Case Studies

Carson Companies Land Use and Entitlement

The Situation

Navigating land use entitlement and project approval phases for economic development and job creation.

To help meet the substantial and continuously growing demands of goods movement facilities and expand economic development and job creation in and around the City of Jurupa Valley, Carson Companies, a developer and long-term owner of industrial real estate undertook a project to build two light industrial buildings totaling 335,002 square feet, called the Agua Mansa Road Development Project.

Carson came to OPR to ask for our guidance in helping them successfully navigate the land use entitlement and project approval phases so that the project could be built and achieve their business objectives while providing benefits to the residents of the region.

how we helped
The Strategy

OPR understood that the campaign would need to be built on a foundation of transparency.

  • Messaging that provided details of what the project is designed to do and how it will add economic strength to the region
  • Creation of sustainable, good paying jobs creation for the people who live there
  • A sensitivity to listening and responding in a timely manner to questions or concerns about the project
strategies we used
Services

Program Elements Included:

Research:

OPR helped facilitate community outreach, as well as conduct regular conference calls with Carson to identify and prioritize issues of importance needed for the project to be successful.

Local Liaison:

To best serve Carson, OPR leveraged its local knowledge and contacts to serve as the client’s voice where we met with:

  • Local elected officials
  • Planning commission representatives
  • Community leaders
  • Area residents: directly, through communication materials and at local community events
Coordinated Communications Plan Development and Implementation:
  • Project simulations and other visual forms of communication tools were created and deployed for community meetings and briefings
  • Coordinated, attended, and represented the project at numerous city staff meetings and city council meetings
  • Helped draft the assistance of the Laborers International Union of America (LiUNA) to craft supporter cards, contribute at local public hearings, and make phone calls of support to staff members of the City of Jurupa Valley.
  • Worked with the client to coordinate with the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice (CCAEJ) and IQ Air Foundation to implement a home air filtration program for residents located near the project as an additional community benefit
the payoff
The Results

The project was unanimously approved 4-0, with one absence, by the City of Jurupa Valley Planning Commission.

Unanimous approval of the Agua Mansa Road Development Project by the Jurupa Valley City Council:

  • Mayor Pro Tem Chris Barajas stated that “the Agua Mansa Road Development Project is a good example of community benefits. This is in the right location, and we’re getting community benefits in perpetuity.”
  • The creation of 321 construction jobs, as well as 279 full-time positions
  • The project will contribute over $2 million in community benefits and development impact fees