County’s Land Use Services office offers free advice in zoning and development proposals
Did you know the County offers free advice when it comes to zoning and development proposals?
On last Friday’s (July 10) episode of the Z107.7 Up Close Show, host Gary Daigneault spoke with local Third District representative and Chair of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Dawn Rowe. As part of her work with the County’s Land Use Services, Rowe outlined the County’s major zoning issues and ways they attempt to guide developers with their projects.
Rowe spoke about our areas zoning in general, saying “If I could go back in time to the 1950s when they laid out the zoning of the rural living areas in the desert, I would have suggested that the coastal regions are going to encroach upon the eastern parts of our county, and we should plan for that. They did not think that development would really ever move past the county seats.
Daingneault mentioned that everything in our area was labeled as “rural living”, to which Rowe said “It’s a kitchen sink effect. You can have a trash transfer station, a cattery, a home, a motel all within one zone. And how is that appropriate?
But now what’s happened is you look at development that’s come in. Look at Wonder Valley or Flamingo Heights where we’ve had some pretty contentious developer meets local residents. At what point can you go back and rezone without ticking off the majority of people?
“The approach that the county has opted for is to have general plan amendments where zoning changes they go through. We do them four times a year.
“A developer can come meet with our land use services and say for free, what do you think about my idea? I am brutally honest with people, and I’ll tell them, hey, don’t do this. Maybe, but you should have a community meeting first and get the pulse of people. This is what the problems that you’re going to run into.”
“Issues that people don’t always understand are rainwater and floods n and downstream flows are impacted. The Joshua Tree is a protected species now.
“And so I try to meet and educate people that are interested in developing. Whether it’s a resort, or a hotel, or a campsite, or anything else. And oftentimes they do not meet with us until it’s too late. And the community has spoken. So then they’re stuck with the process, and they get what they get.”
You can find more info on the County’s Land Use Services on their website: https://lus.sbcounty.gov/
You can hear their full conversation by listening to the full episode of the Z107.7 Up Close Show here:
