Project Description:

Situated along Interstate 5 in California’s Central Valley, the West Commerce Park project offers direct access to statewide freight routes and one-day delivery to major West Coast population centers. Its proximity to Highway 99, the Bay Area, and the Port of Oakland supports efficient domestic and international logistics, making the site a strategic regional hub for distribution and industrial operations.

To support this regional distribution function, EPD led the entitlement and environmental compliance effort necessary to advance the 1.1 M sq. ft., 60-acre facility toward development. Our team prepared a CEQA Addendum to demonstrate consistency with the previously certified environmental document for the West Patterson Business Park Specific Plan. The project required extensive coordination with the City of Patterson and multiple regional agencies to address complex site-specific conditions while ensuring compliance with environmental and development standards.

The project site contained several legacy property and infrastructure encumbrances, including oil easements without identifiable ownership and a Flood Easement held by the Bureau of Reclamation, both posing significant barriers to project entitlement. Additionally, the site is surrounded by regional Department of Water Resources (DWR) facilities, requiring specialized design review to safeguard critical water infrastructure. EPD led a collaborative process to resolve these issues while advancing a development-ready site plan consistent with the City’s long-term planning objectives and regional infrastructure requirements.

Our Services:

EPD led the environmental compliance process by preparing the CEQA Addendum and demonstrating consistency with the previously analyzed land-use assumptions established under the adopted Specific Plan. As part of the entitlement strategy, EPD initiated and managed a quiet-title process to clear outdated oil easements and coordinated directly with the Bureau of Reclamation to secure a quit claim of the existing Flood Easement, restoring full development rights to the site. EPD also coordinated with the Department of Water Resources to ensure infrastructure design aligned with both City and DWR standards while protecting regional water facilities.  

EPD evaluated alternative grading approaches to balance earthwork, optimize circulation, and justify deviations from standard City criteria based on technical performance. In addition, the EPD technical services team performed transportation screening analysis to establish that the project qualified for exemption from VMT and LOS studies and prepared a targeted Trip Distribution Analysis that eliminated a last-minute requirement for construction of a new two-lane bridge across the Delta Mendota Canal.

Our Value:

EPD’s proactive technical coordination, environmental compliance leadership, and entitlement strategy were instrumental in securing discretionary approvals and advancing the project toward development.