Environmental groups have reached a settlement with a warehouse developer over a large warehouse project in Riverside County.
Under the settlement, Hillwood has agreed to use cleaner trucks and equipment to reduce air pollution. The agreement also sets minimum staffing requirements and includes a commitment that the facility won’t become a “dark warehouse,” which is a facility dominated by automation.
Environmentalists say the agreement could serve as a model for stronger environmental and worker protections for future warehouse projects.
"Every new warehouse in our region should be held to a higher standard to protect our communities and the environment," said Michael McCarthy, conservation co-chair of Sierra Club's San Gorgonio Chapter Box Springs Group.
The Cajalco Commerce Center in Mead Valley was approved by the county’s board of supervisors last year. The center will include 1 million square feet of warehouse and industrial space along with a 13-acre park.
Hillwood, the Texas-based developer behind the project, had announced plans to invest nearly $38 million in infrastructure upgrades — including flood control, drainage and road improvements — around Cajalco Road and Seaton Avenue.
The Sierra Club sued over the project in December, alleging the county failed to adequately assess the project’s environmental impacts. The county’s own review acknowledged the warehouse would cause unavoidable impacts to nearby residents, including increased truck traffic and pollution.
But when the project was approved, Supervisor Jose Medina, who represents Mead Valley, said the project’s benefits outweighed the costs.
The project faced opposition from some Mead Valley residents, who argued Hillwood had not adequately disclosed plans to expand industrial development in the area when the project was initially introduced. Residents also pushed for stronger protections and community benefits as the project moved forward.
“We would have preferred not to see another industrial warehouse project encroach on Mead Valley,” said Victoria Camarena with the Mead Valley Coalition. “But when these projects move forward, our residents deserve meaningful protections and real community benefits.”
Felisa Cardona, a spokeswoman for Riverside County, said in an email to KVCR that the county was not a party to the lawsuit settlement.
“The additional measures in the settlement are private commitments between the developer and the petitioners and will be monitored and enforced by those parties according to their agreement,” said Cardona. “The County will continue to enforce all County-approved conditions and remains committed to ensuring responsible development that meets community standards and regulatory requirements.”
Hillwood did not respond to KVCR’s request for comment.
