Water park site eyed for homes, warehouses

Property owner of closed Splash Kingdom isn’t sure either is a good property fit

As workers tore down waterslides at the closed Splash Kingdom waterpark, Redlands officials considered rezoning the land for residential development.

The once-towering structures, deemed unsafe by the fire marshal after an October 2020 fire, were reduced to twisted piles of yellow and turquoise debris Tuesday afternoon when the City Council discussed possible zoning changes as part of a state-required housing update.

A demolition permit application for the main building that was damaged by a different fire last year came in on Tuesday as well. The permit has not yet been issued as it will need to be reviewed by staff.

In a written public comment ahead of the meeting, the landowner opposed the proposed reclassification of the property.

“We are concerned about a potential rezoning of our above referenced real property from its current zoning to residential as it may not be appropriate for residential use,” read the email from California Gateway LLC by Frank J. Mistretta Jr.

Mistretta did not reply to

a request for further comment.

The city has received a preliminary review application for construction of a warehouse on the waterpark property.

In another written public comment Tuesday, Josh Cox, vice president of developer Hillwood, said his company was partnering with Mistretta to redevelop the land based on the current underlying industrial zoning.

“This location should be one of the last parcels to be designated as potential residential,” Cox wrote. “Given its proximity to the I-10 freeway, frontage to truck traffic on California Street, and setting adjacent to the truck court of an existing 500,000-square-foot industrial building this property should NOT be the location of future housing.”

He added traffic, already congested at California and

the 10Freeway, “could be more than four times higher if rezoned.”

Hillwood has developed three logistics buildings in the city in its California Street Commerce Center project, just west of Splash Kingdom, and at the northeast corner of California and Lugonia Avenue.

The Planning Commission had revoked the permit for the waterpark in Janu

PHOTOS BY JENNIFER IYER — STAFF The once-towering waterslide at the closed Splash Kingdom water park in Redlands recently was torn down and is now just twisted piles of yellow and turquoise debris, as seen Tuesday. The fire marshal deemed the structure unsafe after a fire in October.

Piles of debris are all that’s left of the waterslide at the closed Splash Kingdom water park in Redlands. The city is considering rezoning the property.