Case File · Inland Empire, CA · Riverside & San Bernardino Counties
One statute. Nine cities. A fractured logistics map.
California AB 98 (Chapter 928, Statutes of 2024) reset the statewide rules for warehouse and logistics siting — setbacks from sensitive receptors, truck-routing requirements, loading-dock orientation standards. As of early 2026, nine Inland Empire cities — Colton, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris, Pomona, Redlands, Rialto, and Riverside — are in partial or full suspension or moratorium posture on new warehouse entitlements per IE Business Daily.
Cited regional read: 20/100 — city-by-city diligence required; do not generalize "the Inland Empire."
AB 98
Statute
Sep 29 2024
Signed
9
Cities Pausing
Moreno Valley
Counter-Example
Riv. + SB
Counties
20/100
RealClear
Inland Empire, CA · 2019 — 2026
From logistics boom to regional reset.
Community organizing built the political base for AB 98. AB 98 authorized the nine-city suspension pattern.
2019–2023
Inland Empire warehouse build-out accelerates
Riverside and San Bernardino counties absorb an extraordinary volume of warehouse and distribution construction through the post-pandemic logistics boom. Regional air-quality and truck-traffic conditions become a focus of community organizing led by People's Collective for Environmental Justice and allied groups.
Pre-AB 98
Early local moratoria and interim controls
Ahead of state legislative action, individual Inland Empire jurisdictions begin experimenting with local warehouse moratoria, truck-routing rules, and buffer ordinances. The patchwork sets the factual predicate for statewide intervention.
September 29, 2024
Governor Newsom signs AB 98 into law
Governor Newsom signs Assembly Bill 98 (Chapter 928, Statutes of 2024). AB 98 establishes statewide standards for logistics-use siting, including setbacks from sensitive receptors such as schools and residences, truck-routing and loading-dock orientation rules, and design requirements for large warehouse developments.
2025
Inland Empire cities begin formal AB 98 implementation posture
Inland Empire cities begin formally aligning local ordinances with AB 98 standards. Some adopt interim controls, some adopt full ordinances, and some pause new approvals while staff work through implementation language. Regional reporting (IE Business Daily, IECN News) tracks divergent city responses.
February 2026
IE Business Daily reports Moreno Valley rejects a moratorium
IE Business Daily reports that Moreno Valley declines to adopt a formal logistics moratorium in February 2026 — a notable divergence from neighboring jurisdictions. The rejection sharpens the picture of a fractured regional policy landscape rather than a uniform regional ban.
Early 2026
Nine-city suspension / moratorium posture confirmed
As of early 2026, nine Inland Empire cities — Colton, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris, Pomona, Redlands, Rialto, and Riverside — are in a partial or full suspension or moratorium posture on new warehouse / industrial logistics projects, per IE Business Daily and allied reporting. Status varies by jurisdiction and must be verified city-by-city before any site underwriting.
Ongoing
Developers re-plan Inland Empire pipelines under AB 98 compliance
Prologis, Rexford, CenterPoint, LBA, Majestic Realty, and other major Inland Empire industrial developers re-plan and re-underwrite pipelines to reflect AB 98 setbacks, truck-routing requirements, and the jurisdictional patchwork. Some redesigns; some re-sitings; some deferrals.
Ongoing
Coalition advocacy continues; rulemaking and enforcement clarify
People's Collective for Environmental Justice, the Sierra Club, and allied community organizations continue advocacy around AB 98 implementation and enforcement. State agency rulemaking and local ordinance adoption continue to clarify compliance expectations through 2026.
The Institutional Actors
State legislature, cities, and a coalition.
Every actor here is on the California legislative record, city staff reports, or on-the-record regional reporting.
California State Legislature
Statute Authors — AB 98 (Chapter 928, Statutes of 2024)
Sacramento, CA
Documented Record
Passed Assembly Bill 98 in 2024, establishing statewide logistics-use setback, truck-routing, and design standards. Signed into law by Governor Newsom on September 29, 2024.
AB 98 is the controlling statewide framework for any Inland Empire logistics siting conversation. Treat the statute, not local ordinances, as the floor — local governments can go further, not less, on compliance.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
Documented Record
Signed AB 98 into law on September 29, 2024. The signing statement framed AB 98 as a statewide response to warehouse development impacts concentrated in the Inland Empire and similar logistics corridors.
Gubernatorial support for AB 98 locks in the statute against legislative rollback in the near term. Developers should not bet on AB 98 weakening on a short horizon.
Inland Empire City Councils (9 named)
Local Ordinance Authorities
Riverside & San Bernardino Counties, CA
Documented Record
Colton, Hemet, Jurupa Valley, Norco, Perris, Pomona, Redlands, Rialto, and Riverside are in partial or full suspension / moratorium posture on new warehouse / logistics entitlements per IE Business Daily and IECN News reporting.
Each council's suspension ordinance is distinct in scope, duration, and exemptions. Verify the specific ordinance and its expiration date for each target jurisdiction before any parcel-level underwriting.
City of Moreno Valley
Local Divergence Case
Riverside County, CA
Documented Record
Declined to adopt a formal logistics moratorium in February 2026 per IE Business Daily coverage. Posture differs materially from neighboring Inland Empire cities.
Moreno Valley is the counter-example that keeps the regional map honest. Don't treat the Inland Empire as uniform; real entitlement optionality still exists in certain jurisdictions.
People's Collective for Environmental Justice
Regional Community Coalition
Documented Record
Led Inland Empire community organizing on warehouse diesel-truck health impacts and served as a policy partner on the push toward AB 98. Maintains an active regional policy agenda on Inland Empire logistics.
The controlling community-side institutional actor. Any new Inland Empire logistics project should anticipate structured engagement with the People's Collective and allied groups, not just standard public comment.
Major Inland Empire Industrial Developers
Applicants — Prologis, Rexford, CenterPoint, LBA, Majestic Realty and others
Documented Record
Active entitlement and development pipelines in the Inland Empire, now being re-planned and re-underwritten to reflect AB 98 setbacks, truck-routing rules, and the jurisdictional patchwork of moratoria.
The major industrial REITs remain active in the region but the math has changed. Model AB 98 compliance cost and jurisdictional moratorium risk into every new Inland Empire underwriting, not as a contingency.
Why the Map Is Fractured
Six diligence lanes under AB 98.
Do not underwrite the Inland Empire at the regional level. AB 98 is a floor; local implementations vary widely.
AB 98 Truck-Routing and Dock-Orientation Rules
AB 98 sets statewide rules on truck routing to and from warehouse sites, and on loading-dock orientation relative to residential and sensitive uses. Do not assume the dock layout that worked pre-AB 98 still works.
Setbacks From Sensitive Receptors
AB 98 establishes setback standards from schools, residences, and other sensitive receptors. Parcels that worked under prior local zoning may no longer pencil.
Per-City Ordinance Diligence Is Mandatory
Each of the nine suspension cities has its own interim-control ordinance, with unique scope, duration, and exemptions. Read the ordinance, not a regional summary.
Moratoria Can Expire — or Extend
California interim ordinances typically have specific expiration windows and can be extended. Track each ordinance's sunset and renewal calendar, not just its current status.
Coalition Engagement Is Structural
People's Collective for Environmental Justice and allied groups are structural participants in Inland Empire logistics politics, not occasional commenters. Plan engagement, not outreach.
Divergent Cities Still Exist
Moreno Valley declined a moratorium in February 2026. The regional policy landscape is fractured, not uniform — real entitlement optionality persists in certain jurisdictions.
The Pre-Underwriting Intelligence
What RealClear reads at the Inland Empire level.
AB 98 compliance map. Jurisdictional moratorium map. Coalition engagement map.
Regional Analysis
Inland Empire Logistics Corridor
Riverside & San Bernardino counties, CA — multi-city
Suspension / Moratorium Cities (per regional reporting, as of early 2026)
- Colton · partial suspension on new logistics entitlements
- Hemet · interim ordinance restricting warehouse development
- Jurupa Valley · targeted pause on large-format logistics projects
- Norco · restrictive posture on new warehouse entitlements
- Perris · narrowed approvals as AB 98 compliance is reviewed
- Pomona · interim controls on logistics-use siting
- Redlands · restrictive policy posture on new warehouses
- Rialto · moratorium-like controls on new logistics projects
- Riverside · tightened entitlement environment for logistics uses
Governing Statute
California AB 98 (Chapter 928, Statutes of 2024) — statewide logistics-use standards signed into law in 2024.
Key AB 98 Lever
Setbacks from sensitive receptors, truck-routing and loading-dock orientation rules, and design standards for large logistics uses.
Regional Divergence
Moreno Valley declined a logistics moratorium per IE Business Daily — the policy landscape is fractured, not uniform.
Community Coalition
Diesel-truck health-impact campaigns (People's Collective for Environmental Justice and allies) drove the political base for the suspensions.
Recommendation
CITY-BY-CITY DILIGENCE REQUIRED. AB 98 sets a statewide floor; each Inland Empire jurisdiction is responding with its own ordinance pattern, timeline, and moratorium scope. Do not generalize "the Inland Empire" — verify the specific suspension ordinance, expiration date, and compliance framework for the parcel's jurisdiction before underwriting any new logistics project in Riverside or San Bernardino counties.
State statutes reshape regions
Screen your next Inland Empire parcel city by city.
This cited case review examines AB 98 compliance ordinances, local moratoria calendars, and the institutional community coalitions that shape California logistics entitlements.
Cited research summary · Not legal advice · Verify independently before making investment decisions