This update summarizes the most notable revisions in the latest city staff report ahead of the March 10 council meeting.

After reviewing the January 28, February 26, and March 10 staff reports, many of the revisions appear to be technical or formatting changes. However, several changes are significant and may influence the council’s decision and public discussion.

Key Changes in the March 10 Update
 

1. Industrial Square Footage Reduced

Two warehouse buildings were removed from the plan.

Previous: ~5.545 million sq ft industrial
Updated: ~4.749 million sq ft

This represents a reduction of approximately 800,000 square feet. While smaller, the project would still remain a very large logistics development.

2. Retail Space Also Reduced

Retail space was reduced as well.

Previous: ~268,400 sq ft
Updated: ~223,753 sq ft
 

Retail has been one of the main justifications for the project. With retail shrinking while industrial remains large, the project continues to be primarily warehouse-focused.

3. $3 Million Public Benefit Fee Added

The updated report includes a $3,000,000 public benefit fee paid to the City.

This payment is intended to provide the city with some financial benefit even if the project does not fully develop.

4. Fire Station Funding Commitment

The developer commits to:

$16 million for construction of a new fire station
$1 million for fire equipment

These contributions are intended to address increased emergency service demand from the project.

However, the city would still be responsible for ongoing operational costs, including staffing the station.

5. Development Agreement Changes

Several legal provisions in the Development Agreement were modified, including:

• Removal of the Force Majeure clause
• Changes to default and remedy provisions
• Adjustments to retail development timelines
• Removal of a special infrastructure account

These changes affect how enforceable the developer’s obligations are over time.

Additional Design Changes
 Several project uses were removed or restricted:

• Trailer storage yard removed
• Truck barrier system added
• Cold storage uses prohibited
• Freestanding travel centers prohibited
   

These changes appear intended to address community concerns about truck activity and logistics uses. 
 

What Did NOT Change
 Despite the revisions, several major aspects of the project remain the same:

• The overall logistics development concept remains intact
• The project footprint and location remain largely unchanged
• The Environmental Impact Report findings remain unchanged

The Environmental Impact Report still identifies significant and unavoidable impacts, including:

• Air Quality
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Noise
• Transportation / Vehicle Miles Traveled
   

Because of this, the City Council would still need to adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations in order to approve the project.

Key Issues Likely to Be Discussed

Even with the revisions, several questions remain central to the discussion:  

1.Retail vs. Warehousing

The project currently proposes:

~223,753 sq ft retail
~4,749,000 sq ft industrial
 

Industrial space would still be more than 20 times larger than retail.

2. Timing of Retail Development

Changes to the Development Agreement raise questions about when retail would actually be built, and whether warehouses could be developed first.

3. Long-Term City Costs

The project includes several upfront contributions:

$16M fire station construction
$1M fire equipment
$3M public benefit fee
$500k animal shelter support
 

However, the city may still face long-term operational costs for services, infrastructure, and maintenance.

Big Picture
 

The March 10 revisions appear to represent a scaled-back version of the project, with reduced square footage and additional financial contributions, while keeping the core logistics development largely intact.

The Banning City Council will now decide whether the project’s benefits outweigh the environmental impacts identified in the Environmental Impact Report.

If you believe the community should carefully consider these issues before moving forward, please consider signing and sharing this petition so local leaders know residents are paying attention.
 

Join other community members who have already signed.