San Bernardino to Revisit Concrete Pile in Verdemont Neighborhood

The San Bernardino City Council entertained a request by City Councilmember Ben Reynoso to reconsider the removal of the Oxbow Cement Pile that has created a great deal of consternation in the 5^th Ward for nearly 18 months.

The “Oxbow Project” as it has been commonly referred to by the community is a planned 40 unit, single family housing project on North Palm Avenue proposed by Oxbow Communities, Inc. of Newport Beach.  The site is uneven and will require significant grading for development.  The concrete was proposed to be recycled for that purpose, having come from a warehouse demolition in Redlands and was performed with the permission of the City of San Bernardino at the time.

Residents voiced their concerns to the city after high winds moved dust from the site into their neighborhoods.

Efforts by the City Council to address the issue have been hotly debated without a successful resolution while city administration has attempted to work with the developer to mitigate offsite impacts up to and including obtaining a warrant to force compliance.

During last week’s council meeting Councilmembers Ibarra, Reynoso, Calvin and Alexander voted for bringing the matter forward while Sanchez, Figueroa and Shorett disagreed. City staff will report on the council’s options in April.