Millions of square feet of online shopping warehouses are popping up in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Now some residents who love their rural lifestyle are fighting these developments. Los Angeles Times reporter Rachel Plevin visited two unincorporated, rural communities — Mead Valley and Bloomington — at the center of it all.
Two years ago, more than 100 homes in Bloomington were demolished to make way for a 2 million-square-foot warehouse industrial park. Some residents in the area have benefitted from the changes, including Raquel Diaz, whose property was bought by the developer, Howard Industrial Partners. She purchased the home for $140,000, but it became a nightmare after it flooded, Plevin explains.
“When the developer approached them and said, ‘Would you be willing to sell your home,’ Diaz thought it was a good opportunity. In the end, they were able to buy a five-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Highland. This home cost $1.05 million. It's a 3800-square-foot home with a pool and views, and she feels like she was really lucky.”
However, the situation blindsided others, including Felipe and Blanca Ortiz. They lived in a two-acre ranch in Bloomington with horses, goats, and chickens.
“They found out that their home had been sold out from under them, basically, when they got a notice informing them that their rental agreement would end in 60 days. And that notice came from the developer who had purchased the home,” Plevin says. “It really left the family in this tough spot. … When they left home each day, they didn't know if they would come home and if their home would be there.”
When the development’s construction was halted, crews were already demolishing homes. Meanwhile, several environmental and community groups filed a lawsuit, alleging the project’s approval violated California environmental and housing laws. In September, a judge halted the site’s construction, ruling that there were flaws in its environmental impact report, and that it must be redone.
Representatives from the San Bernardino County government, which unanimously voted to approve the project, did not speak to Plevin. However, she says officials have argued that the warehouses bring jobs and revenue to the working-class community, and promised millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements.
“They're offering to put in storm drains and sewers, and [to] improve roads and sidewalks and street lights. And these are things that are typically the role of county government. But I think [the] county government would say that they listen to the community and listen to both sides, and look at the environmental impact report. And I think depending on who you speak with, they have different opinions.”
Mead Valley, on the other hand, is no stranger to industrial development. It already has 2,000 square feet of warehouse per person, largely concentrated along a designated stretch of the 215 highway. What’s different now, Plevin explains, is that Riverside County is fielding several applications that would convert residentially-zoned areas into industrial spaces for warehousing.
In September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB-98, a controversial bill that establishes new standards for warehouses. It also includes rules on how far truck loading bays can be from homes, schools, day cares, and health care facilities. It mandates they must be located at least 300 feet from property lines in areas zoned for industrial use, and 500 feet from others.
“Residents say that's just not enough. They've been advocating for 1000 feet, which is actually what the California Air Resources Board has found is actually effective. The state attorney general has recommended 1000 feet. And so community residents are concerned that this 300 or 500 feet, it just maintains the status quo, and isn't going to be helpful for residents when they're trying to fight for better health protections.”
She continues, “Cities were also opposed to it. Business groups were opposed to it. As far as I saw, there were only labor groups that were supportive of it. But this was a law that Newsom has signed, and several groups have pledged that they will try to clean up the law in the legislative sessions.”
Affordable housing is another issue in these Inland Empire communities. The median home price in Riverside County is about $650,000, while home prices in San Bernardino County have shot up 11% this year. Plevin says that under AB-98, which goes into effect in 2026, developers that demolish housing must build two new units of affordable housing for every unit that’s been destroyed.
Plevin asked the Riverside County planning department about its plans to convert residential land to industrial land in the midst of a housing crisis. Their response?
“He was saying that these areas where they're considering changing the zoning, it really is more befitting for industrial use than for residential use, because it's already near warehousing. It might not be the best place to put in new housing. So I think that's something that Inland Empire planners and city governments will have to wrestle with — how to balance the development of industrial uses with the development of affordable housing.”