Council affirms Prologis 315,000‑sq‑ft Central Avenue project, narrows review window to two years

Newark City Council on July 24 affirmed the Planning Commission’s resolution approving a new Prologis industrial building at 6756 Central Avenue, adopting the Planning Commission’s design review, conditional use permit and minor use permit while amending one condition to shorten the design‑review approval window from three years to two.

The project would demolish existing outdoor storage and dilapidated structures on a 17.4‑acre site, merge four parcels, and construct a predominantly single‑story, 315,390‑square‑foot industrial building with roughly 33,800 square feet of office space. Council members approved the action 4–1; Councilmember Bridal Quintancio cast the lone no vote.

Staff and the project team told the council the Prologis proposal replaces a blighted outdoor storage yard with a modern, LEED‑oriented industrial facility and includes easement dedications intended to support a future Central Avenue railroad overpass. The applicant committed to constructing the project to be “solar‑ready,” providing EV parking infrastructure, planting more than 70 trees and installing public‑facing amenities, and to grant more than 10 easements at no cost to the city to facilitate the overpass design and construction.

City staff presented environmental review materials concluding the proposal is consistent with the city’s General Plan and is eligible for the programmatic/consistency pathway under CEQA guidance; consultants presented technical studies on air quality, noise, geotechnical, hazardous materials and a vehicle‑miles‑traveled analysis. Staff also summarized required revisions the applicant must make before building permits will issue, including altering the dock‑door layout to show 32 active dock doors, two grade‑level doors and 14 knockouts and removing chain‑link fencing shown along the Central Avenue frontage.

During the public hearing, representatives of construction trade unions, the Newark Chamber of Commerce and the director of Second Chance shelter urged approval, citing local construction jobs, ongoing property cleanup and anticipated permanent jobs once the building is occupied. Representatives from Prologis and the applicant’s consultant emphasized the company’s long‑term footprint in Newark and said the development will generate impact fees and property tax revenue.

Council discussion mixed support for the redevelopment with caution about longer‑term land‑use strategy. Councilmember Grandahl said the site is a visible blight and the project will improve the corridor and generate revenue, and she moved to affirm the Planning Commission’s decision with a single change: reduce from three years to two the period within which the applicant must obtain final design‑review approval. Councilmember Windle and other members pressed staff and the applicant on traffic, VMT methodology and fiscal comparisons between manufacturing and distribution uses. Councilmember Bridal Quintancio said the city should prioritize advanced manufacturing and worried the CUP would allow a distribution/fulfillment use that generates different long‑term fiscal and employment outcomes.

The council’s adopted motion affirms the Planning Commission’s resolution with the one-condition change. The motion also included direction that, when the applicant returns for final design/permitting, staff should provide additional information about the potential for a permanent traffic signal at Sycamore and Central (near the site) and an update about timing for rooftop solar installation. The council recorded the outcome as: yes — Mayor Michael Hanna; yes — Vice Mayor Little; yes — Councilmember Jorgensen; yes — Councilmember Grandahl; no — Councilmember Bridal Quintancio.

What happens next: the applicant must submit revised permit drawings to reflect the dock‑door configuration and other plan corrections required by planning staff, execute the easements required for the Central Avenue overpass to the satisfaction of the city engineer, and complete required conditions prior to issuance of building permits. The applicant and staff noted that future changes converting knockouts to additional dock doors would require an amendment to the conditional use permit.

Votes at a glance: City Council — Adopt resolution affirming Planning Commission approval of design review, conditional use permit and minor use permit for the Prologis project at 6756 Central Avenue; motion amended to reduce the design‑review approval window from three years to two; outcome — approved 4–1.

Council and applicant comments indicated the council will closely review any future amendments that increase dock doors or otherwise change the permitted uses because such changes would require a new CUP amendment and potentially additional study. The council asked staff to return with more detailed traffic‑signal and solar‑installation information when the applicant returns for final entitlements or permit milestones.