A massive warehouse is in the works in the Salinas Ag Industrial Center, a property on the south end of town at Abbott Road and Harkins Road, near Highway 101. Documents obtained by the Weekly via a California Public Records Act describe a sprawling project—a five-story facility with 2.9 million square feet of space on a 634,000-square-foot footprint—to be built by Scannell Properties, which has previously worked for Amazon building warehouse projects in other locations.
The project calls for 50 loading docks, 330 trailer parking stalls and 1,791 car parking spaces. About 280 trucks in and out each day are anticipated.
Scannell and the city of Salinas entered into a nondisclosure agreement regarding the property last September, and city officials declined to comment for this story. A Scannell representative did not respond to a request for comment. Scannell first submitted its application for a 2.92-million-square-foot "warehousing and distribution facility" on Oct. 19, 2021.
Amazon spokesperson Natalie Wolfrom writes by email, "While we do not have solidified plans in the Monterey County region, Amazon is always looking for new opportunities where we can be closer to our customers so that we can provide the best service."
One invoice from Scannell to Salinas last October—a document obtained in the Weekly's CPRA request—lists the intended tenant as Amazon.
The project is slated for what has long been envisioned as the Salinas Ag Industrial Center, which went through environmental review and was approved as a concept back in 2009. However, 12 years later, the site remains undeveloped—this is the first application for a project under that plan.
Estimated development fees, according to a city engineer's report dated Nov. 6, 2021, are $14.4 million. That includes fees to a range of agencies, such as fire and sewer; the total impact fee to Salinas would be $3.8 million.
The project site is currently owned by Uni-Kool Partners. Uni-Kool first proposed the Ag-Industrial Center concept to the city back in 2008.
Various planning documents on behalf of Scannell lay out some project details, but because the warehouse is planned for the Ag Industrial Center, city officials appear to be treating this project as a relatively simple permitting matter—not something that would undergo extensive review under the California Environmental Quality Act, but would be permitted as part of the bigger Ag Industrial Center concept.
However, there are some discussions and reports laying out anticipated project impacts and mitigation measures.
A conceptual plan, filed with the Salinas Community Development Department.
November and December letters from Salinas Senior Planner Jill Miller to Scannell representatives lay out a series of areas to review, including providing accessible parking spaces (one per 25 spaces); bicycle parking equivalent to 10 percent of parking spaces; design requirements for trash can enclosures and screening of equipment; an outdoor lighting plan; and a landscape program.
In a Jan. 18 letter, Salinas Traffic Engineer Andrew Easterling wrote to Caltrans Senior Transportation Planner John Olejnik about reconsidering the traffic impacts as detailed back in 2009. He proposes a ramp metering system at Abbott Street and Highway 101.
"The Ag Industrial Center has had no development since the plan was approved, and now 12 years later the city received the first application for development," Easterling wrote. "Over the past 12 years, needs and conditions in and around the Ag Industrial Center have changed."
(3) comments
Perfect, rather than try to revamp the local economy let us outsource to a massive and rather evil corporation that is designed to destroy local economy. Light pollution, sound pollution, traffic, a HUGE loss if this happens
How do we find out how much Salinas is comping them? For sure, we need to require they also build workforce housing with reduced rent instead of 1700+ parking spots so the employees don’t have to live in their cars or a tent next to the train tracks. Teachers are living in their cars now - how can we support an employer that doesn’t pay a living wage for over 1500 employees? The ag companies have and are continuing to build workforce housing. We need to require this for any new employer that pays below local poverty level. Anyone tried to rent a place lately? Prices are too high and folks are becoming homeless. It’s serious.
A metering light system will be great for the southbound traffic. However, I hope they realize that the Abbott Street & 101 onramp system as it currently exists only goes southbound. For that level of traffic they will want to add a northbound ramp which will likely take more time. :)
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