Hemet council extends moratorium on new warehouses for 12 months amid public concern
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Summary
The Hemet City Council voted unanimously Oct. 28 to extend an urgency moratorium on new warehouse and distribution entitlements for one year while staff finishes updates to zoning and development standards. The extension followed a staff recommendation and public comments emphasizing traffic, noise, automation and environmental concerns.
The Hemet City Council on Oct. 28 voted 5-0 to extend an urgency ordinance moratorium on the submission of new entitlements for warehouse and distribution facilities for an additional 12 months, a staff report said.
City Attorney Steve Grama Pacifico told the council the initial moratorium was enacted Oct. 12, 2024 and extended Dec. 10, 2024. “Staff's recommendation would be to extend the moratorium, for the maximum amount allowable under the law, which is an additional, 1 year for a total of 2 years,” he said. The extension gives staff time to finish updates to the development code and bring recommended zoning and standards to the planning commission and council.
During the public hearing, several residents urged the council to continue the pause on approvals for logistics facilities. Public commenter Roy Fails warned against assuming new warehouses would bring sustained local jobs, citing automation and vacancy trends. “Building more warehouses ... will only cause more problems. Noise, traffic, destruction of our roads, pollution,” he said. Other speakers, including Melanie Paige Moyer and Wendy Balduke, urged preservation of Hemet’s scenic character and careful review of pending applications in light of new state legislation.
Council members debated briefly and moved to adopt the urgency extension. Mayor Pro Tem Krupa moved the motion; Council Member Connie Clark seconded. The roll call vote was Clark: Yes; Lodge: Yes; Mayles: Yes; Krupa: Yes; Mayor Peterson: Yes. The ordinance extension passed 5-0.
Staff and speakers referenced newly enacted state bills and enforcement questions that the city must consider while updating local regulations; staff said applications that predated the moratorium would be considered under the extended pause while the code amendments are prepared. The council did not act on any specific development application at the meeting.
The extension keeps in place the city’s temporary bar on new or expanded warehouse and distribution facility entitlements while staff completes work to balance land use, truck routing and community impacts.
