The Hollister Planning Commission on Jan. 13 approved a fulfillment center on 73 acres at the planned Clearist Industrial Park located immediately north of the Hollister Municipal Park on San Felipe Road.
The fulfillment and distribution facility, referred to as Project Almond, is 1.05 million square feet, eight times larger than the nearby Amazon delivery hub and 18 times larger than a professional football field. The project includes 20,000 square feet of office space.
The name of the tenant was not disclosed at the meeting though the applicant, Duke Realty Development Services Director Ryan Hodges, said it was a “major internet retailer.” Hollister Planning Manager Abraham Prado referred BenitoLink to Duke Realty for the name of the tennant as the city only deals with the applicant on the project.
Randy Dilag with Duke Realty told BenitoLink Duke Realty has an agreement with the tenant not to disclose their name. He added that people are familiar with the company.
When asked if it’s common practice to not disclose the names he said it depends on the preference of tenants.
The public has 15 days from the Planning Commission’s decision to file an appeal. If an appeal is submitted, the item would go before the City Council.
The applicant , based in Indianapolis, told commissioners the goal is to finish the project by the end of the second quarter in 2023. According to its website, Duke Realty has 4 available properties for lease in Northern California.
Prado told commissioners Jan. 13 that products such as furniture and appliances will be unloaded at the site. The products will then be sorted, stored, picked, assembled and loaded onto line haul trucks headed to other distribution facilities or consumers.
The warehouse will be almost 54 feet high and have 532 standard parking spaces—including 16 that are Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, 54 for electric vehicles, 48 for vans, 48 for trucks, and 366 for trailers, including 162 against the building. There will also be a bus stop.
Though the project is required to have a total of 1,109 parking spaces, the commission approved reducing it to 994.
Prado said 200 tractor-trailers (100 incoming and 100 outgoing) are expected to make daily deliveries in a 24-hour period, with half doing so between midnight and 8 a.m., for the fulfillment center. As many as 80 box trucks and vans are expected to be used by the distribution center, leaving at 5 a.m. and returning at 2 p.m.
Prado said the fulfillment center is expected to have 351 employees including 40 in the office, and 20 to provide security in the 24-hour operation. An additional 98 employees are expected to operate the distribution center, including 80 drivers.
The project also includes a roundabout at the future intersection of Bert Drive and San Felipe Road.
The environmental impact report for the project at Clearist Industrial Park was certified in 2000 and the city approved a 151,000-square-foot industrial building on 11.3 acres for a smart glass manufacturing company in 2017. The Clearist Industrial Park is 208 acres.
There were no public comments made during the Planning Commission meeting.
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