Believed to be the biggest project in Santa Barbara County, a behemoth ag cooler east of Santa Maria can add extensive processing to its activities, but it must alter shifts to reduce traffic impacts along a busy East Betteravia Road.

In 2022, county officials approved the Arctic Cold Storage Facility, a 449,248-square-foot building in the 1700 block of East Betteravia Road, near Rosemary Road.

However, the proposal to also conduct processing activities — pureeing, pasteurizing and adding product additives such as sugar — required an agriculture industry overlay, which the Board of Supervisors considered Tuesday.

The processing activities would fill 127,546 square feet of the behemoth berry cooler facility now nearly completed. 

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved several matters, including a General Plan amendment related to the request to allow extensive processing of ag products.

“Traffic is one of the big issues out there for me on Betteravia,” Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson said. “Since this facility is a 24-hour facility as it is, I think the key is to stagger the shift change to outside the peak hours because it really would be the solution here.”

The board’s approval included a condition that prohibits shift changes to avoid coinciding with peak ag traffic periods of 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition to truckloads of fruit to be frozen or processed, Arctic Cold expects to have approximately 300 employees arriving and leaving the facility.

“Betteravia for the public is our one pathway essentially to Eastside agriculture, so it’s a big thoroughfare for ag traffic. It’s only two lanes, and there are already significant traffic issues there, so that’s why I’m really concerned about the queuing,” Nelson said.

The facility has limited operations underway as it awaits its final occupancy permit, but Nelson expressed concern amid reports that the line of semi-trucks already spills onto Betteravia Road. 

“I think it’s creative to deal with the traffic issues by fully addressing shift changes,” First District Supervisor Das Williams said.

Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann recalled prior discussions about encouraging more ag processing activities in the county.

“When there are coolers and processing, land values go up, higher paid jobs and we capture more of the value of the product here in the county, so on principle I’m very supportive of this,” she said.

The processing activity will link local farmers with major international firms such as Smucker’s, Sunkist and others.

“This project is a major benefit to our area farmers,” David Swenk of Urban Planning Concepts said.

Another condition requires Arctic Cold to maintain the drainage ditch that runs parallel to Betteravia, but Nelson noted Tuesday that the channel had significant vegetation that could clog water flow and lead to flooding. 

Another similar large cooling facility sits on La Brea Avenue inside the Santa Maria city limits.