Ridgeline Property Group is in its public comment period and hosted an open house at New Jerusalem Elementary School to inform the community and answer questions about its 1,500-acre mixed-use development Pacific Gateway Project in Tracy. 

"I'm very excited about the amount of jobs we're going to bring to San Joaquin County," Steve Arthur, Ridgeline Property Group partner, said. "This is a $3.6 billion economic engine for the county."

Arthur said this will bring $135 million in annual revenue to San Joaquin County, more than 15,000 full-time jobs, more than 23,000 construction jobs, and $3.6 billion of economic output, not including the potential ripple effect down the line. 

"It's important that we come and support them 100% in all phases because of the value they bring," Raul Hernandez, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local Union No. 442 organizer, said. "Thanks to them, we're able to grow this construction industry here locally."

"You can't be a no-growth mentality," Hernandez said.

Hernandez added that the developers have embraced the community.

"I think this is a responsible project that's being built in a responsible way and we should support that kind of stuff there because more often than not, that's not the case," Hernandez said. "These developers will come under the radar, build out, and then leave the community. They've embraced the community. And they brought them in and they're part of the process. I can guarantee that all projects being built out here, doesn't happen that way. And this one is happening that way. You've got to recognize that and give them their due when it's merited."

The project underwent a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process, where a full Environmental Impact Report was done and released in November. The public is encouraged to take a look at it here, specifically going through the Executive Summary for clarification and insight.

Within the Environmental Impact Report, it details the project will include more than 24 million square feet of limited industrial use, 160,000 square feet of general commercial use, 93,000 square feet of industrial park use, a 66.5-acre university campus (Stanislaus State University), 9.8 acres for university expansion, a VFW post, fire station, various open space, a park, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities.

"We actually went very far in the CEQA process, of the Environmental Impact Report preparation process and we said, 'Hey, we need to take a timeout,'" Arthur said. "'And let's just listen to the input that we've received and rethink this project.'"

Arthur said they took 9 months to adjust their plan, working with the land owner to re-do the roads, infrastructure and 900 acres between the Delta-Mendota Canal and California Aqueduct, including reducing truck traffic by 70% compared to the last project's version, with an average of 1.5 miles away from Durham Ferry Road and utilities removed from the road.

"To move a project of this scale to a different location, that's a pretty big endeavor," Arthur said. "We did that to respond to the community's concerns about the physical location of the project."

There's a group of Tracy residents who still have major concerns and came to collect signatures in hopes of putting an end to the project.

"The Tracy Press stated that in the EIR report, it clearly states that this is some of the most fertile ("prime") farmland in San Joaquin County," Leanne Staas, who's leading the Coalition Against Pacific Gateway Project, said. "You don't just cover that up with concrete. You don't do it. This project needs to go away and it needs to stop."

Staas said she thinks she speaks for a lot of Tracy residents in that they're "fed up" with warehouses that create a "logistical nightmare". There are multiple "Say No to the Pacific Gateway Project No More Industrial" signs at homes near where the project is to be built.

"This is literally almost 25-million square feet of warehouses," Staas said. "To give people kind of a perspective, that's about 450-something football fields. That's a lot of warehouses. So here's this little 65-acre satellite campus going to be stuck inside basically a strip mall...it might bring some jobs while they build all the warehouses and then, what? They're going to sit empty just like the rest of the warehouses in Tracy. That's a crock."

When it comes to Ridgeline Property Group wanting to get public feedback and make changes accordingly to what they hear back, here's what Staas said about that.

"We have sat through so many of these meetings," Staas said. "We've looked at all his pretty pictures, it doesn't matter. There is no mitigation. The project needs to stop. End of story. We want it gone."

Ridgeline Property Group wants to address the community's concerns.

"We worked really hard to be responsive to the community input," Arthur said. "We're going to invest over a half-a-billion dollars in infrastructure. That alone is very significant to the county. I think in part of trying to clear things up is coming out and learn about the current version of Pacific Gateway. And see the changes that we've made to the project, that we feel will show folks that we really listened to their concerns and reconstituted the project to what you see today."

The public comment period ends on Dec. 21. 

"That is a great opportunity for the public to just tell us what you think about the project," Arthur said. "If you've got concerns, we have a website. It's a great resource for the public to go and learn anything they want about the project. It shows the public exactly where we are in each point where the public can weigh in."

Ridgeline Property Group is encouraging anyone with suggestions to share their input. You can do so on their website under the Project Review Process and Contact tab to find out who to email in the county for input.