The long-disputed InSite Self Storage development proposal is taking steps forward. The vacant 13.95-acre lot at 3701 Pacific Place in Long Beach—tucked between the 405 Freeway and the Los Angeles River—and its proposed development have faced years of legal and procedural hurdles. It will hear what will likely be its last appeal meeting come Aug. 12 and, given previous clearance by the council, will likely move forward if not set back by another lawsuit.
The proposed development will come with a high-capacity storage hub, RV facility, and ancillary services. That is, pending final environmental clearance and remediation. Proponents see it as an opportunity to activate long-dormant land. Opponents, however, remain concerned about its scale, environmental legacy, and compatibility with the surrounding community.
What is the InSite Self Storage project?
Originally approved by the Planning Commission in December 2020, the earlier iteration was different. It called for a three-story, 152,745-square-foot self-storage facility with office space, an RV parking lot, and a small car wash. That plan met swift opposition from community groups, citing environmental concerns, building height objections, and claims of spot zoning.
Though the City Council upheld the approval in April 2021, local organizations Riverpark Coalition and LA Waterkeeper filed suit. They argued that the environmental review was insufficient under CEQA and that the project conflicted with the City’s General Plan. In 2022, a court sided with the plaintiffs, ruling that a full Environmental Impact Report was required, effectively nullifying prior approvals.
InSite Property Group, the project applicant, has returned with a revised plan: a four-story, 206,756-square-foot self-storage building containing 1,681 units, a 1,450-square-foot private car wash, and a 551-stall covered RV parking lot. The new entitlement path—requiring a General Plan Amendment, zoning changes, and multiple conditional use permits—reflects a shift toward what city staff call “best planning practices.” The project will also undergo oversight from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control due to lingering contamination from the site’s oil production and oil brine water treatment history, which dates back to the 1920s.
What was the parcel before?
The land InSite Self Storage wishes to develop has been largely vacant since a private golf driving range closed in 2007, with its earlier uses ranging from oil well drilling to water treatment operations that left behind contaminated sludge. While the site has long been seen as a magnet for nuisance activities.
Before the property became a golf driving range, it had a long industrial history tied to oil production. Starting in the 1920s, it operated as an oil brine water treatment facility, where oil brine was pumped into large evaporation and treatment ponds—most of the site essentially functioning as one massive treatment sump.
Over time, seepage from these ponds left a layer of sludge in the soil. The treatment facility shut down in the 1950s, and in the 1970s, the site was filled with imported soil. Meanwhile, oil well drilling took place from the 1930s through the 1980s, with thirteen wells sunk into the property, eleven of which produced oil. All were eventually abandoned between 1961 and 2014 in compliance with California Geologic Energy Management Division (CalGEM) standards.
For more information on the development at 3701 Pacific Pl., click here.
