Environmental review begins for major warehouse project in Modesto. 1,000 jobs estimated.
A Stanislaus County notice released last week says an environmental impact report will evaluate the Scannell project, a major warehouse and industrial center proposed on the north side of Kiernan Avenue in north Modesto.
Scannell Properties LLC has proposed the 145-acre development at the northwest corner of Kiernan Avenue and Dale Road, in county territory north of the Kaiser Permanente hospital.
About 1,000 workers could be employed at the industrial center when fully developed, the county notice said. County officials have discussed the level of environmental work required for the development.
Details of the Scannell project will be shared at the Salida Municipal Advisory Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Salida Library community room, 4835 Sisk Road. A scoping meeting on the environmental process is set for Wednesday at 2 p.m. Those interested are asked to register for the virtual meeting.
Scannell, an international development firm, has proposed seven warehouse and industrial buildings with up to 2.5 million square feet of space. Two of the proposed buildings are well over 500,000 square feet with hundreds of parking spaces for employees and semi trailers. The other buildings would range in size from 103,000 to 455,000 square feet.
The plan also includes a 3-acre retail center at the corner of Kiernan and Dale, with a fuel station for passenger cars and heavy trucks and a convenience store.
The environmental study will consider how the 24/7 operations will impact agricultural, air quality, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, water, noise, land use and hazardous materials. The study also will evaluate the effects on population and housing, public services, transportation and utilities.
The EIR will include measures to minimize or mitigate the impacts, the notice said. The county’s Feb. 7 notice asked responsible agencies and the public for input on issues that should be part of the environmental assessment, said Angela Freitas, county director of planning and community development.
Paul Starn, a representative for Scannell Properties, said that as as the lead agency, the county determines the level of the environmental review. He said an extensive EIR will be done for the Modesto project.
The landowner, Sandpoint Ranch Inc., includes directors with connections to E.&J. Gallo Winery, but a spokesperson for the Modesto wine company said last month it has no interest in the development.
Modesto is considering whether to extend water and sewer services across the city boundary to the Scannell project, which would involve a city-county tax-sharing agreement.
Project is part of much larger Salida growth plan
It’s the first major development in the Salida Community Plan, a blueprint for 3,383 acres of development approved by the county amid controversy in 2007. The massive plan for expansion of the unincorporated community of Salida includes 1,259 acres of industrial development, 490 acres of business parks, 280 acres of commercial uses and 1,110 residential units.
Much of the industrial and business park development is plotted on both sides of Kiernan Avenue, between Sisk and Dale roads.
Salida’s growth plan was put on hold by the national financial crisis and the Great Recession. An environmental study was never done on the overall development plan and it still isn’t clear if the county will require an environmental study on the Salida Community Plan before the Scannell project can proceed.
“It seems like they are trying to work around that,” said Brad Johnson, a Salida Municipal Advisory Council member. Johnson said he would like to see an EIR focused on the Salida plan and also a plan for roads and other infrastructure.
Freitas in an email Thursday said the county is evaluating the Scannell project and how it conforms to the Salida Community Plan. No determination has been made as to the full extent of environmental work for the project, her email said.
Johnson said he has questions about water service for the Scannell development and whether the developer would cover the full cost of extending a city line.
Salida residents and other voters never had a chance to vote on the Salida Community Plan. In summer 2007, proponents clad in “Salida Now” T-shirts were collecting signatures to put the plan on the ballot when the Board of Supervisors suddenly voted 3-2 to approve the initiative.
Johnson said the 17-year-old plan could be revised to put commercial development in the Kiernan corridor, giving Salida a retail tax base for possible incorporation as a city.
The Salida MAC expects to hear an informational presentation on the Scannell project Tuesday. Municipal advisory councils make recommendations to the county regarding development projects and policy matters.
The county’s “notice of preparation” and other project materials can be viewed online.
This story was originally published February 16, 2024 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Environmental review begins for major warehouse project in Modesto. 1,000 jobs estimated.."
