Leaders in Industry, Vernon, Commerce and Santa Fe Springs this week celebrated Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on Senate Bill 1274, setting into state law an official definition of an “industrial city” and amplifying the role the cities play in California’s economy.
“SB 1274 is an important first step that gives industrial cities a foundation to advocate for laws and policies that better reflect our unique needs,” Commerce City Manager Ernie Hernandez said. “We now have a stronger voice in future policy discussions, ensuring our economic contributions and infrastructure needs are part of the conversation.”
The legislation, which Newsom signed Wednesday, Sept. 16, was authored by state Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Norwalk, and coauthored by Assemblymembers Blanca Pacheco and Blanca Rubio.
City of Industry, Vernon, Commerce and Santa Fe Springs advocated for the legislation as part of their broader efforts to ensure California policies better recognize distinct characteristics of their cities.
As defined by the bill, industrial cities meet three criteria:
– Has a resident population of fewer than 25,000;- Has a majority of its jurisdiction zoned or used for industrial, manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, energy production or other large-scale commercial uses; and- Supports a daytime workforce that exceeds its resident population.
“For a city with fewer than 250 residents, Vernon supports a daytime workforce of approximately 50,000 people,” Vernon City Manager Brian Saeki said.
The “BIG 4” cities are part of a major industrial and commercial corridor. Between them, hundreds of thousands of jobs in manufacturing, wholesale and distribution, transportation and logistics, food production, e-commerce and other industries.
City of Industry has more than 2,500 businesses and 80,000 jobs; Vernon has more than 1,800 businesses and approximately 50,000 workers; Commerce sees more than 60,000 people work or patronize its 1,800 businesses each day; and Santa Fe Springs has more than 3,000 businesses and 55 million square feet of industrial and manufacturing space.
Recently, some cities have seen pushback from their own and nearby communities’ residents over the prospect of data centers.
Projects such as the Marici battery energy storage system facility in City of Industry have sparked concern for residents.
Falynn Love, an organizer against City of Industry’s controversial developments running for Rowland Heights School Board, said she’s in “shock” at the precedent it might set for communities.
“It’s just protection for them, it does not protect their residents,” Love said. “It considers no one other than their businesses … the neighboring cities to bear the impacts of these industrial cities. Us, as constituents, we feel like that’s not a protection for us.”
Love and others, like Brandon Macias, are also running for local boards and offices in hopes to pass resolutions halting developmental effects in their communities.
SB 1274 adds a definition of industrial city to state law, but does not do anything beyond define the term.
According to City of Industry City Manager Joshua Nelson, the changes help cities secured population-based funding grants.
“Santa Fe Springs has long balanced the needs of our residents with the significant infrastructure and services required to support one of the region’s major employment and industrial centers,” Santa Fe Springs City Manager René Bobadilla said. “SB 1274 recognizes that responsibility and gives cities like ours a stronger foundation to advocate for our needs at the state level.”