Let's not put warehouses near homes — especially seniors' homes — in the Inland Empire

The Inland Empire is one of the warehouse capitals of the world.

An estimated 40% of the nation’s consumer goods come through the Inland Empire, according to Bloomberg News. And, the IE is third in the nation for warehouse leases of 1 million square feet or more.

Especially with the current supply chain issues and the growth of companies like Amazon, this is not going to change anytime soon.

But the issue is not: “Do we need warehouses?”  The issue is: “Where shall we put them?”

In recent years, developers have gone from putting mega-warehouses in industrial areas and vacant rural land (where they belong) to placing them in areas zoned as residential.  This is despite the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of acres of vacant land adjacent to major highways and railroad track in our county.

Unfortunately, too many public officials have gone along with this.  The results have been devastating.

For example, in April the American Lung Association (ALA) released its annual State of the Air Report. Once again San Bernardino and Riverside Counties ranked first and second respectively for the worst ozone pollution in the United States. The two counties also ranked in the top 10 for the worst annual particle pollution nationally, according to the report.

It is well known that diesel engines are considered as one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution in our region, and they are responsible for several health problems as well.

Breathing in tiny particles from diesel and gasoline exhaust increases a person’s chance of getting asthma, developing cancer or having a heart attack, decades of studies have shown. This type of pollution also may cause premature births and miscarriages. These dangers are especially acute in the Inland Empire. People living within half a mile of large warehouses in this area have higher rates of asthma and heart attacks than residents in the region overall, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.

In addition to pollution, the hundreds of big rigs a day that come and go from industrial warehouses also cause traffic and safety issues and degrade the secondary roads that lead to the warehouses.

What is most disturbing is that developers are now trying to build warehouses adjacent to senior communities and even health care facilities.

In 2019, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved the 1.8 million-square-foot. Gateway/San Gorgonio Crossing warehouse complex less than a quarter-mile from the Rancho Calimesa senior community.

Earlier this year, the Banning City Council approved the construction of the 700,000-square-foot Banning Station warehouse, directly across the street from the Sun Lakes senior community and The Lakes assisted living facility.  This warehouse would bring hundreds of diesel big-rigs a day to the Highland Springs Avenue corridor, one of the most congested areas in the Pass.

In Beaumont, an Arizona developer is proposing to build a 2.5 million-square-foot Beaumont Summit Station warehouse complex. This would be adjacent to the Solera/Oak Valley Greens senior community and the Stetson family development on one side, and a proposed regional park on the other.

Sadly, the problems caused by mega-warehouses and the big rigs they attract are more serious for seniors than for other population groups.

Seniors and children are the most susceptible age groups to respiratory disease caused by air pollution, primarily from diesel exhaust fumes.

Furthermore, many seniors live on fixed, limited incomes. A mega warehouse across the street from where they live will drastically reduce the value of their homes.

With all the empty space in our county, there is simply no need to place monster warehouses in residential areas. It is time for elected officials to stand up for their citizens instead of bowing to developers.

Steve Mehlman is a senior senator in the California Senior Legislature and former chair of the Riverside County Advisory Council on Aging. Email him at solerasteve@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Let's not put warehouses near homes in the Inland Empire