Modesto warehouse project draws questions on traffic, jobs. How will it impact residents?
Salida’s municipal advisory council was given a first look Tuesday at a warehouse and industrial project that could raise some complications in north Modesto.
Scannell Properties proposes the 145-acre development, at the northwest corner of Kiernan Avenue and Dale Road, with up to 2.5 million square feet of warehouse, distribution and manufacturing space.
About 35 people attended the meeting at the Salida Library community room, asking questions about traffic impacts, a proposal for Modesto to supply water and sewer service, an environmental review and products that might be manufactured at the center. Residents weren’t all that enthralled with the rough estimate of 1,000 jobs.
The advisory panel scheduled an item for its March 26 meeting regarding a county legal opinion on a requirement for an environmental impact report on the entire Salida Community Plan before an individual project can develop.
County Supervisor Terry Withrow said the county and Modesto have discussed extension of city water and sewer lines to the site, on the north side of Kiernan, and a tax-sharing agreement. But that could naturally lead to a city proposal to annex the site. Salida residents have opposed previous annexation ideas affecting the unincorporated community.
Jeremy Ballard, senior planner for Stanislaus County, said the applicants are asking for driveways on Kiernan Avenue, which is a state highway, for trucks and cars that would enter and leave the industrial complex. The California Department of Transportation is expected to comment in the environmental study on any requirements for improvements on Kiernan.
Mark Grover, a nearby resident, said a proposed truck entrance on the east side of the complex will worsen congestion on Dale Road. He noted that before- and after-school traffic generated by Gregori High School on Pirrone Road causes a long line of cars on Dale that will block the entrance.
Salida residents also asked how an environmental study will analyze the impacts of manufacturing processes if the products are not disclosed in advance. Ballard said the study will consider a range of manufacturing activities and their potential effects on air quality and the environment.
Some people were concerned that distribution warehouses will increase diesel emissions and air pollution. Other residents suggested that a recent drop in demand for distribution centers could result in empty buildings or more focus on manufacturing.
Scannell Properties, an international developer, plans to build seven buildings on speculation. The landowner is Sandpoint Ranch Inc.
The development is part of the 3,383-acre Salida Community Plan approved in 2007, which is dominated by business park and industrial land use designations. Withrow said the nationwide economic slump that followed discouraged development in the area.
In addition to the Scannell proposal, the county is now seeing some interest in the Salida plan from residential developers, Withrow said.
The environmental study on the industrial center is just beginning. The project could return to the Salida MAC in six to eight months when a draft EIR is completed. At that time, the advisory council could vote on a recommendation for or against.
County supervisors also will consider a Planning Commission recommendation before a decision to approve or reject the project.
The public has until March 7 to comment on issues that should be studied in the environmental review. Send comments to BALLARDJ@stancounty.com.
