Sure looks like Amazon
The Santa Maria Planning Commission is expected to make a final decision on a 588 job package delivery distribution center on Stowell Rd at its May 6 meeting. The name of the tenant has not been announced although there are strong signals it is Amazon.
If a project gets a thumbs up from the planning commission, there would be a 14-day appeal period. If the project is not challenged, the applicant after that could move to construction. Construction is expected in stages to start this spring and last into summer of 2027.
Santa Maria city planner Frank Albro says as of May 1 the city will release its final response to comments to the draft EIR for the big project. Concerns have been raised over traffic as a result of the project.
According to the draft EIR, the proposed delivery warehouse would operate 24/7 to support delivery of packages to customer locations between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. The main on-site facility would include delivery and distribution, office and processing uses, including shipping and receiving of packages. The operation would support some 588 jobs.
Approximately 34 line-haul trucks (semi-trailer trucks) would be expected to deliver packages to the warehouse each day. The customer packages would be sorted by address groupings, assigned to the delivery routes, placed onto movable racks, and staged for dispatch. Delivery drivers would arrive at the delivery warehouse around 9:20 a.m. and begin queuing for loading.
Steady stream of delivery vans
Up to 345 delivery vans would depart from the delivery warehouse at a rate of up to 72 vans per 20 minutes to facilitate a regulated traffic flow into the surrounding area. Approximately 8–10 hours after dispatch, delivery routes would be completed, and the vans would return to the station intermittently between 8:10 p.m. and 9:50 p.m.
One objective of the parcel delivery facility incorporates sustainability features like EV, solar, and low-water usage, says the EIR. Solar roof arrays would be installed to offset electrical energy demand with a design capacity of 750 kilowatts direct current. To manage energy supply and demand, the project would include an ‘after the meter’ Battery Energy Storage System to store energy for later use by the facility, with a design rating of 650 kilowatts direct current.
The project is being spearheaded by Seefried Industries who manages industrial projects for tenants, including a number in California and elsewhere for Amazon. The Santa Maria Center is thought to be a grocery delivery operation with an aim to offer same-day delivery to customers around the Central Coast.