Last night’s Open House with San Bernardino County’s Land Use Services Department was well-attended by Morongo Basin residents seeking answers. Reporter Heather Clisby was there…
Multiple staff of the San Bernardino County Land Use Services Department were standing by last night at the Open House event held at the department’s local office lobby in Joshua Tree. Residents came with notes, questions, and printed out ordinances, ready for the in-person connect.
The event brought housing developers, short-term rental owners, remote residents, and affordable housing advocates, among others. The encroachment of light pollution was a common concern, as was the health of aquifers being strained by development. One woman wanted to open a wedding venue, while another sought a permit for a pet-water-cremation system.
Some came ready with a list, like David S.:
“Multiple issues, ranging from Conditional Use Permits that I feel are out of reach for the people who started this. Shipping container permits, for swimming pools or living. Light ordinances. The anonymity of the complaint system that rips apart neighborhoods and makes everyone suspicious of everyone. Runs the gamut.”
Meanwhile, Steve Bardwell, president of the Morongo Basin Conservation Association, came with a single inquiry. “So I question why, in the preparation of staff reports for so many of the big developments out here, that there’s no reference to the community action guides, and the respect of the wishes of the community that are reflected in those guides. There’s a real shortfall there.”
Additional issues concerned road grading, infractions of the Native Plant Ordinance (illegal blading, specifically), illegal music venues, and combining parcel charges for FP4. Then there was the Landers gentleman with a simple question. “I want to update my cabin built in 1952. Where do I begin?”
