Logistics Industry Footprint Grows in the Inland Empire

As Andrea Bernstein reports for KPCC, communities like Bloomington, an unincorporated area of San Bernardino county, face tough choices as the logistic industry moves in. "The community is nestled deep in the Inland Empire, which has become a mecca for the logistics and e-commerce industries. Over the past decade, warehouses have become a common sight in this part of Southern California."

Bloomington's widely-spaced, semi-rural residential tracts are attractive to developers who want to buy up "patches of neighborhoods so they can demolish the homes and squeeze warehouses into the open space."

Some residents have taken up generous offers to buy their property. As one sees it, "Bloomington is stuck in a vicious cycle. The community generates very little tax revenue because the residents pay low property taxes. So the county provides only basic services. There are few sidewalks, no sewer and a limited law enforcement presence."

Others enjoy living in Bloomington and oppose the encroaching warehouses. A group called Concerned Neighbors of Bloomington "says [it has] collected more than 1,000 signatures from residents who oppose warehouses [...]" Some claim that the Bloomington Municipal Advisory Council, a county-appointed board that represents residents, "has turned a deaf ear to their concerns."