Letter: MBCA Comments June 2022 San Bernardino County Draft Housing Element
Posted by Laraine Turk on June 28, 2022
Related MBCA News follows this letter.
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MBCA Comments at County Land Use Services Open House
Posted by Laraine Turk · August 31, 2023 6:57 PMAdd your reaction ShareAt the County Land Use Services Open House held in Joshua Tree on August 30, MBCA's President Steve Bardwell talked at some length with Mark Wardlaw, new Director of the department. MBCA sent a followup letter outlining concerns about land use issues that affect the Morongo Basin's unincorporated communities particularly. The letter includes some specific suggestions and summarizes our concerns related to water issues, Community Action Guides, climate change, Short-Term Rental ordinances, and a number of other topics.Featured post
County STR and Housing Meeting Brings Large Crowd
Posted by Laraine Turk · August 26, 2023 12:34 PMContinue reading → Add your reaction SharePhoto credit Valeree Woodard
Nearly 100 area residents crowded both rooms of the Joshua Tree Community Center to hear a report on the County's Program 4 Housing study, initiated to answer the question, "How Are Short-Term Rentals Impacting the Housing Market?" Colin Drucker, a representative of PlaceWorks, one of the two contracted consulting firms, presented a slide show summarizing the data gathered so far. He noted that the study covers only the unincorporated areas of the mountains and “east desert” (Morongo Basin) and not the “north desert” (i.e. Lucerne Valley, Newberry Springs, etc.).Featured post
Eblast August 13, 2023
Posted by Steve Bardwell · August 13, 2023 12:42 PMContinue reading → Add your reaction Share- Short-Term Rentals Community Meetings
- Mojave Air Quality Management District Community Meeting
- Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act Information Event
- County Land Use Services Open House
- Pioneertown and Land Use in The Morongo Basin Item 1
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MBCA Comments on Wonder Inn Resort Project
Posted by Laraine Turk · February 27, 2023 12:26 PMAdd your reaction ShareMBCA supports the position of the Stop Wonder Inn community group opposing the County's acceptance of a Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Wonder Inn Hotel/Resort. Instead, we argue that a full Environmental Impact Report is required under the California Environmental Quality Act. In a presentation to Wonder Valley residents on January 28, MBCA Board member Pat Flanagan illustrated that many of the Project's Initial Study conclusions overlook or minimize conditions and show significant discrepancies from the experience of residents. Among the areas of concern are sand transport (dust) exacerbated by additional traffic, the presence of desert tortoise, diminishment of dark night skies, and environmental justice issues for a state-indicated Super Disadvantaged Community. On February 21 MBCA sent a detailed comment letter to San Bernardino County Land Use Services, explaining these concerns in more detail. In an addendum also sent February 21, reference is made to extensive social media advertising by the Project proponent promoting expansion of facilities and services beyond the project application.Featured post
MBCA Releases Video: Seeking Housing Solutions for the Morongo Basin
Posted by Laraine Turk · January 27, 2023 8:19 PMAdd your reaction ShareMBCA has posted a complete video of MBCA's Annual Meeting program "Gimme Shelter: Seeking Housing Solutions in the Morongo Basin." Other resources related to the program are provided below:
Contact and Information List of Program Participants
Supervisor Rowe's PresentationKCDZ 107.7 extended news report with photos
Government Requirements: Housing Element and Acronyms
Program 4: Short-term Rentals (the required study of the effect of STRs)Featured post
MBCA Joins Request for Public Health State of Emergency in Inland Empire
Posted by Laraine Turk · January 27, 2023 10:09 AMAdd your reaction ShareMBCA joined over 60 organizations in an appeal to Governor Newsom to declare a public health state of emergency in the Inland Empire due to "the unchecked escalation of warehouse growth and an accompanying health crisis within Inland communities." The case is made not only for environmental harm that affects health, but the unbalanced effect on low income and communities of color, creating an environmental justice issue as well.Featured post
MBCA's Annual Meeting on Housing Promotes Ideas and Dialogue
Posted by Laraine Turk · January 24, 2023 7:47 AMAdd your reaction ShareNearly 100 participants heard public officials and non-profit leaders describe problems and potential improvements for the recent crisis in affordable housing options across the Morongo Basin at MBCA's January 21 Annual Meeting. We are grateful for the expansive reporting of the event by local radio station KCDZ 107.7, which offers a good summary of the issues discussed. The entire program was recorded and will be available soon on MBCA's website. Links to several handouts can be found below. Additional news, documents, and links will be posted here on MBCA's News page when available.
Annual meeting program with listing of speakersHandout - Government Requirements: Housing Element and Acronyms
Handout - Program 4: Short-term Rentals (the required study of the effect of STRs)Featured post
Response from Flamingo 640 Campground Developer
Posted by Laraine Turk · October 04, 2022 1:28 PMAdd your reaction ShareAs reported on local radio station KCDZ, the RoBott Land Company replied in writing to questions asked at a recent Homestead Valley Community meeting with a 17-page document. Their detailed replies are to a great extent based on the acceptance and approval of San Bernardino County in their application process and their belief that the growth in visitors to Joshua Tree National Park supports their project.Featured post
MBCA Comments on Sienna Solar 2 in Lucerne Valley
Posted by Laraine Turk · September 25, 2022 8:36 PMAdd your reaction ShareChanges to the proposed Sienna Solar project in Lucerne Valley triggered a new scoping comment letter from MBCA about Sienna Solar 2. The proposed site has expanded and poses a wide range of potential harms to quality of life and the desert ecosystem. In a community designated as Severely Disadvantaged, Lucerne Valley residents will be subjected to dust, degraded views, and excessive lighting. Environmental problems likely to arise include degraded air quality, water issues, and harm to wildlife including threatened species. MBCA Directors Pat Flanagan and Brian Hammer have outlined the problems and created detailed maps illustrating the issues in MBCA's Scoping Comments to San Bernardino County’s Land Use Services Department.See All San Bernardino County Plan NewsDo you like this post?
Eblast November 8, 2023
Attend County Virtual Meeting on Short Term Rentals Flamingo 640 to be Heard by Board of Supervisors Landers Eco Dome Project Ongoing Threats to Rooftop Solar Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour Videos Now ReleasedItem 1MBCA Comments on Landers Eco Dome Project
Covering multiple areas of concern, MBCA has submitted two comment letters challenging the Draft Mitigated Negative Declaration/Initial Study (MND/IS) and in opposition to the granting of a Conditional use Permit (CUP) for this "Eco Dome Campground" project in Landers. One letter notes both the inappropriate designation as a campground, and the inaccurate characterization of the "Eco Domes" as related to the Integratron, a totally unique historic building that has nothing but...Eblast September 26, 2023
Proposed Chuckwalla National Monument Plan to Attend California Desert Summit Attend the 8th Annual Night Sky Festival Desert Wise Living Landscape Tour Videos Now Being ReleasedEasley Solar Project Comments Emphasize Dust and Environmental Justice
MBCA's October 23 comment letter about the proposed Easley Solar Project near Lake Tamarisk and Desert Center explains how the proposal will add to the already excessive dust problems in current projects nearby, affecting residents' health and violating concepts of environmental justice. Additionally and critically, undisturbed desert land provides carbon sequestration that has far more value and far less harm than scraping more desert for industrial scale solar.Supervisors Approve RCIS Resolution without Recommended Change
A resolution to support the Regional Conservation Investment Strategy was on the September 26 agenda of the San Bernardino County Supervisors. While MBCA joined other organizations in supporting the RCIS in an August 2023 comment letter, one of the provisions in the Supervisors’ resolution negated much of the value of the plan. Comments from MBCA and the SummerTree Institute, among others, requested deletion of Provision 7, which would disastrously limit...
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