CA.