Redlands, Yucaipa residents begin effort to push back on Live Oak Canyon warehouse

LIVE OAK CANYON, Calif. — A group of Redlands and Yucaipa residents have launched a campaign to overturn Yucaipa City Council's approval of a 2 million-square-foot warehouse development at the mouth of Live Oak Canyon, saying the city’s decision threatens the rural canyon and surrounding communities.

Friends of Live Oak Canyon is joining forces with the Yucaipa Preservation Society in an effort to qualify a referendum for the November ballot. The goal is to overturn a city ordinance passed Monday that changes zoning to allow the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center, a two-building distribution complex off Interstate 10 and Live Oak Canyon Road.

Organizers say they need to raise $50,000 by the end of the week to hire professional circulators and begin gathering the roughly 4,700 valid signatures needed from Yucaipa voters.

Redlands resident and Friends of Live Oak Canyon president David Matuszak spent Wednesday going door-to-door seeking pledges to fund the effort.

“We’re very disappointed in the Yucaipa City Council,” Matuszak said. “It was a 4-1 vote to support warehouses going in our rural, pristine canyon… It’s all about money and not about quality of life.”

Matuszak argued the development could add thousands of diesel trucks and worker vehicles to Live Oak Canyon Road daily. “Just imagine 2,500 diesel trucks and a thousand automobiles from workers adding to that traffic,” he said.

He said the council refused to delay its vote despite the pending release of a report on warehouse growth in the Inland Empire backed by the Sierra Club and the Robert Redford Foundation.

If the campaign secures enough funding, organizers plan to launch the signature drive immediately, with 30 days to qualify the referendum. While only Yucaipa residents are eligible to sign, donations to the political action committee can come from anywhere, Matuszak said.

Warehouse approved following years of opposition

After years of debate and revisions, the Yucaipa City Council approved an update to the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan, which allows the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center and shifts some land from retail to business park and warehouse use.

Mayor Jon Thorp, who voted in favor of the development, framed the decision as one rooted in the city’s long-term financial health.

“Finances are on our radar right now. Anything that helps level some of those things on our ledger helps,” he said, pointing to the estimated $14 million in development impact fees tied to the project.

Because the update involves a zoning change, the ordinance must return for a second reading before it takes effect.

How a referendum works in California

Residents who oppose a newly adopted city ordinance can challenge it through a referendum petition under California Elections Code. Here's how it works:

• Timeline: Opponents have 30 days from adoption of the ordinance to file and circulate petitions.
• Signatures required: The petition must gather valid signatures from 10% of registered voters in the city. In Yucaipa, that’s estimated at about 4,700 signatures.
• What happens if it qualifies: Once enough signatures are verified, the ordinance is suspended. The City Council must then either repeal the ordinance outright or place the issue on the ballot for voters to decide at the next election.
• Effect on the warehouse project: Until voters weigh in, the zoning changes tied to the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center cannot take effect, meaning the project is on hold.

Those interested in learning more about the initiative can contact organizer David Matuszak directly at dave@pacificsunset.com.

This article was originally published 2025-08-27 at 16:15.