The Port of Hueneme is inviting the public to share concerns about the environmental impact of a proposed parking structure that executives believe would increase the efficiency and safety of cargo operations.
The project, expected to cost at least $70 million and take a decade to construct, would serve as a transfer point between ships and off-site vehicle processing facilities.
By essentially doubling the number of parking spaces at the port, the structure would allow for the number of vehicles imported through the facility each year — currently 450,000 — to increase.
“It is one of the biggest opportunities for the port’s growth,” Chief Operations Officer Christina Birdsey said of the plan. “We want to be transparent and open in the process of communicating with our neighbors and our local region the importance of the project and also what it’s going to look like.”The deadline to comment on the scope of issues to be evaluated in the environmental impact report is March 16.
A lack of space
The port at 120 acres and with 8,000 parking spaces is relatively small.
If vehicle processors aren’t immediately able to move shipments off site, ships are forced to wait at the port until there are spaces available to continue offloading, Birdsey said. There also isn’t enough room to separate the staging of the vehicles from the staging of produce containers, so workers are constantly in each other’s way.
To reduce congestion, the port received Oxnard City Council approval in December 2022 to build a temporary parking lot on Hueneme Road to stage up to roughly 5,000 vehicles.
Birdsey said the lack of a buffer zone between the port and residential neighborhoods makes addressing the congestion on site difficult.
“You can’t build out, so the next thing to be able to do any sort of growth — for our economy to increase jobs and for our customers who really enjoy being in the Port of Hueneme — is to go up,” she said.
‘Safe movement and efficient cargo’
The proposed above-ground parking structure would feature at least 7,500 parking spaces. Located just west of the 333 Ponoma St. office building, it would be between three and six levels with a maximum area of 10 acres.
The additional parking spots could allow ships to offload all of their vehicles, typically ranging from 5,000 to 10,000.
The project would also allow the north terminal of the port to be used strictly for vehicles, meaning the workers moving them wouldn’t be disrupting the workers moving the food containers.
“It really allows for safe movement and efficient cargo,” she said. “You’re not having to look at and change the way that the operation moves because multiple things are happening in the same area.”
As the movement of cargo increases, so will the number of local jobs the port supports, Birdsey said. This will include not only jobs in construction but also in longshore, vehicle processing and vehicle distribution.
“To be able to grow those jobs here is a really exciting opportunity for us, and it’s one that I think can significantly make an impact here in a relatively short time,” she said.
Opportunity for public participation
The draft environmental impact report, legally required under the California Environmental Quality Act, will analyze the project’s potential effects on the environment and identify ways to minimize those potential effects.
During the comment period, members of the public can share which environmental issues — such as traffic, air and water quality, noise and aesthetics — they want to be evaluated in the document.
Comments should be mailed to Engineering Manager Susim Gedam at the Port of Hueneme, 333 Ponoma St., Port Hueneme, CA 93041, or emailed to sgedam@portofh.org by 5 p.m. March 16.
“I’m sure there are going to be some concerns, but I’m hoping that during this process we’re able to avoid or mitigate any of those concerns,” Birdsey said.
She said she is not anticipating significant community opposition.
The port must respond to all comments in the report, which will be released for public review once complete, likely in March 2027. At that time, the engineer will provide an updated cost estimate and construction timeline.
The port told the Star in late 2023 that the project would cost between $60 million and $70 million.
Birdsey said she now expects construction to cost more due to inflation. It will be paid for with private funding, bonding and grants, including a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation’s Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Input sought on 7,500-space, multi-story parking at Port of Hueneme
Reporting by Makena Huey, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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