ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
MINUTES
Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Call to Order/Roll Call 1: 11 PM
EDC MEMBER PRESENT
Mayor Deborah Robertson
Council Member Ed Scott
CITY/AGENCY STAFF PRESENT:
Arron Brown, Acting City Manager
Robert Messinger, Deputy City Attorney
Tanya Williams, Assistant to the CM
Colby Cataldi, Community Development Director
Kathy Brann, Economic Development Manager
Paul Gonzales, Community Development Manager
Daniel Casey, Senior Planner
Kim Dame, Administrative Analyst
Public Comments – None
Review/Approval of Minutes
Minutes from the April 26, 2023 – Accepted for the Record
REPORTS/DISCUSSION ITEMS
EDC-23-604 Request the Economic Development Committee Hear a Presentation on the development of My Rialto App.
Presented by Colby Cataldi
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
CM Scott asked when do you project online?
Answer- Weve been told that it would be done in a week.
Arron- I checked in on that yesterday and that is in process right now, expected to be done by the end of next month. Question I have for EDC is how would you recommend we would do a launch? A formal launch or just put out information.
Mayor- What happens when a citizen doesn’t have a phone, can they still call it in? how will that request be put on the database?
Answer- we have a URL & if they have access to the website, they can submit all issue through the website.
Mayor- If this a senior with a house phone, how will they be able to submit issue? Arron – Rattle tek app is the front end, that back end remains the same, you will still be able to call like before.
Arron- Going back to the launch what would be the recommendation for a launch? CM Scott- suggestion do a soft launch to work out any bugs that may come up, before official launch.
Arron in the past we’ve done a soft launch that started with employees and making sure it is working properly and then we continue to launch to with the public.
SM Scott- We can start with the city and then the commissioners.
Mayor- Recommendation would be that present it on Council, Explain the app, schedule as when it will be done and ready to go. Once it ’s put into the public, they will n eed to know how to use the app.
Arron – We can have links on our website where they can click on the link, and it will take them to the download of the app.
EDC-23-589 Proposed Industrial Warehouse Buildings by Investment Building Group located on the NEC of Willow Avenue and Valley Boulevard.
Presented by Daniel Rosas
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
CM Scott- Do you get direct to consumer type activity?
Answer- A little bit because Amazon is so big now that a lot of the go through that route and choose retail chains.
CM Scott- So there’s no point of sale?
Answer- It does happen but not much is guaranteed.
Mayor- I see that you say 12 loading docks, Is that 12 per building? Answer- Theres a total of 16 loading docks. Unit on the left has 3 active docks, righthand side has 7 and the other building has 4 or 5.
CM Scott- Is there a traffic study on this?
Answer – they have gone through a scoping agreement and are preparing a traffic study.
CM Scott -Please make sure that the traffic study gets submitted in a timely manner.
Answer- yes, there is a draft in process. When we get to the planning commission, they will have a complete traffic study for council.
Mayor- We want to have an understanding of what each building will have and the circulation plan.
CM Scott- Has this been submitted to ERC?
Answer- it has gone through One review, some comments/corrections were given and waiting on resubmittal.
CM Scott- What if this project doesn’t get approved, How does it move forward? Answer- My understanding is that if it doesn’t get approved it doesn’t happen or move forward.
Attorney- If the property owner is unable to acquire property and the city chooses not to use its domain the condition is deemed, as a matter of law to be waived and the project can’t proceed.
EDC-23-605 Patriot Development Partners - Industrial Building on the SEC Valley Boulevard & Willow Avenue
Presented by Daniel Casey
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
Mayor- What’s the plan for willow east? Between Willow and Riverside, we will place a medium. CM Scott- how wide is the medium. Answer- about a few feet, will confirm.
Mayor- what will the medium look like? Answer- It will be hardscape rocks. Committee asked what the environmental impact on this site will be. CM Scott asked if they did an assessment on the property. Developers said it was done - Daniel said that everything checked out. The Mayor asked if there were any asks from the school districts for community benefits? Daniel said that nothing came back. Mayor asked if there were comments from the community. The Committee is asking why is it in our document, if they codified with the school district. If a developer wants to donate elsewhere that’s fine, but it doesn’t need to be in our document. CM Scott said he wants to see what the justification for approval is, in the recommendation from the planning commission.
Committee wants to make sure that they get a copy of the traffic as well.
EDC-23-632 Request Feedback from the Economic Development Committee on the Approach for Awarding a Construction Contract for the Raised Median Island Improvements on Baseline Road between Willow Avenue and Pepper Avenue, Federal Project No. HSIP 5205-027, City Project No. 170812.
Presented by Art Cervantes
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
Committee is OK to separating the projects. CM Scott suggested that Art go see what Colton did at Rancho and Valley – feels we should do something like that on the median.
Committee is concerned that there was no notice that went out to the public as to what the project was about. Medium from Riverside to Pepper, Mayor wants to know what it’s going to look like and w as there any notification . Art said they did reach out to the businesses in that area. Committee suggested that possibly put drawings on the sign showing what it will look like. Mayor is concerned that there has been no meetings with the public to show what we are doing. Moving forward with Riverside to Pepper there is enough funding. To go from Pepper to Meridian there is additional funding needed. taking out willow to lilac to do separately. Mayor wants to see how many turn pockets, she is concerned. Need to set up a meeting with the Mayor to show all the Meridian to Willow was the full scope, but it was separated into 3 sections. CM Scott said he was concerned about the business community. Mayor wants to see that the consumers are taking care of too and will set up a meeting with the Mayor, so that she can see the plan fully.
EDC-23-610 Update on Proposed Industrial Building at 436 W. Rialto Avenue Presented by
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
Committee wants it understood that the developer needs to stay within the property. CM Scott thinks Colby should compare it to the cost of the existing trail, because he said the existing trail was expensive. Mayor asked about soil testing, Colby said they did. Mayor asked if they considered the additional piece, Cactus to Lilac. Public works applied for the grant for the full cost. Colby said they can put the conditions back on the developer to build out from Lilac to Willow. CM Scott asked that the Notices get recirculated in English and Spanish. CM Scott wants to see landscaping and he doesn’t thing the 6 feet landscaping isn’t enough. Mayor is concerned about the elevation , that the building will be protruding above. Colby said they will discuss all the feedback with the developer.
Mayor feels that they should go down further. They will not use the trail as the buffer zone. Subcommittee had staff confirm the routes of the truck traffic and driveways. Truck traffic should be only on Rialto Ave. If they put a 4-way stop, it will cause traffic backup.
Colby will take back to developer. NO windows on the east side of the bui lding that will face the Police Department.
EDC-23-611 Update regarding Olive Grove Industrial Project proposed by Crow Holdings Industrial, LLC
Presented by Daniel Casey
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
CM Scott asked why it’s coming to Council and not Planning. Colby said it’s because there is EIR approval needed. CM Scott said if there was ever a place a warehouse shouldn’t be, this is it. Colby said the project did go to planning commission a couple of months ago and they approved it. Staff has indicated that they plan to recommend approval for the zoning. CM Scott said no matter what CBA is offered; it isn’t good for the community. CM Scott is concerned what the liability is? Robert said liability is going to turn on making findings based on facts that have been introduced through the hearing process and tying those to specific facts that are going to be found in the environmental conditions that can not be mitigated. CM Scott ask does it put us in the situation that it was done in one location, so they should be allowed to do it too. Robert hasn’t see the environment/traffic, they need to. Devel oper has granted us the easement. CM Scott said if we approve their project. Colby said his recommendation should be noticing at 1000 ft. – developer wants 300. Mayor said it could even be larger. CM Scott asked if the Committee can get a summary of the draft EIR and traffic study.
EDC-23-592 County of San Bernardino City Sphere of Influence Standards and Overlay Zone
**Pushed to next meeting
EDC-23-576 Alternatives for Financing Mitigation of Warehouse Impacts on the City **Pushed to next meeting
EDC-23-593 Draft Community Benefit Agreement Ordinance / Draft Professional Labor Agreement Ordinance
**Presented by Colby Cataldi
Committee Comments/Questions/Recommendations
Colby talked about the model of the CBAs. Mayor asked when did this popup/where did it come from. Robert explained what was driving this. Mayor said the offers don’t align with the impact. Robert is saying that this will help steer it. Colby said that it’s an option to consider. Robert gave info on project labor agreements. Zoning changes, specific plan general plan are the legislative discretionary acts that accommodate and insulate labor agreements and community benefit agreements. Colby said our city is in need of zoning code overhaul. He will apply for a grant from SCAG in January.
EDC-23-633 Update on the Lewis -Hillwood Rialto/City of Rialto Renaissance Specific Plan Amendment (Miro Way)
**Pushed to next meeting
EDC-23-609 ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) Las Vegas 2023 Recap
**Pushed to next meeting
Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 5:29 p.m.