Patterson approves big distribution center. More jobs, goodbye corn maze
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Patterson approved a 1.2M sq-ft distribution center on a 74-acre former corn maze.
- The project could generate 80–100 jobs, but no confirmed tenant has been named.
- City plans include traffic upgrades as residents raise concerns over truck volume.
City planners have approved a 74-acre site for a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Patterson, a city in western Stanislaus County increasingly known for warehouse development.
The project is north of Sperry Avenue and west of the city’s landmark Amazon Fulfillment Center, where a private airport operated for years. The development plan includes parking for more than 600 autos in addition to 519 parking stalls for truck trailers.
The development, bordered by the Delta-Mendota Canal on the west, will eliminate a corn maze attraction. The proposed Delta Marketplace shopping center is planned on Sperry Avenue to the south.
The city has not identified a user for the logistics center, which is expected to create an estimated 80 to 100 jobs. The Patterson Planning Commission unanimously approved the project plans and revised environmental studies June 12.
The city, known for large distribution centers with access to Interstate 5, will require a Haggerty Drive extension and upgrades to minimize the impacts of truck traffic on commercial centers and residential neighborhoods.
City Planner Joel Andrews told the Planning Commission the industrial building will sit back from Sperry Avenue, with trees and other landscaping to soften the appearance of the development.
A representative for Sacramento-based Buzz Oats Construction, the developer, said a tenant has not been secured but city approval should make it easier to market the facility. Buzz Oats also constructed the Safavieh distribution center to the north.
The developer’s project description describes four entry points for trucks, including one from Sperry Avenue and three from the Haggerty Drive extension linked to Keystone Pacific Parkway.
The architectural design includes surface textures, wall relief and use of colors to break up the center’s roof-line and get away from the boxy appearance of some distribution centers, city staff said.
Patterson, with 25,000 residents, developed from a small farming town to a bedroom community for commuters. It planned for industrial expansion near Interstate 5 to achieve a jobs-and-housing balance. But people commenting on the Patterson Irrigator newspaper’s Facebook page were not thrilled with another million square feet of warehouse space.
“What’s beautiful about a city full of warehouses?” said one comment. Another person wrote: “Too many trucks already. What about another truck entrance to I-5?”
One comment lamented that the distribution center will replace a corn maze that’s been an annual attraction for families. Another suggested it’s not job creation if warehouses are filled with robots and conveyors.
Planning Commission Chairman Ron West noted that the general appearance of industrial buildings and warehouses is improving. He expressed regret for Patterson losing its corn maze but hoped the activity could be held one more time later this year.
“We like open land, but we need jobs,” West said.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
