Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes released the following statement:

The California State Assembly and Senate both approved AB 98, providing common sense standards and guardrails for new warehouses being built in California. This is an issue that is felt acutely in the Inland Empire where we are home to well over 1 billion square feet of warehousing, over 4,000 warehouses and approximately 600,000 truck trips a day. This effort is a product of the Warehouse Working Group established earlier this year by Speaker Robert Rivas. It includes 21st Century Building and Design Standards, mandatory truck routes, two for one replacement of demolished housing and 12 month rent payment to displaced renters, and significant property line buffers for new warehouses.

I want to be abundantly clear, I do not believe the sensitive receptor setbacks in this bill go far enough to protect our most vulnerable communities. The distances outlined in this bill are only a minimum, and cities may adopt more stringent standards than what is outlined in AB 98. I urge cities and counties to expand on the standard set in this bill.

It is also clear that the status quo is unacceptable and immediate action is needed on this issue. I believe AB 98 is an important step forward and contains many provisions that will better protect communities in the Inland Empire and across California.

There is still work to be done to protect public health, ensure the proper planning of logistics uses, and support a high quality of life for all Californians. The reporting requirements in this bill ensure that we are measuring policy outcomes, and I am committed to holding our local governments accountable for properly planning our communities. This is the first step, not the last, and I look forward to the work ahead.”

 The Majority Leader Emerita of the California State Assembly represents Assembly District 50 which includes all or parts of the cities of Colton, Fontana, Loma Linda, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Rialto, and San Bernardino, as well as unincorporated Bloomington