Sonoma Amazon Distribution Center, Business Growth, and Traffic

Although the arrival of the Amazon distribution center in Sonoma is awaited by many, numerous residents of Sonoma are opposed to the new warehouse and the influx of traffic that is expected. City staff has granted Amazon a use permit based on the use that a former storage facility had applied for about 10 years ago without doing an environmental review process. Citizens of Sonoma have appealed the decision.

There are major concerns about this use permit not being appropriate for Amazon, a major corporation. The city of Sonoma has a terrible problem with traffic; with the neverending bridge construction in El Verano that has backed up traffic on HWY 12 to the traffic on 121 in Schelville towards Skaggs and Napa during prime time hours. The distribution center will bring an enormous amount of traffic with hundred of additional big semi-trucks and delivery vans a day on the small two-lane road. 121 off Schelville has had a problem with flooding as well. Amazon claims to help the high volume of traffic by employing a majority of the workers from Sonoma, but in reality, will people want to work in a factory for $15 an hour when there is competitive pay in the area? Amazon employees are some of the lowest-paid workers in the warehousing/ logistics industry.

With that being said, the city of Sonoma has been having a problem with a high influx of traffic, and the distribution center off 121 and eighth street, some of the busiest roads in the town of Sonoma will only make this traffic worse. If it is decided to go forth with the distribution center, there must be upgrades and repairs to the roads that will be heavily used by workers and commuters.