Stanislaus County moves toward business park at former air base. 15,000 jobs possible
Stanislaus County will create a county service area in another step toward developing a business park at the former air base in Crows Landing.
Formation of County Service Area 31 will provide a framework for maintaining a water system, wastewater treatment, storm basins, a control tower, streetlights, landscaping and administrative services.
County service areas are used to collect charges from property owners to pay for basic services such as park maintenance and storm basins in unincorporated territory. The county Board of Supervisors approved a consent item Tuesday to form CSA 31, creating a mechanism for funding basic services for a 1,528-acre jobs mecca and general aviation airport in western Stanislaus County.
An industrial development firm has been reviewing the county’s plans for the Crows Landing Industrial Business Park, which could conceivably employ up to 15,000 people.
Right now, the county owns the properties in the 1,351-acre first phase of the project and will give landowner consent to form CSA 31. The rest of the properties can be annexed into CSA 31 when transferred to the county, a staff report said.
The county hopes to attract manufacturing, warehouse, aviation and other businesses to the former airfield, situated 1.5 miles from Interstate 5 and three miles south of Patterson. The plan includes a public airport using at least one of the two runways.
During its history, the Crows Landing Naval Landing Field was used for training pilots for World War II, for flying anti-submarine aircraft and fighter jets and running tests on experimental aircraft for the NASA Ames Research Center. The facility was decommissioned in 1999.
The ownership of 1,351 acres was transferred to the county. The federal government has held onto about 175 acres pending environmental cleanup. The county expects to assume ownership of those parcels within 12 months.
County could partner with IRG firm
According to a county staff report, revenues for operations and maintenance of services for the business park will be generated when business tenants and property owners pay service charges and annual parcel assessments.
The county service area will have a minimal budget at first; the operations and maintenance expenses will increase as the water system and other facilities are built.
The county has been in preliminary talks with Industrial Realty Group to possibly serve as master developer for the business park. The firm has been doing research on the county proposal.
The county expects a presentation from IRG in May on their evaluation of the project and ideas for development.
