Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Weekly 3 Land Development: half full glasses and water retention basins
What are the three biggest stories each week in the world of California land development? You’ll find them right here, or follow LP&A all week long on Twitter at @LPALand for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up to receive the Weekly 3 via email here. This week:
Someone’s glass is half full. Of what, we’re not sure.
If you’re like us, you’ve seen so many conflicting homebuilding forecasts in recent months that your head is spinning. We know there are still many bears out there, but we wanted to share a recent report from CalPoly Pomona’s Real Estate Research Council, which gives us at least a glimmer of hope. The report anticipates that because of current dreary numbers, California homebuilding could rise as much as 246 percent in the next 18 months. In an accompanying reader poll, 80 percent responded “What are they smoking?”
Read The Orange County Register article here
What’s that we’re voting on again?
Need proof that California’s insatiable appetite for over-regulation and eco-hypersensitivity is handcuffing any hopes of restoring the Golden State’s former luster? Last week the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board approved new limits on stormwater runoff for Ventura County. In its desire to trailblaze new law, the board hosted an hours-long hearing where the final revised language was so convoluted “no one really understood what it would require, but the board went ahead and adopted it anyway.” The finished product appears not good for developers and may stymie any future housing comeback for Ventura.
We’ll stand by the filthy parasites
We’re sure you heard that three people at the Discovery Channel headquarters were held hostage Thursday by a crazed uber-environmentalist who felt the network wasn’t living up to what he saw as its responsibility to save the planet.It’s getting pretty extreme when an environmentalist takes hostages at one of the most environmentally-friendly cable networks. Most greenies don’t take human hostages, but many live off taking development projects hostage, so even if this nut was no Boy Scout, it pays to always remember the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.
Read the Fox News article here
Read more of our thoughts on it here
Weekly 3 Land: Spited noses, golden gambles and more
What are the three biggest stories each week in the world of California land development? You’ll find them right here, or follow LP&A all week long on Twitter at @LPALand for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up to receive the Weekly 3 via email here. This week:
1. What’s That About Noses and Faces and Spite?
There’s AB32, SB375 and a whole host of other regulations designed to coerce developers onto the green bandwagon. Some moves in that direction are wholly embraced by the building community, primarily because they’re market-driven solutions that provide tangible benefits. Like smart energy and water meters that help homeowners better manage their consumption and reduce utility bills. So why is the evergreen County of Santa Cruz moving to ban the technology? It’s afraid the wireless signal the boxes transmit – similar to cell phones – poses health risks. Builders beware.
Read the Santa Cruz Sentinel article here
2. The Golden State Gamble
A recent study of economic and real estate trends by PMI Mortgage Insurance finds seven of the nation’s 20 riskiest housing markets right here in California. But remember, we’re the Golden State for a reason. Despite a burdensome business climate, our weather, amazing landscapes and enduring sense of promise keep most folks from moving away and still attract newbies. California certainly has what it takes to return to greatness – but the pendulum needs to swing away from over-regulation and eco-hypersensitivity if California dreamin’ is to continue paying off.
3. The Rundown on Runoff
It doesn’t often rain in California, but developers have become keenly aware that when it does, what flows off your developed and undeveloped properties is more than just water – it can be your profits as well, in the form of hefty fines. The agency that manages quantity and quality of stormwater runoff for one of the state’s most development-prime regions just welcomed a new level-headed board member. Linda Ackerman has been appointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board, which oversees most of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Here are this week’s top three water stories, as compiled by the media-addicted water wonks at Laer Pearce & Associates. You’ll find the Big Three here every Thursday, or you can follow LPAWater on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis or subscribe to our e-blasts to receive the Weekly 3 directly.
1. There’s Nothing Retiring About This
Public Records Act requests are hitting water districts like Delta smelt hitting the diversion gates at Tracy. Ever since the LA Times used Robert “the Rat” Rizzo to break the public employ compensation story, reporters are asking how much administrators and board members receive in salaries, benefits and retirement. The big story this week is that the big story is coming soon, and we’ve been helping districts prep for upcoming interviews. Here is a bit of the chum that has the sharks swirling:
Read how pensions color a rate controversy here
Read about OC’s six-figure retirees here
2. Go fish! Listing to Bring More Water Supply Woes
Last Friday, a federal appeals court ruled that Central Valley populations of steelhead trout were, in fact, properly listed as threatened species, rejecting a challenge by five Central Valley water districts. The districts, concerned about the listing’s impact on water deliveries, argued steelhead are the same species as abundant rainbow trout, which is true, but the judge said they behave differently, so the listing is legit. Let’s not try to draw any human comparisons, shall we?
Read the Stockton Record article here
3. When Teeth Go to Pot
Up Watsonville way, it’s easy to buy a hydroponics system to keep your marijuana plants healthy, and it’s not uncommon to catch a whiff of a certain sickly-sweet smoky odor along the funky downtown streets. So THC – the active chemical in marijuana – is hunky dory … but fluoride is not, since Watsonville citizens voted in 2002 to prohibit its use in local water supplies. Now, amidst an epidemic of tooth decay, the state has cited the city for failure to comply with its fluoridation law.
Weekly 3 Land: Leave the planning to the planners and the communication to the communicators
What are the three biggest stories each week in the world of California land development? You’ll find them right here, or follow LP&A all week long on Twitter at @LPALand for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up to receive the Weekly 3 via email here. This week:
1. Don’t Worry, I’m a Doctor
Surprise, surprise. Residents of a north San Diego community got more than they bargained for when they decided to manage future growth in their neighborhood. A 1998 ballot-box zoning measure constricted the proposed Pacific Highlands Ranch to 1,900 units until a controversial new freeway interchange gets built. Go figure, that interchange has been held up by red tape, and now the Ranch’s residents flood surrounding parks and shops because the facilities in their neighborhood aren’t planned until later, ballot-box-stalled phases. Efforts to unwind the 1998 measure are currently underway.
Read the Voice of San Diego article here
2. Feds Flogged for Flawed Facts on Flows
The U.S. EPA tried to sneak one past the goalie this week, but an alert NAHB stepped in at the last minute with a court victory forcing the agency back to the drawing board on a key portion of new stormwater management regulations that would have been disastrous for builders and developers. When asked to defend the limits it proposed for its Effluent Limitation Guidelines, EPA was forced to admit several flaws in its data, prompting the Justice Department to require a new plan based on better research and goals that are actually attainable.
3. Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda: Lack of Outreach Among Biggest Regrets
As consultants to builders and developers, we know first-hand how important public outreach is during the entitlement phase of a project. There’s now proof developers recognize that as well – but some of them a little late, unfortunately. A recent survey asked developers to list their biggest mistake. At the top of the list: not conducting sufficient public outreach. Don’t risk testing the political courage of the electeds reviewing your project. Give them cover to vote yes by building a strong base of support throughout the community.
The Weekly 3: Water Industry
What were the three biggest California water stories of the past seven days? Well, the news-heads and policy wonks here at Laer Pearce & Associates have compiled them for you here. You’ll find the Big Three here every Thursday, or you can follow LPAWater on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up to receive the Weekly 3 via email here.
1. Something rotten in the water?
Public attention is sharply focused on governmental mismanagement thanks to Robert Rizzo and the Bell city council, so when the FBI and DA raided the City of Oxnard’s offices this week and hauled out hard drives and files, you could almost hear the next shoe falling. Ken Ortega, the former Public Works Director who ran Oxnard’s Groundwater Recovery Enhancement and Treatment program, is the probable target.
Read the Ventura County Star Oxnard story
2. When an appendix removal is news
We were troubled that the State Water Resources Control Board surgically removed an appendix from its Delta flow criteria report – you know, the report with findings that would cut Delta water deliveries by as much as 67%. Appendix B estimated the impact of the flow criteria on water supplies, but was cut because it hadn’t been adequately reviewed, according to staff. So review it! Speaking of the flow report, we liked what Laura King Moon, assistant GM of the State Water Contractors, wrote about it.
Read the CA Farm Water Coalition on Appendix B
Read Laura’s San Francisco Chronicle op/ed
Read everything but Appendix B here
3. San Berdoo’s got the water blues
This was the week of the big annual water conference in San Bernardino, and the mood there was gloomy. Otto Kroutil, Ontario Development Agency director, told the crowd, “Without an adequate water supply, we will struggle with bringing in new jobs, development, construction and investments into the community.” Our builder friend Jon Weldy from Apple Valley added, “If we get any kind of growth, we’ll have a problem.” And in Lancaster, builders are having trouble getting approvals because of an iffy water supply. Water bond, anyone?
The Weekly 3: Land Development
What are the three biggest stories each week in the world of California land development? You’ll find them right here, or follow LP&A all week long on Twitter at @LPALand for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also subscribe to our e-blast to receive our Weekly Three directly. This week:
1. It depends what your definition of “is” is
Either a plant or animal species is threatened with extinction or it’s not. Seems pretty black and white … or green. So why is the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service trying to list some populations of the Preble’s Meadow jumping mouse and other species as threatened, even though the species itself is abundant? The Service’s motives are up for debate, but the consequences are as clear a new double-paned Energy Star window: lots of land could soon fall unnecessarily under tough federal permitting requirements, and that’s no bueno for homebuilders and the successful habitat conservation planning efforts they’ve spearheaded.
2. CARB Tells Developers to Take a Hike
The California Air Resources Board’s just-released staff recommendations for greenhouse gas reductions are a clear signal to developers that the value of your projects’ trail systems has never been greater. Trails are no longer just a recreational sweetener for potential homebuyers; they’re now something that makes grumpy regulators smile and think nice thoughts about your project. Make sure trails take center stage as you entitle and communicate about your project.
Read the Fresno Bee article here
3. Coastal Commission Chronicles Continue
When does development become development? The California Coastal Commission is having a hard time making up its mind. Earlier this year it called drawing in the sand “development,” requiring a permit. It’s called 4th of July fireworks “development,” too. But now it’s saying that an informal RV park housing homeless and beachgoers along streets in Venice Beach isn’t development, and Venicians are stuck with them. If your project goes before this body, make sure you have someone in your corner who has successfully navigated these treacherous waters before.
Weekly 3: Water Industry
The media-scouring folks here at Laer Pearce & Associates have compiled the three biggest California water stories of the week – well, the one really, really big story and a couple of interesting also-rans. You’ll find the Big Three here every Thursday, or you can follow LPAWater on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up for our e-blasts here.
1. The 2012 Water Bond
All the forces that came together to cajole, arm-twist and horse-trade the historic Nov. 2009 water package through a reluctant legislature apparently were nowhere to be found when it came to contributing the dollars needed to run a successful campaign – if a successful campaign for an $11 billion bond could be had at any price during the state’s current fiscal melt-down. So now it’s the 2012 water bond, which means two more years to build support … and two more years to tear it down. We hope the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta won’t collapse while we’re bickering.
Read how the deal came together here
Read the campaign’s news release here
2. Houses without Water
Castaic Lake Water Agency has decided it just doesn’t have enough water to serve 550 new houses in the Tesoro del Valle community in Saugus. That’s curious. Castaic had the water when the houses were going to be built in a different part of the tract, but when landowner Montalvo Properties decided to build the homes in a part of their planned development that is outside the district’s current boundaries, the supply suddenly dried up. We’re wondering: Is this a sign that water districts are starting to come up with creative excuses to limit the number of new homes they serve?
Read The Signal’s article here
3. Forward to the Past! The New Dam-Busters
From the Klamath dams up on the Oregon border to O’Shaughnessy Dam in Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley, all the way down to the Matilija Dam in Southern California, modern-day dam-busters are at work trying to take down wonderworks of engineering that help control flooding, provide water supply reliability and generate power with no carbon emissions. Sure, we’re transitioning from a resource exploitation economy to a sustainable economy, but we question the position – and even the sanity – of those who wage war against the dams that serve us so well.
The Water Bond – Now What?
It was the strangest sort of victory.
Last night’s last-hour squeaker of a vote to delay Proposition 18, the $11 billion California water bond, could be seen as an admission of defeat … well, future defeat anyway. Had there been confidence campaign funds would roll in and the California electorate would vote “yes” in droves, Sacramento would have been busy with other things yesterday. Important stuff no doubt, like regulating pet insurance.
But the vote was also a victory, because those who prefer the status quo – an odd mix of environmentalists, Delta residents and fiscal conservatives – were geared up to keep the bond on the November ballot, because they sensed they might be able to stop the state’s biggest step forward on water resource management in decades … if they could force the vote in year when Californians are (finally!) getting concerned about the state’s finances.
So, 2012 now will be the year of the water bond. In California politics, 2012 is about as far in the future as white-wigged Whigs are in the past. Who knows what mischief will transpire between now and then? Well, we have a few ideas:
- Chances are very good that at least one citizen initiative countering the bond will be on the ballot. It will likely be a greener alternative, but it could also be a more gung-ho one, calling for the fast-tracked construction of more storage and a new canal. It just depends on who raises enough money to send out the signature-gathering armies.
- Forces will be tearing at the water bond itself. Expect bills by the boatload in the next legislative sessions, each pushing one constituency’s position forward and another’s back. So far, the rather miraculous coalition supporting the bond has held together, but can it last two more years?
- Expect wet winters … or dry ones. Who knows? Either way, weather will influence the electorate.
- And oh yeah, expect there to be a presidential race on the 2012 ballot, with all the attention and emotion it will bring.
We are supporters of the bond. We think “meaty” describes it much better than “porky,” particularly if it’s compared to previous water bonds. We think the state’s water infrastructure has deteriorated to the point where big steps are needed. We understand that in California, you’re not going to be able to get anything through the legislature that solves everything and does it without some sweeteners thrown in and some necessities thrown out.
In short, we’re willing to settle for the miraculous, even if it’s not the perfect.
Restore the Delta, a rabidly anti-bond group that puts the Delta “sense of place” above the state’s economic vitality, just said, “The problems with the bond will only grow more glaring in time.”
That’s what they fervently hope. Supporters of the bond need to counter this by showing – clearly, conclusively and forcefully – that it’s the problems with the state’s water infrastructure, not the problems with the bond, that are growing more glaring, and at an alarming rate of speed.
The recent State Water Resources Control Board staff report calling for an end-of-life-as-we-know-it level of cuts in water exports from the Delta, bad as it is, is a step in that direction. Here’s hoping the water bond campaign has the resources, courage and capability to build a solid messaging lead in the next two years, and that the best bond wins.
Weekly 3: Water industry
Every day, we scour the media, blogs and social media to track news and trends in water. You’ll find the three biggest stories of the week here every Friday, or you can follow LPAWater on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis.
#1 – It’s all dinosaur pee anyway
The public has long supported irrigating with recycled wastewater, but we’re thrilled to see growing acceptance of the re-use of wastewater for potable purposes. Call it what you will, but “potable reuse” or “toilet-to-tap” has long been a political third rail in San Diego. That’s changed, as the first story below tells how that city is moving toward becoming the first in California to use treated wastewater to augment its reservoirs. The second discusses a big expansion of the Santa Clarita Valley’s wastewater-to-irrigation infrastructure.
Read the San Diego News Room story here
The Weekly 3: Water
Every day, we scour media, blogs and social media to track news and trends in water. You’ll find the three biggest stories of the week in your in-box every Friday, or you can follow LPAWater on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis.
#1 – Westlands may sell water to MWD – Whodathunkit?
Water is a funny thing. One year ago, farmers in the expansive Westlands Water District were quite literally dying on the vine. Court rulings in environmentalist lawsuits over delta smelt and various salmon species and another year of drought had left them waterless, firing the “Fish vs. Farmers” debate. This year, the farmers expected more of the same and left fields fallow, but a lot more rain and a little more pumping has left them with surplus water, so a deal may be in the works to sell it to MWD.
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