Beaumont warehouse project to move forward after legal settlement
A warehouse developer and environmentalists reach a settlement in Beaumont, requiring emissions cuts to address Sierra Club concerns.
A settlement has been reached between a warehouse developer and environmentalists, clearing the way for a massive warehouse project near the Badlands in Beaumont. Under the deal, the developer will be responsible for cutting emissions from the facility.
The Sierra Club, which brought the lawsuit, calls the settlement another step toward holding warehouse developers accountable for their emissions.
Last year, the Sierra Club sued the city over its approval of the Beaumont Pointe project. The developer, Beaumont Pointe Partners LLC, plans to build commercial and industrial buildings on 620 acres of open land south of the 60 Freeway and Jack Rabbit Trail. The project includes 5 million square feet of warehouse space and is projected to generate up to 16,000 truck trips a day according to its Environmental Impact Report.
As part of the settlement, the facility must run entirely on solar power — covering the electricity needs of the buildings and EV charging stations. The developer is also required to begin aggressively transitioning medium- and heavy-duty truck fleets to fully electric zero-emission vehicles with specific timelines outlined in the agreement.
The Sierra Club argued the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by failing to adequately address impacts on wildlife and air quality.
Mary Ann Ruiz, chair of the Sierra Club’s San Gorgonio Chapter, says the group sued in part because the added industrial development threatens a key wildlife corridor linking the Badlands to the San Jacinto Wildlife Area used by raptors, coyotes and other species.
“It shouldn't take us — a small group of folks at Sierra Club, volunteers — to file litigation to force cities and developers to do things that they will do if they're forced by litigation,” she said. “So I hope that Beaumont and other cities pay attention and require these developers to live up to these standards.”
Additional terms include donating approximately 230 acres of the project site to protect sensitive habitat, contributing $123,000 to the San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society for local wildlife conservation and reducing noise and light pollution by planting a perimeter of tall evergreen trees and installing strict lighting controls.
The developer did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the City of Beaumont declined to comment, saying the city is not a party to the settlement.
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