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Opponents of the 2 million-square-foot Pacific Oaks Commerce Center say they’ve met their initial fundraising goal and will now recruit volunteers to gather signatures for a November ballot challenge.
YUCAIPA, Calif. — Opponents of a 2 million-square-foot warehouse project off Live Oak Canyon Road say they have secured enough pledges to move forward with a referendum aimed at overturning the Yucaipa City Council’s Aug. 25 approval of the development.
Redlands resident David Matuszak, president of Friends of Live Oak Canyon, said Aug. 29 the group met its initial fundraising goal to cover the costs of the campaign and is now collecting donations and recruiting volunteers.
“The referendum is a go. We met our pledge goal and are in the process of collecting donations,” Matuszak said in an email to CFR. “The next step is to help any way they can to fight the warehouses in Live Oak Canyon. We need volunteers to collect signatures for the petition. You don’t need to live in Yucaipa to volunteer.”
Matuszak said the City of Yucaipa was formally notified Thursday that opponents intend to file the referendum. If successful, the campaign would suspend the ordinance approved by the City Council in a 4-1 vote to update the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan and allow the Pacific Oaks Commerce Center. The two-building project is planned for the mouth of Live Oak Canyon at Interstate 10.
Organizers must gather roughly 4,700 valid signatures from Yucaipa voters within 30 days to qualify for the November ballot. While only city residents can sign the petition, donations and volunteer support can come from outside the city, Matuszak said.
The referendum push comes after years of debate over the warehouse project. Supporters, including Mayor Jon Thorp and Councilmember Bob Miller, have called it a “legacy” investment that would diversify Yucaipa’s tax base and generate more than $14 million in development fees.
Opponents, led by Mayor Pro Tem Chris Venable and residents from both Yucaipa and Redlands, warn of traffic, air pollution, and loss of open space.
Matuszak said the campaign is also intended to send a broader message about warehouse development across the Inland Empire. “Already, similar citizen groups have reached out to me for help in fighting their own battles regarding warehouses from Riverside and the Banning Pass,” he said.
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