Rialto Shortens Proposed Warehouse Moratorium Extension to Six Months, Set to Expire August 26, 2025, Amid Scrutiny

Rialto City Council voted to extend a moratorium on new warehouse developments for an additional six months on Feb. 25th, shortening the original proposed extension of 10 months and 15 days. The decision, which followed a discussion about zoning regulations and the city’s long-term development plans, pushes the moratorium’s expiration to Aug. 26, 2025.

The moratorium, initially adopted on Jan. 28 under emergency ordinance 1697, temporarily halts the “establishment, expansion, or intensification” of warehouses and fulfillment centers. The extension aims to give city officials time to review zoning regulations, consider potential rezoning in specific areas and establish appropriate guidelines for “indoor storage facilities” according to AB 98 regulations.

Daniel Casey, the city’s principal planner, presented the ordinance. However, concerns about the timeframe arose among council members.

“I have a little bit of an issue with your time frame on this,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ed Scott. “Because we had asked that [the] staff move in a much faster manner to address the zoning issues, and I think 10 months is a long time.”

City Attorney Eric Vail noted that the council had the option to reduce the extension while still allowing staff enough time to complete their review.

“The alternative is to reduce the time,” Vail said. “Staff indicates in the staff report they feel that they can keep the necessary work within six months. So one alternative you could have tonight would be to make the moratorium last no longer than six months.”

After deliberation, the council voted in favor of the shorter extension, aligning the moratorium’s expiration with a scheduled council meeting.

“I suggest that we have the moratorium end on August 26, 2025,” Vail added. “The reason being that it coincides with a council meeting.”

During the moratorium, new applications for warehouse projects will be accepted but will not move forward until the city finalizes new regulations or the moratorium expires.

The decision reflects growing concerns over warehouse expansion in Rialto and the broader Inland Empire, as industrial development has led to increased resident scrutiny over its economic and environmental impact.

However, according to Ana Gonzalez, the executive director for the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice, the moratorium lacks clarity from the council. 

“We’ve been having conversations . . . about . . . this . . . moratorium,” Gonzalez said, “and not hearing any clear goals and outcomes, makes me feel that it’s performative.”

Despite the shortcomings, Gonzalez said community groups aim to leverage the moratorium to influence the council to improve warehouse regulation beyond AB 98 requirements.

“Now we’re moving quickly with the community to start mobilizing and hosting community meetings to produce a good neighbor policy out of this,” Gonzalez said. “So although we have AB 98, the city has the responsibility to go above and beyond what the state requires.”

She explained the policy as a way for communities to form grassroots coalitions to manage warehouse construction, including solar installation requirements and community benefits agreements (CBA). 

“A lot of cities produce these good neighbor policies . . . to update their city codes and requirements when it comes to warehouse . . . construction and development,” she said.

In an interview, Casey explained the Council’s motivation, citing the need to “pause and see if we need to update the city’s regulations . . . as far as warehouses are concerned.”

“Right now [we’re] engaging the council to make sure that we’re taking the right steps to not only incorporate AB 98 but also . . . the concerns of the residents,” he said.