A brief list of development proposals within the Morongo Basin and the High Desert includes:

The COVID pandemic coupled with the affordable housing crisis and the explosion of Short-Term Rentals ushered in an explosion of growth within the High Desert with pressures continuing today. The need for protection of the unique desert environment that draws visitors must be balanced with the pressures for commercial development.

The continuing shortage of affordable housing to serve the workers at these many proposed developments continues to be unaddressed. The consideration of Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) as an impact of development is not being recognized within the large geographic area of the Morongo Basin.

All Community Plans within the County were repealed at the time of the adoption of the current Countywide Plan. These Community Plans were replaced with ‘Community Action Guides’ (CAGs). The establishment and implementation of the goals within the CAG have not been re-examined since the explosion of growth in the Basin and we believe these Guides are overdue for updating.

The expanding push for development in this region requires careful consideration of their cumulative impacts. The San Bernardino Countywide Plan was adopted in 2020 based on a CEQA-required Environmental Impact Report that anticipated limited growth in the Morongo Basin, primarily due to the lack of infrastructure. MBCA believes a review of the cumulative effects of development within the Basin as a whole is needed during the evaluation of projects of the scale of those listed above.

Planning Commission Hearing October 23, 2025

On the AGENDA for the October 23 meeting of the San Bernardino County Planning commission are several items needing such area-wide consideration:

Item#3 – California Bill AB98 is a law setting Statewide standards for new and expanded large logistics and warehouse facilities, impacting their location, construction and operation, and truck routes to address environmental and community concerns. This law was passed in part as a response to the explosion of warehouses throughout the Inland Empire and San Bernardino County.

While there are no designated truck routes in the high desert, this item presents an opportunity to acknowledge the increasing use of State Highway 247 as a truck route. MBCA prepared a comment on AB98 and a letter on the draft San Bernardino County Long Range Multi-Modal Transportation Plan released in January of 2025.  No consideration of the potential impact of the planned BIG (see above) facility has yet to be made!

Item#5 – Titled NV5, this item is to approve the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the re-zoning of a 40-acre parcel in the downtown area of Joshua Tree. The purpose of the re-zoning has not been revealed or any reason presented for the re-zoning.

MBCA became aware of a proposed design for a commercial and residential development for this property that is not discussed in this application for re-zoning. We support the position of The Center for Biological Diversity whose letter argues that approval of this re-zoning must be considered along with the development that appears to be contingent on the re-zoning.

Should a resort of the size portrayed within the proposed development be realized, it should be considered as a part of the re-zoning application. Approval of this re-zoning without the accompanying development appears to be an example of ‘Piecemealing’ a project by not considering the project as a whole. This is in violation of CEQA.

Item#6 – Avantus Sienna Solar Project and SCE Calcite substation. This item is to approve a Conditional Use Permit and adopt an Environmental Impact Report for the project(s).

This project was originally submitted in 2017 before the 2019 adoption of the County Renewable Energy and Conservation Element of the Countywide Plan that prohibits industrial scale renewable energy projects in RL zones or Community Plan areas. Since acceptance of the application, the developer has made significant changes to the project including enlarging and changing the site from west of SH 247 to an agglomeration of parcels east of 247 as well as adding a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to store electricity for availability after the sun sets.

MBCA submitted scoping comments in this letter from 2022 and joined a coalition of community members in this letter, and subsequently in a letter in 2024.

We remain concerned that the construction of the Calcite substation may facilitate the construction of additional utility scale projects such as the 3000 acre Stagecoach Solar project. Protection of views from Lucerne Valley as well as efforts to designate SH 247 as a scenic Highway may be lost with the construction of miles of solar panels and associated transmission lines.

MBCA is not convinced that the potential for addressing dust and air pollution effects from scraping the desert of its crust and stabilizing plants can be mitigated using water. One need only to observe the dramatic air pollution effects of the existing Daggett solar project near Newberry Springs and the smaller solar developments on Camp Rock Road to envision this possible outcome.

Should the Commission not certify this project, the developer may choose to proceed under the provision of California’s AB 205. This legislation was passed as a trailer bill at the end of the 2021-2022 legislative session. This bill fast-tracks and facilitates the construction of renewable energy projects.

The climate crisis requires the adoption of clean renewable energy sources, but it also requires the protection of the intact ecosystems that support all life. MBCA continues to advocate for a distributed, renewably generated electrical infrastructure utilizing roof tops as well as appropriately sited industrial scale developments.

San Bernardino County Planning Commission
Thursday October 23, 2025
9:00am
Appear in person at:

County Government Center
Covington Chambers
385 N. Arrowhead Avenue, 1st Floor
San Bernardino, CA 92415

Video conferencing facilities will be available to view the meeting to and make oral comments at the following locations:

Bob Burke Government Center
63665 Twentynine Palms Highway 1st floor
Joshua Tree, CA 92252

High Desert Government Center
15900 Smoke Tree St.
Hesperia, CA 92345

Ofland Resort update

The Center for Biological Diversity and Indian Cove Neighbors have filed a lawsuit challenging the approval of the Mitigated Negative Declaration for this Resort in the City of Twentynine Palms. This Change.org website provides links and information on the project and options to fund the legal challenge.

Lovemore Ranch update

Following an unsuccessful appeal, The Joshua Tree Village Neighbors filed a lawsuit challenging approval of this 64 unit residential subdivision with Community Center and Wastewater Treatment Facility by the County of San Bernardino. Legal negotiations are continuing and this Stop Lovemore Ranch website provides links and information on the project and tax-deductible ways to fund the legal challenge.

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When COVID locked down our communities in March of 2020 we were forced to re-conceive our Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour for that year. We hustled and produced videos of Desert Wise sites in lieu of the in-person visits planned. Subsequently we have expanded our productions with videos that have garnered tens-of-thousands of views! Check out our website and become a subscriber to our YouTube channel!

Thanks for your continued support of MBCA and its mission:

To advocate and educate for a healthy desert environment which nurtures wildlands and our communities’ rural character, cultural abundance, and economic well-being.