Environmental justice and conservation groups sue City of Long Beach to demand more rigorous environmental review of controversial LA River-adjacent Pacific Place project

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Sept 16, 2025

(Long Beach, Calif.) – The environmental justice group Riverpark Coalition (RPC) and the environmental watchdog organization Los Angeles Waterkeeper filed a lawsuit last week against the City of Long Beach over the City’s approval of a self-storage warehouse project along the Los Angeles River at 3701 Pacific Place. The groups assert the City failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, in approving the controversial project because the required environmental review lacked the rigorous analysis required and “is prejudicially misleading” about the extent of environmental impacts from the project. RPC and LA Waterkeeper have requested the court to reject the City’s incomplete environmental review and require the City to complete an adequate analysis of public health and environmental impacts before the project can move forward.

The parcel where the Pacific Place project is planned has long been intended to be developed instead as a public park and greenspace by the City, the Rivers & Mountains Conservancy, and LA County. Instead of following those plans, the Long Beach City Council approved a four-story storage facility and RV parking lot, private wash, and waste dump station on this land. The project would hardscape one of the last properties that could fulfill the community’s vision for a much-needed park with accessible green space along the lower LA River and was vigorously opposed by many local residents and environmental and community organizations.

In addition to Riverpark Coalition and LA Waterkeeper, groups that have opposed the environmental review process for the project include Sierra Club Los Cerritos Wetlands Task Force, Friends of the LA River, Natural Resources Defense Council, Long Beach Forward, Trout Unlimited’s Southern California Chapter, Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, GreenLatinos, Heal the Bay, Del Amo Action Committee, Advocates for the Environment, and Strength Based Community Change & Long Beach Roots of Unity, among others.

“In approving this project, the Long Beach City Council has robbed our community of the opportunity to preserve and enhance much needed open space in an area that is already over-burdened by poor air quality, too much concrete and not enough park access,” said Leslie Garretson, president of Riverpark Coalition. “There are lots of places in Long Beach where this type of project could be built, but this parcel along the LA River is irreplaceable. The environmental analysis did not take these concerns seriously enough.”

This Project requires the highest levels of environmental scrutiny because of its critical location adjacent to the LA River and implications for the health and wellbeing of the surrounding overburdened community. Located at the interchange of the 405 and 710 Freeways and within the “diesel death zone,” the census tract in western Long Beach where the parcel is located ranks worse than 89 percent of the rest of the state for pollution burden.

The land also represents a rare opportunity to prioritize nature-based solutions to manage flood control and promote groundwater recharge along the LA River. With the effects of climate change and precipitation patterns becoming more extreme, leveraging opportunities to reduce flood risk in areas that are already heavily paved over is becoming increasingly important. Instead, the project would remove an opportunity to restore the river's natural floodplain and would add even more permanent structures that must be protected from flooding.

“By paving over one of the last remaining open space parcels along the LA River, the City's land use decisions are irreparably eliminating opportunities to restore the river and promote green space for communities in dire need,” added Ben Harris, Senior Staff Attorney with LA Waterkeeper. “What happens on this parcel is consequential for public health and public safety in the entire region – the City is obligated to conduct a rigorous environmental analysis before deciding to pave it over.”

The lawsuit also flags that the project is inconsistent with the City’s General Plan and fails to qualify for the zoning change and additional permits required for its construction based on the incomplete environmental review that was conducted. A copy of the legal complaint filed with the court is available here.

“Litigating over a project like this is always an option of last resort,” added Bruce Reznik, LA Waterkeeper’s executive director. “We'd rather be working with the City and the developer to find a plot of land suitable for this project, while helping create a long-promised greenway on the land in question that will greatly benefit the river and communities in need.”

To set up interviews with representatives of Riverpark Coalition or LA Waterkeeper, contact nina@publicgoodpr.com.

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Los Angeles Waterkeeper fights for the health of the region’s waterways, and for sustainable, equitable and climate-friendly water supplies. The organization envisions the Los Angeles region as an international leader on integrated, sustainable and equitable water management; a region that is water self-sufficient, and where all waterways throughout the county are safe, healthy and accessible to the public.

Riverpark Coalition is Long Beach's only environmental justice organization dedicated exclusively to improving access to the lower Los Angeles River, promoting park equity, and developing planned green space in western Long Beach. As a community group and policy advocate, they are committed to holding Long Beach decision-makers, elected officials, and city planners accountable for delivering on commitments to build green infrastructure along the river and facilitate community access. Visit them at https://www.riverparkcoalition.org/ .