San Bernardino County's June draft version of their state-required Housing Element contained some changes in direct response to the outpouring of public concerns about excessive Short Term Rentals in unincorporated Desert and Mountain areas of the County. MBCA has scrutinized the latest draft and sent a detailed comment letter thanking the County for some useful changes and pointing out the need for additional revisions. For a history of the ongoing County housing issues, see our News posts of June 9 (MBCA comment letter), June 9 (combined letter with Center for Biological Diversity), and June 15 (report on Supervisors' meeting). This Desert Sun article contains a good overview of the situation.  

MBCA President Steve Bardwell addresses Supervisors at June 14 meeting. Photo by Stacy Doolittle

At their June 14 meeting, the San Bernardino County Supervisors voted to place a 45-day moratorium on new short-term rental (STR) permits in unincorporated areas of the County via this Urgency Ordinance. During this time the County is expected to initiate studies about housing issues caused by the excessive number of STRs. The Board also voted to prohibit transfer of STR permits with home sales and limited STR ownership to 2 per person. Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe was instrumental in championing these actions.

The Supervisors also voted on revisions to the existing Short Term Rental Ordinance forwarded by the Planning Commission. Supervisor Rowe made a motion to limit corporate and LLC ownership of STRs, but was unable to get a second on her motion to move it to a vote. MBCA along with other speakers emphasized the need to gather data and analyze the effect of STRs and housing needs at the local level incorporating input from the local community. This as the supervisors emphasized that the STR ordinance is a ‘living’ ordinance that should be expected to be revised over time.

There was some recognition by the Supervisors that any analysis could require more than 45 days of study. County Counsel informed the supervisors that the urgency notice could be extended for 10 months 15 days, and then for an additional year for a two year maximum.

MBCA's Pause Petition sent to the County on June 12 plus an Addendum presented at the meeting on June 14 were signed by a total of 474 people with 136 comments.

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Photo by Stacy Doolittle

News of this proposed Alta Loma and Sunset Avenue housing project in Joshua Tree was received on short notice and the deadline for comment is today, but we are publishing our our letter of concern sent today to the County planning staff. You will find in it a summary of our concerns about issues ranging from water use to native plant removal. 

Photo by Bonnie Hawthorne

In a May 14 press release, MBCA published a position statement about the short term rental crisis in the Morongo Basin. In addition, MBCA announced the release of an 8-minute locally-produced video it commissioned, intended to show decision-makers how residents and businesses have been negatively affected by the STR-triggered housing crisis. 

 

A HUGE THANK-YOU TO THE 476 PETITION SIGNERS AND 133 COMMENTERS. THE SUPERVISORS AGREED TO A 45-DAY HIATUS ON APPROVING NEW STR APPLICATIONS THROUGH THIS URGENCY ORDINANCE.

MBCA joined Lucerne Valley homeowners and Mojave Communities Conservation Collaborative in a letter to protest the "relocation" of the Sienna Solar Project in Lucerne Valley. The letter points out to the San Bernardino County Supervisors how the reapplication of the project is not simply a relocation allowed by regulations, but an expansion that violates the County's Renewable Energy Conservation Element, intended to minimize negative effects and optimize benefits to unincorporated communities.

San Bernardino County determined that a proposed 640-acre “glamping” type camping resort in Flamingo Heights does not require a full Environmental Impact Report. MBCA disagrees strongly and has submitted a letter to the County outlining the many significant environmental impacts unaddressed by the mitigated negative declaration that the project received. In addition to environmental consequences, the project is not compatible with the Homestead Valley Community Action Guide, a document that was developed with local input through the Countywide Plan process. This link provides more details about the project.  

MBCA joined Friends of Big Morongo Canyon, Mojave Desert Land Trust, Basin and Range Watch, SummerTree Institute, and The Wildlands Conservancy in a letter to the Bureau of Land Management with serious concerns about the construction of a proposed 196-foot communications tower in Morongo Valley. The letter states "The undersigned individuals/organizations have fought long and hard for the designation of Sand to Snow National Monument and strongly oppose this project and the changing of the VRM (Visual Resource Management) classification." In great detail and with maps and illustrations, the accompanying Public Scoping Comments document from the group points out why "The proposals are not in conformance with the applicable Federal purpose for which the public lands are managed in this area."