Tennessee Street warehouse heads to City Council, Local teacher seeks votes to win $40k in library remodel, and Redlands student-athletes sign
The City Council will consider Prologis Inc.'s appeal for a warehouse development the Planning Commission denied in May.
City officials explore options to limit future warehouse development amid concerns over environmental impact.
Tennessee Street warehouse heads to City Council, Local teacher seeks votes to win $40k in library remodel, and Redlands student-athletes sign
The Redlands City Council will consider an appeal on Tuesday, Nov. 19, for a proposed 197,397-square-foot distribution warehouse denied by the Planning Commission in May 2024.
Prologis Inc., the developer, is appealing the Planning Commission's unanimous decision to deny the project at 301 Tennessee Street, the site of the former La-Z-Boy factory.
Why it matters: The City Council can decide to reverse or uphold the Planning Commission's decision, depending on whether they agree with the Commission's findings.
If approved, the warehouse would be 10 feet taller and nearly 120 feet longer than any other single building on Tennessee Street, according to the Commission's resolution denying the project.
Read more about why the Planning Commission voted to deny the project and how to make a public comment here.
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
🏗 Warehouse prohibition under consideration: The Redlands Planning Commission met on Tuesday, Nov. 12, to discuss potential changes to the city's warehouse ordinance, including the possibility of prohibiting new warehouse developments citywide. The Commission voted unanimously to request staff conduct further analysis on prohibiting warehouse development in all zoning throughout the city, with options ranging from a full ban to other potential restrictions. Read more about their discussion and next steps here.
Kathryne Mccann
🦟 First local Dengue case: Health officials confirm mosquito-borne illness contracted within San Bernardino city limits and urge residents to take precautions against bites. Read more here.
Staff Writer
Jenann Elias has big dreams for Moore Middle School's library and hopes she can make them happen with the public's help.
Elias is a finalist in the KI Classroom Furniture Giveaway. In her first year at Moore and fourth with the district, she hopes to win the $40,000 design makeover and upgrade the library's decades-old furniture to make it more functional and appealing to students.
Some of the library's future has been in place since the 1960s when the school was built. Elias explained that some of it is screwed into place, other items are falling apart, and the flow of the room doesn't allow for students and classes to work effectively.
"I believe our students deserve better than dirty, broken, and outdated furniture," Elias said in a YouTube video explaining the remodel plans. "The way the room is set up now is not conducive to an engaging learning environment."
Elias said she found the contest on KI's social media and immediately went to work designing her dream library/media center using the company's design app. She created the new design to make a more inviting and functional space for students.
Read more from community reporter Shantell Sunderman about the design process and how to vote for Elias before Nov. 17.
Shantell Sunderman
🇺🇸 Redlands Veterans Day: The Redlands Hometown Heroes Foundation, together with the city, celebrated Veterans Day with a parade and ceremony that honored all veterans, with a special tribute to Vietnam veterans for their service and sacrifice. Local photographer Dave Card gives a full recap of the Veterans Day event here.
Contributor
🎻 Violinist enchants at Smiley Live!: Acclaimed violinist Jingyu Lou captivated the audience at A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Smiley LIVE! concert series on Nov. 9. Performing alongside Dr. Lara Urrutia, a distinguished pianist from the University of Redlands, Lou delivered an enchanting program that paired his masterful violin playing with the elegance of the Steinway grand piano. Read more here.
Contributor
Six student-athletes from Redlands’ three comprehensive high schools signed or planned to sign letters of intent this week to play athletics in college.
Three of those are from Citrus Valley, as Blackhawk baseball players Matthew Bline (Oregon) and Cole West (Pepperdine) put ink to paper and softball player Kamryn Caldwell (Utah Tech) did the same on Wednesday, Nov. 13. That was the first day when high school athletes in all sports but football could sign national letters of intent.
Read more about Bline and West and other standout signings in baseball, softball, volleyball, and soccer as they take the next step in their athletic careers from sports writer John Murphy.
John Murphy
🏀 Preview of CBL Basketball season: A new season will no doubt bring surprises, and this year is no exception. But when it comes to Citrus Belt League boys basketball, Yucaipa and Redlands East Valley appear to be the teams to beat. The Wildcats, under coach Mike Aranda, won the title last season and have finished among the Top 3 teams in the league the past three years.
John Murphy
🏈 Bulldogs fall to Sagehens on Senior Day: There were posters. There were parents galore. There was everything but a victory as the University of Redlands football team fell to Pomona-Pitzer 21-10 on Senior Day on Saturday at Ted Runner Stadium. Read more here.
John Murphy
Column by sports writer John Murphy
John Murphy
📌 Downtown lighting ceremony: The holiday season is about to sparkle in Redlands as the city prepares to illuminate its Historic Downtown and Civic Center on Nov. 22. The yearly lighting event kicks off at 6 p.m. in Ed Hales Park, at the corner of 5th and East State streets. But the fun starts even earlier. From 5 p.m., families can enjoy a range of activities before the main event. Read more here.
Staff Writer
📌 Turkey Trot: There is still time to sign up for the annual Turkey Trot that raises money for local schools and collects food pantry donations. Read more here.
Contributor
📌 Hazardous waste drop off: Note that the Redlands Household and Electronic Hazardous Waste Drop-Off facility will be closed on Nov. 30 and Dec. 28 due to the holidays. Regular Saturday hours will start up again the following weeks. Read more here.
Leadership Redlands and the Redlands Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to create a giant postcard-style mural that showcases the city's culture and history.
The Leadership Redlands class of 2024 is in the process of raising $5,000 to make the mural happen.
"We hope to create a celebratory piece that draws in locals and visitors alike," project organizers wrote in a letter seeking the community's support.
The mural will include a QR code linking to an interactive StoryMap showing Redlands' best spots.
Mural artist Frank A. Samaro III has been selected to paint the mural at the future Viva La Boba shop (@vivalaboba) at 501 Orange St.
Read more about the project below:
Stephanie Hastings Miranda
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