MBCA Comments at County Land Use Services Open House
At 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.
County STR and Housing Meeting Brings Large Crowd
Photo 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.).
MBCA Releases Video: Seeking Housing Solutions for the Morongo Basin
MBCA 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 Presentation
Contact and Information List of Program Participants
Supervisor Rowe's Presentation
KCDZ 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)
Government Requirements: Housing Element and Acronyms
Program 4: Short-term Rentals (the required study of the effect of STRs)
MBCA's Annual Meeting on Housing Promotes Ideas and Dialogue
Nearly 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 speakers
Annual meeting program with listing of speakers
Handout - Government Requirements: Housing Element and Acronyms
Handout - Program 4: Short-term Rentals (the required study of the effect of STRs)
Handout - Program 4: Short-term Rentals (the required study of the effect of STRs)
Eblast September 22, 2022
- Short Term Rentals and Housing Element Update
- Workshop and Webinar: Joshua Trees and Climate Change
- Sienna Solar 2
Coalition Letter on Program 4 in County Housing Element
As part of the County's amended Housing Element (required report to the state), Program 4 is a study to determine the impact of short-term rentals on the housing supply of unincorporated desert and mountain communities. In this September 19 letter to San Bernardino County's Planning Director, MBCA and the Center for Biological Diversity along with Mojave Desert Land Trust, Tahquitz Group of the Sierra Club, and Unincorporated San Bernardino Together, ask the County to show that they are taking their responsibility to their communities seriously. The letter recommends formation of two Advisory Committees – one for the Mountain Region, and one for the Desert Region. The letter also recommends setting an interim cap during the study period, plus a timeline and goals for the study. The introductory paragraphs of the letter summarize past concerns and the intent of the recommendations. For more background information, read MBCA's News posts from May 15, June 9 (MBCA letter), June 9 (letter with CBD), June 15, and July 5, 2022.
Eblast August 15, 2022
- Short Term Rental Survey
- Housing Element update
- Desert Wise Virtual Landscape videos released
Eblast July 20, 2022
- Desert Wise Virtual Landscape videos released
- Planning Commission to vote on Housing Element
- Industrial Scale Renewable Energy Threats to the Desert
