The Oceanside City Council voted to unanimously to overturn their Planning Commission's approval of an Amazon distribution center in the the Ocean Ranch Corporate Center that would have employed 500 people.
Opposition from the Council focused on an addendum filed by Amazon after their initial application which was reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission in May. Discrepancies were found in the estimates provided for the number of delivery vans, parking spaces, noise levels and other details about the distribution center's impact on the city.
The project's representative, Jeff Forrest of the San Diego law firm Sheppard Mullen, said the addendum was provided at the request of the city, “We listened to what the public was saying, went back and revised.” Forrest contends that the addendum simply expands on the information provided in the application, and does not conflict with it.
The council heard from 30 people whose support of the project was divided. Amazon employees and union members said the city needed the jobs and others in favor said pointed out that Oceanside was already receiving deliveries from nearby Amazon center in Vista and Carlsbad.
Residents located close to the project expressed strong opposition, saying the 24-hour distribution center would negatively impact their quality of life by adding more noise, lights, and traffic.
Three separate appeals were filed by residents against the Planning Commission approval of the project. Ultimately, the Council voted to deny the project rather than support appeals.