Amazon McKinleyville warehouse project advances despite public backlash

Amazon’s proposed McKinleyville warehouse is moving ahead through Humboldt County’s permit process even after a packed, hostile community meeting made clear how much opposition it faces. What is already locked in is the county application, the environmental review, and a Planning Commission vote that has yet to happen. What is still in play is whether the project can survive the county’s coastal permitting process, and whether that decision is later appealed to the Board of Supervisors or the California Coastal Commission.

Humboldt County received the coastal development permit application on Oct. 21, 2025, for a 40,290-square-foot commercial warehouse, several parking lots, and stormwater ponds across six parcels in the Airport Business Park. The site is near 3110 Boeing Avenue, adjacent to the Humboldt County Airport. County planners say the location puts the project in the California coastal zone, which means it requires a Coastal Development Permit before it can advance.

The county’s April 29 informational meeting at Azalea Hall showed just how much resistance the project has generated. Roughly 200 people filled the room for a meeting that lasted about four hours, with attendees lining the walls and nearly every seat taken. The crowd was overwhelmingly opposed, raising concerns about labor practices, plastics pollution, traffic, truck activity, and the idea that a national warehouse model does not fit Humboldt County’s economy or values. Amazon sent two representatives, Sonya Kinz and Stephen Maduli-Williams, and Planning Director John Ford was booed when he introduced them.

Ford told residents the meeting was for questions and concerns only, not a final decision. He also said the Planning Commission will decide whether to grant the permit, and that any decision could be appealed to the Board of Supervisors and then the California Coastal Commission. On May 7, Ford told commissioners the project must complete an Environmental Impact Report before the permit can come up for approval or denial, with completion expected by the end of 2026.

Amazon spokesperson Natalie Banke said the company was early in the process and wanted to open a delivery station in Humboldt County to better serve regional customers. That framing points to the business case behind the project: more local delivery capacity, a foothold near the airport, and a commercial use for land already zoned for development.

But the political fight is just as much about what kind of jobs and development Humboldt County wants. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone has argued the project would not bring the kind of employment the county should be chasing, and said it would not generate increased sales tax as a distribution center. Supporters may see jobs, tax revenue, and a new business use near the airport. Opponents see a truck-heavy warehouse that could reshape McKinleyville without matching the North Coast economy. For now, the project is still advancing, and the next real leverage point will come when the EIR is finished and the permit lands before commissioners.