LAKE ELSINORE, CA — The proposed development of a sprawling warehouse project in the northwestern area of Lake Elsinore continued to draw scrutiny from residents during a packed planning commission meeting on Tuesday.
The proposed Baker Street Warehouse Project is an industrial development that would be built on an approximately 140-acre site near Baker and Pierce streets. The project has been in the planning phase since 2024.
About 65 acres would be developed with two warehouse buildings totaling more than 1 million square feet, which would include employee and visitor and trailer parking. One building would be about 212,028 square feet and the other building would be 788,423 square feet, according to city documents.
Each building would include a ground-level office space and an office mezzanine. The development also includes more than 37 acres of offsite improvements for utilities and public roadways to create access to the development, as well as more than 33 acres of restoration area for conservation purposes, and more than two acres for a buffer zone between the development and the future restoration area.
Applications for zone changes to bring the project to fruition were discussed during the city's planning commission meeting on Tuesday, including changing the zoning of the portion of the project classified as M1, which is limited manufacturing, to M2, which is general manufacturing.
Some residents attended the meeting in support of the project, saying the development would bring more job opportunities to the area and save local residents from commuting. But many residents voiced concerns about the zone changes and a potential increase in traffic in the area.
One resident said she is against the changing the zones from M1 to M2 because "the project cannot be controlled" after it's changed. She expressed concerned about traffic congestion, telling the planning commissioners "You cannot promise this is going to be good for the city of Lake Elsinore."
Some residents even spoke out against the project after the public comment session ended and interrupted the planning commissioners speaking as they concluded the meeting.
The proposed project has been met with opposition from local residents for months. In July, a Reddit user posted about the proposed project asking users on the thread to attend Tuesday's planning commission meeting.
"Please consider attending this meeting to discuss the proposed mega warehouse in LE. We all know the negative impacts such as air quality and health risks, noise impacts, traffic and safety concerns, etc," the post read.
According to an environmental impact report, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) began a review period for the proposed development on Dec. 5, 2025, including more than a dozen state agencies such as the California Air Resources Board, the California Department of Conservation, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The 45-day state and public review periods ended Jan. 20, 2026.
"I understand why a project of this size, especially one involving warehouse operations and traffic generates concerns in the community," Planning Commissioner Jodi Peters said during the meeting.
"Our responsibility here in the planning commission is to evaluate the project based on the city's general plan, the municipal code, environmental review, project design and the conditions that we have the authority to impose, which there are several conditions of this project. So, I want to say I hear you, but that's what our role here is as the planning commission," she continued.
The planning commission ended the meeting by voting unanimously in favor of the application.
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