We are concerned residents calling on the Humboldt County planning and building department to conduct an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Grocery Outlet and Auto Zone stores proposed in McKinleyville, California.

The proposal will generate significant traffic impacts on Central Avenue, which is the main traffic corridor. A grocery store and auto store are significantly different uses that the County’s General Plan did not take into consideration. A grocery store in particular generates significant traffic during peak hours that will impact traffic flow. In addition, we are concerned about the lack of sufficient parking.

As the property is going from residential to commercial uses, there will be significant impacts to water consumption and energy impacts that need to be studied. Further, given the adjacent residential single family homes, an EIR will review noise impacts such as delivery trucks idling, trash pickup, and noise generated by foot traffic. The EIR will also need to study light pollution generated from the development and its impacts on the neighborhood.

Another point of concern is water and pollutant runoff, as the property slopes down and away from Central Avenue. It is further located nearby waterways that will be impacted and must be studied. Finally, we are calling for an EIR to study the potential and likely urban decay caused by the development. The project is located directly adjacent to an existing O’Reilly Auto Parts, a Ray’s Food Place, and less than a mile from an existing Safeway.

Grocery Outlet has opposed collective bargaining at nearly all of its locations, drawing opposition from community members and UFCW affiliates across the state for the past several years. Grocery Outlet entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by affiliates of Hellman & Friedman LLC along with Grocery Outlet’s senior management team from its principal owner, Berkshire Partners LLC.