Redlands City Council advances citywide ban on new distribution warehouses

REDLANDS, Calif. — The Redlands City Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 6, to introduce an ordinance prohibiting new warehouses and logistics distribution facilities, ending months of debate over how existing facilities should be allowed to modernize.

Why it matters: The proposed ordinance would prohibit new warehouses of 50,000 square feet or more, or those with more than five truck docks, citywide. It would allow existing facilities to remain and, under certain conditions, increase their building height. The council's latest revisions remove provisions that would have allowed additional truck docks, addressing residents' concerns about increased truck traffic and air pollution.

The ordinance returns for final adoption at a future council meeting.

What changed

Tuesday's vote follows months of debate over how warehouses would be allowed to rebuild under the ordinance.

The council made two significant changes before introducing the ordinance:

• No additional truck docks: The council removed provisions that would have allowed existing warehouses to increase their number of truck docks as part of proposed building height increases.
• No economic feasibility study: The council removed a provision that would have allowed the city to require operators seeking additional height to submit an economic feasibility report or market analysis justifying the proposed changes.

The ordinance would still allow existing warehouses to request building height increases up to the maximum permitted by their zoning district, generally 50 feet. Those requests would require a conditional use permit and compliance with applicable sustainability and development standards.

Earlier versions of the ordinance capped the height increase to 15% of the existing building height.

Operators would also be required to submit an energy audit comparing existing and proposed energy use to demonstrate improvements in efficiency.

What they're saying

Before the council discussion and vote, residents continued to push for stronger restrictions, arguing that allowing existing warehouses to expand could undermine the intent of the ban.

Germaine Miles urged the council to prohibit additional truck docks, citing concerns about diesel emissions and public health.

"Warehouses bring trucks, and more truck docks are going to bring more trucks," Miles said.

Michael Paisner also urged the council to eliminate redevelopment allowances, arguing that existing warehouses would already be subject to updated building standards when rebuilt.

Industry representative Bill Blankenship supported the proposed ordinance, describing it as a compromise that would prohibit new warehouse development while allowing existing facilities to modernize.

Former Redlands City Council Member John James criticized the proposed economic feasibility study requirement, arguing that its subjective criteria could discourage warehouse owners from modernizing their facilities. He urged the council to adopt clearer, measurable standards, such as LEED energy-efficiency guidelines, instead.

Council debate

Council Member Denise Davis emphasized the importance of the ordinance as a way for the city to address public health concerns associated with warehouse development.

"There's very little we have the power to do as a city council as it relates to public health. But this is something tangible that we can do," Davis said. "And so I'm asking my colleagues tonight to really take that seriously and work to get this right."

Council Member Paul Barich supported eliminating additional truck docks while preserving opportunities for older warehouses to install more efficient equipment.

Mayor Pro Tem Marc Shaw questioned whether limiting truck docks could hinder future conversions to smaller electric trucks, which might require additional loading docks to accommodate the same volume of goods.

"But remember, anything we do on the city council, we can modify later on," Barich said. "And that would be our job anyway, if we need to address something that the city needs or doesn't need."

California adopted regulations in 2023 to transition certain commercial truck fleets to zero-emission vehicles, but withdrew its request for federal approval in January 2025, anticipating opposition from the incoming Trump administration. The withdrawal effectively halted the state's planned zero-emission requirements for many private commercial fleets.

Mayor Mario Saucedo proposed eliminating the economic feasibility study requirement, arguing that it would create unnecessary uncertainty for warehouse operators seeking to modernize.

"I think it gives some certainty to the applicant that it doesn't have to go to an economist to prove the point of having to do a feasibility study and have it evaluated up or down," Saucedo said.

He said the conditional use permit process would still allow the Planning Commission and City Council to evaluate proposed height increases, while the energy audit requirement would remain in place.

Council members also expressed interest in the suggestion to incorporate objective environmental standards based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. However, city staff said requiring standards beyond California's existing building code would involve additional state-mandated procedures. The council did not add LEED requirements to the ordinance.

The council ultimately agreed to prohibit additional truck docks while retaining the option for existing warehouses to seek height increases.

The council voted 5-0 to introduce Ordinance No. 3002 with the amendments and approved a related resolution updating the city's commercial and industrial specific plans.