Madrone questions Amazon warehouse jobs as county weighs airport project

A proposed Amazon last-mile warehouse at 3110 Boeing Avenue in McKinleyville has pushed Humboldt County into a familiar local tradeoff: more jobs and tax activity, or a lower-wage logistics model that many residents fear could undercut local businesses and community control.

The project, filed Oct. 21, 2025 as a coastal development permit and lot line adjustment, lists Sonya Kinz, a senior development manager with Panattoni Development Company, as the applicant. Panattoni is widely known for warehouses and logistics facilities, and the proposal still needs a Coastal Development Permit and some level of CEQA review before public hearings move forward.

Supervisor Steve Madrone has argued that the Airport Business Park may have been intended for development, but that does not mean the county should accept any project that comes along. “The Airport Business Park is going to develop, and any development comes with impacts, but we can and should do our best to ask for quality businesses that care about our community. It is not anti-business to ask for living wage jobs and decent worker conditions,” Madrone said.

That argument goes to the heart of Humboldt’s economy. County budget reporting in February showed spending was expected to exceed income by about $11 million for the fiscal year ending in late June, while sales tax revenue was declining and then flat. Against that backdrop, some officials have viewed an Amazon warehouse as a possible boost, especially if more local deliveries and purchases translate into sales tax staying closer to home.

Madrone has also said the project could bring visitors who would shop locally and might increase demand for lodging and other nearby development. But he has simultaneously warned that online sales can hurt Main Street retailers and drain public revenue, raising the question of whether Amazon-style warehouse work offers enough in wages and worker conditions to offset the local costs.

The debate is unfolding in a part of McKinleyville already marked for change. The Board of Supervisors approved the McKinleyville Town Center plan, and Cal Poly Humboldt is leading an economic development study for the town, both of which add to the question of what kind of growth fits the community. Humboldt County Planning and Building says its mission is to align development with local values, environmental stewardship and state law, and county code requires a Coastal Development Permit for development in the coastal zone unless it is exempt or excluded.