North Long Beach gets just what they don’t need in the neighborhood
[Ed. Note Feb. 17, 2023]: Updated to reflect that the hearing for this has been continued to March 21, 2023 and also added further input from the appellants after the bullet list.
This is about a proposed industrial development at 5910 Cherry Avenue in North Long Beach. The city is (once again) attempting to circumvent CEQA laws by not performing an Environmental Impact Report and attempting to allow the under estimation of the environmental impacts of projects at the long-term expense of the health and well-being of those that live or work in North Long Beach.
The plan details a four-story building with 44 truck bays, 79 truck stalls, and 338 car stalls. The location is directly across the street from a residential community, and long-time North Long Beach residents have appealed the City’s plan, which is slated to go to the City Council February 7, 2023 February 21, 2023 March 21, 2023.
The City’s Planning Commission violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in approving the warehouse project, a potential last mile distribution/fulfillment center with 44 truck bays, 79 truck stalls, and 338 car stalls, without properly examining and mitigating its environmental impacts.
The short-sightedness and failures in the plan are rampant:
- Failure to address the potential for significant traffic hazards, particularly of the project’s proximity to the 91 freeway and the dangers posed by the freeway entrances and off-ramps. The distance from that freeway to Artesia Blvd is around 1/2 block with two traffic signals. Vehicles already get backed up and block the Artesia/Cherry intersection without the additional large trucks that this project will bring.
- Failure of the developer’s own environmental reports to show the true impacts of the project. The developer claims that is will be an “environmentally friendly building”, but because an occupant has not been identified for the project, their actual use of the proposed facility is based on speculation. The plan blatantly fails to address the impact on nearby homes, businesses, and residents from the increase in road use, pollution, and truck noise from traffic on Cherry Ave. The number of truck trips travelling down Cherry Ave to and from the warehouse could potentially be upwards of 500 daily.
- Long Beach Development Services already has recognized that there is water pollution from petroleum activity, and they have mitigating requirements for the developer in the 15-page Conditions for Approval. They are required to obtain certification that a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) has been prepared. These are things one would expect to find in an EIR.
- Having an “environmentally friendly building” does not negate the extensive land use issues associated with the proposed use, whose environmental impacts are basically being overlooked and not addressed in the staff report and supporting documentation. Contrasting the previous use such as petroleum refining versus a truck, warehouse, distribution use as “less polluting” is insincere and invalid. If we start at baseline, with no environmental issues, we all know that a neo-industrial place type is intended to be nominally impactful, and restricted light industrial, but not compared to petroleum refining.
- Failure of the plan to adhere to the promises made to the community as part of the Land Use and Urban Design Element of the General Plan including the placetype designations which the council adopted in December 2019 and the North Long Beach Strategic Plan for Redevelopment in 2002. The project is clearly not compatible with the adjacent neighborhoods.
- The city has a pattern of underestimating the impacts of projects through inadequate CEQA review and evaluation as well as shifting the focus to more on design to obscure the actual real impacts of the land use itself. The city expends an inordinate amount of effort demanding cosmetic and design standards being met as if to obfuscate the actual inappropriateness or harm the land use will bring at the expense of its own citizens.
North Long Beach appellants are working with counsel, who has acquired experts on traffic, noise and air pollution. Light pollution is also a factor that requires consideration. The appellants strongly believe the project is wrong for the area with a residential block across the street from it. They want the environmental impacts evaluated honestly on the ‘built for’ use, not based on some average, innocuous use, so that the likely environmental and health impacts will be known.
It is possible that this item may be continued to another date; if so, public comments will not be heard. Regardless, to make your comments on this project plan available for the city council, it is recommended that you email your comments to cityclerk@longbeach.gov with the subject line “Public Comments re: Agenda item 12, File 23-0104″ before 5pm Feb 7, 2023 (this deadline, and any other important info will be updated in the event that the item is continued).
The full document going to Councilmembers (45megabytes) can be found at this link but we’ll also have the separate documents available shortly, in order for you to avoid a huge file download.
Author: Roger Martin Holman
[Ed. Note: Feb 6, 2023]: We received an email with this strategy (for ideas) and suggested language, if you like to work from a “boilerplate”:
Letter Writing Strategies:
- Introduce yourself: State who you are and who you represent (if you do). Also, if you are a constituent or affiliated with any groups, let them know
- Be firm and clear: state your demand directly!
- Make it personal: the best messages are the ones that tie in a personal reason why this matters. Even if you don’t have a direct connection, it’s still helpful to give the talking points your own spin.
- In emails: Use clear subjects e.g., “Support the Appeal and Protect our health from environmental hazards”
- You can keep it short! You should definitely give reasons about why you support something, but you don’t need to say a whole lot! Keeping it concise can help you come across clearly and quickly!
Letter Writing Template
Dear Mayor and City Councilmembers,
[Introduce yourself]]
State who you are and who you represent (if you do). Also, If you are a constituent or affiliated with any groups, let them know
[background]
According to CalEnviroScreen, North Long Beach has high levels of air pollution that endanger human health by causing respiratory conditions such as asthma, wheezing, decreased lung function, increased likelihood of hospital visits, heart disease, and even early death.
[Add personal message]
-
- “I’m concerned about my family and children’s health…”
- “I have asthma and on days when the air pollution is really bad, I… “
- Traffic is already bad and noisy…
- Trucks makes roads dangerous…
- We already have lots of trucks parking and idling for hours outside other warehouses in other parts of Long Beach. We do not need more
[Additional talking points below]
Research shows these kinds of projects bring traffic, noise, and pollution to nearby neighborhoods, putting the health of the community in danger and diminishing the quality-of-life.
The city should ask for a plan EIR of the area and adopt a set of regulations to reduce/control pollution before approving these kinds of developments.
Having a plan EIR in place before the approval of new developments will identify the proper mitigation and conditions to protect the health of the community and facilitate the project’s approval while encouraging responsible developments.
Establishing regulations to reduce pollution will deliver much-needed health and air quality benefits to North Long Beach residents, and if done right, policymakers can help ensure that low-income communities of color are realizing these benefits as soon as possible without adverse impacts on their health.
In addition, adopting policies to guide warehouse development in the city’s general plan will also help jurisdictions comply with their obligations under SB 1000. This requires local government general plans to identify objectives and policies to reduce health risks in disadvantaged communities, promote civil engagement in the public decision-making process, and prioritize improvements and programs that address the needs of disadvantaged communities.
This is not about just limiting PM emissions from trucks, but about mitigating long standing pollution in the air, land, and water, and improving the quality of life, as promised, in the communities most burdened by overall pollution.
Please approve the appeal and request a full EIR.
Sincerely,
[Your name and address]
