Montebello council approves $2.22 million purchase for hydrogen fueling site to support zero‑emission buses

The Montebello City Council voted 5–0 on Jan. 14 to approve the purchase of property at 860 Truckway for roughly $2.22 million to build a permanent hydrogen fueling station that will serve Montebello Bus Lines and support the agency’s transition to zero‑emission buses.

John Soria, director of transit, told the council the 22,176‑square‑foot parcel is adjacent to existing transit operations and is suitable for hydrogen infrastructure and bus circulation. “The acquisition here is gonna cost us approximately $2,220,000,” Soria said, and added that the purchase will be funded from the transit enterprise fund and a set of property exchanges and agreements intended to cover acquisition costs.

Soria said the city’s enterprise fund has robust reserves and that recent property exchanges with public works would generate about $1.55 million for the enterprise fund. He also described a fuel‑supply agreement with Clean Energy that Soria said will produce additional revenue over five years; together those sources, Soria said, will cover the purchase without using the city’s general fund.

The purchase is tied to Montebello Bus Lines’ long‑term plan to meet state requirements for transit fleet electrification and fuel‑cell transitions. Soria cited the California Air Resources Board’s Innovative Clean Transit regulations and noted that Montebello recently received its first three hydrogen fuel‑cell buses as part of that rollout.

During council questions, a resident raised the cost of demolition and potential remediation. Linda Nicholas, a longtime resident, asked who negotiated the price and whether demolition and remediation were included. Soria replied that the $2.22 million figure covers the land acquisition only, that the city had completed a Phase 1 environmental study that did not raise concerns, and that demolition is currently estimated to be in the range of $80,000 to $100,000; he said the city would identify vendors to perform the demolition and any required remediation.

Council members pressed staff on contingencies and on whether the acquisition was contingent on other agenda items; staff said it is not contingent on other items and that enterprise reserves and the described exchanges provide the necessary funds.

The council’s approval authorizes the city to complete the purchase and proceed with project planning, environmental follow‑up as needed and vendor selection for demolition and fueling equipment. The council did not identify a timeline for construction during the discussion.

The vote followed public comment and a council question period and was recorded as unanimous in favor, with no members voting no or abstaining.