ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Some homeowners in West Roseville's Winding Creek community are concerned about a proposed project near their homes.
Earlier this year, homeowners were given information about the proposed Roseville Industrial Park project. According to some, they got a half-sheet of paper in the mail from the city with information on the proposal and the city telling people they could email them if they had concerns.
The Roseville Industrial Park is proposed along Phillip Road in West Roseville. The project could include up to 15 buildings, totaling 2,430,000 square feet.
While nothing is set in stone, some of the businesses could include research and development, light manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, a potential electrical substation, or office space.
According to the city of Roseville, the site of the project was identified as a future business park and jobs center in 2006 before any homes were built in the area.
“We haven't been disappointed,” said Arlene Starrh, a Roseville resident who talked about what life is like living in the area. “We've been really happy to be located here (and) we want to retire here... I don't know if I would have bought it here if I knew this was coming.”
Starrh is one of the residents the “To The Point with Alex Bell” team spoke with about the upcoming projects. Each discussed their concerns, like Nichole Mace.
“I'm not excited about the effects that it's going to bring to the area, especially with the air pollution and the effects that the trucks will have on the area,” said Mace. “I'm not a fan of how it's backed up to the Winding Creek residents. As a new homeowner there I feel kind of blindsided by this announcement.”
Jesus Arechiga has lived in Winding Creek for a little over a year and his house backs right up to the proposed lot.
“Well, the city required a 12-foot wall to reduce noise and vibration,” said Arechiga. “I don't know if the wall will be right here or 12 feet apart. Either way, it's very close.”
"As a realtor, and far beyond a realtor, as just a neighbor, I am very concerned for the health and welfare, welfare of my neighbors,” said Starrh. “As a realtor, I'm concerned about property values. We do have people that are still interested in coming to this area. Clients, what do I tell them? I have to disclose what I know, so I am concerned about that.”
Other concerns include the environmental impacts, child safety as kids walk near the popular intersection, and the possibility of health hazards to those in the community.
“You know, being a cancer patient, both of us, we are concerned about that,” said Anna Sanchez, a Roseville resident. “I think about the people before anything else before they really do that, and if they need to make it go closer to a freeway where there's no civilization there. And I think that would be the best thing to do.”
Some of the residents we spoke with had some ideas for a different use of the land.
“For me, I would love to see something that's very recreational for me, with our family. We'd love to have something that would have like a splash pad or like a big park or things like that,” said Mace.
Other ideas were a library, a police station, a fire station, or even grocery stores.
“I am not opposed to development, commercial development, not opposed to growth in this area. It's needed. It's expected,” said Starrh. “We have very few resources in terms of commercial developments that have already been built. Rails are probably the most recent and we want more of that. They bring jobs to the community. It's clean development, it doesn't impact the environment the way an industrial park would.”
The residents have formed a group to keep each other informed as well as keep people up-to-date on what's going on with the project. You can learn more about it here.
The city of Roseville says the proposed project is "in the very early stages of the public process, which is why residents are learning about it."
They added that no business uses or project details have been decided at this time.
Their statement went on to say:
"Environmental studies are routinely done in the earliest phase of a project and it’s often the point when the public becomes engaged about the project. All stakeholder input, including from residents, is encouraged at this time. The City of Roseville is following the normal public process and it is working as intended. It is very common for projects to be modified following environmental study and public input.
As with any proposed project, the city of Roseville wants to see a positive contribution both to the local economy and the quality of life of our residents. The City of Roseville welcomes feedback from the public.
This site has long been envisioned for non-residential development. Previous studies were commissioned by the City in the mid-2000s to evaluate the potential feasibility of uses ranging from higher education to business park/job center, which could include a range of industrial uses including innovation, research and development, light-duty manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, or office. These case studies were intended to illustrate the property’s development potential, but were not intended to pre-determine its ultimate use."
The public comment period for the draft report was extended a month, until 5 p.m. on April 21. Comments will be addressed and added to the final report.
The proposal and environmental reports would go before the Planning Commission and the City Council. The planning commission and city council would have to approve the area to be rezoned from public to industrial before the project could get underway.
Roseville has existing industrial space, including the Foothills Boulevard and Industrial Avenue Corridor, which is 4.8 million square feet, according to Helen Dyda, a spokesperson for the city of Roseville.
For more information on the project, visit the city website.
Winding Creek is a community in West Roseville that – once complete – will include more than 2,000 new homes and apartments. The 500-acre Winding Creek community will also include an elementary school, four parks, and a retail center among other trails and protected land.
The city of Roseville gave ABC10 a list of resources residents can use to stay informed on what is going on in the area:
- Newsletters
- Social media channels
- Information on development projects of interest
- Environmental studies
- Roseville Coalition of Neighborhood Association’s website.
- Residents interested in updates about the Roseville Industrial Park project can be added to an email list collected by the City at smaples@roseville.ca.us.
