Subject: Roseville Industrial Park Project Draft EIR Comment

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My name is [insert name], and I am a resident of West Roseville. I am writing to express my concerns about the proposed Roseville Industrial Park and its potential impact on our community as detailed in the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). According to the DEIR, a developer has proposed the Roseville Industrial Park to be built at 6382 Phillip Road, using Blue Oaks Blvd, Westbrook Blvd, and Baseline Rd as the trucking corridors. If approved by the City, it would be among the largest distribution centers in Northern California. However, unlike similar sites, it will be in a large residential area far away from the freeway or major thoroughfares, making this project detrimental to the surrounding communities and negatively impacting thousands of Roseville residents.
 
The project request is for a General Plan Amendment, Rezone, Major Project Permit, Tentative Parcel Map, Tree Permit, and Development Agreement to allow the development of an industrial park with a range of industrial uses, including manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution uses (totaling up to 2,430,000 square feet), a potential electrical substation, and associated site improvements. The project would include up to 15 buildings, ranging in size from 80,000 square feet to 300,500 square feet. I have many concerns about the negative health and safety impacts a Mega-Industrial Park would have on our community. According to the DEIR, this Mega-Industrial Park could bring over 1,000 trucks to our residential streets a day. The same streets where thousands of neighborhood kids walk and bike to elementary school, junior high and high school. In addition to our concerns about the impacts to the safety of our community, we are also concerned about the impacts to our health from the pollution from this heavy industry traffic.

 

Traffic: First and foremost, I am concerned about the impact the proposed Industrial Park will have on traffic in our community. The current traffic from our growing community will already contribute to increased safety, noise, and pollutants, however, adding a large industrial complex will only exacerbate these issues. I worry that increased truck traffic and employee commuting will result in increased air pollution and potential safety issues for pedestrians and cyclists. Does not address or mitigate the likelihood of increased collisions or accidents with residential traffic. Industrial traffic competing with nearby sports complex traffic Industrial traffic competing with pedestrian / bike traffic of young children (local schoolsw/ 6,732 school aged children) Industrial traffic competing with large population of senior drivers. West Roseville has a large population of older residents with many 55+ living communities (Sun City, Solaire Heritage, Oakmont, Sutter Terrace Senior Apartments), who are driving in the community. The report does not address the issues this could cause with increased industrial traffic in the area, as noted in the DEIR the possibility of an additional 1,140 industrial trucks a day on the same roads as this vulnerable population. According to theCDC, older drivers have a higher crash death rate. With the increase in traffic by the Industrial Park it is very likely the mortality rate for many seniors driving in the same area would increase. The DEIR does not address this concern.
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Safety: Additionally, I am concerned about the potential safety hazards that could result from the proposed Industrial Park. With the increased truck traffic, there is a higher risk of accidents, and this could pose a danger to the residents who live nearby. Moreover, the proposed Industrial Park is located near several schools and residential areas, and I worry about the potential impact on the safety of our children and families.

Pollution: The industrial park will also increase pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The manufacturing processes and transportation activities associated with an industrial park could have a detrimental impact on the air quality and environment of
our community. I urge the city to consider the long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of our residents before approving the project.
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Zoning: The City of Roseville would need to rezone this land which would mean amending the City’s General Development Plan. This project would require the city to rezone the area to allow for industrial use, which is not what thousands of city residents expected when we bought our houses in this area. The mitigation included in the DEIR to this concern and rezoning is insufficient and does not take the impacts of this change seriously to consider the traffic, health and safety, and property value. The DEIR refers to the zoning impacts as significant (Impact 3.4-3, pg. 147) and less than significant (Impact 3.13-2, pg.303). The DEIR states "The project is situated in a geographically inefficient part of the City of Roseville because it is further from freeways than other employment centers in the City.” And, the DEIR reports the Vehicle Miles Traveled in Impact 3.3-1 would be significant and unavoidable.
 

Conflicts: The draft EIR fails to address conflicts with residential land use.

 

Crime: The DEIR fails to consider how the Industrial Park would impact, and likely increase crime in the area. A large Industrial Park is likely to attract more crime to the Park itself, and local area. Further, the Roseville Police Department is already stretched in its oversight of public safety in the West Roseville with only one assigned beat out of seven total in the city. There are 50,000 residents living in West Roseville west of Fiddyment Road, which is nearly a third of the population of the city.

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Proposed Alternatives: In light of these concerns, I would like to propose that the city consider alternatives to the Industrial Park. For example, an office park that would generate less traffic, be less hazardous, and have less impact on the environment would be a better option for our community. I hope that the city will consider my suggestion and work to find a solution that benefits everyone.
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Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing back from you on this issue.
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Sincerely,
[Insert Name & Address]