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.
Read the Real Estate Channel story here
This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 24th, 2010 at 4:16 pm and is filed under Environment, Politics, Uncategorized, Water, Weekly 3, messaging, outreach. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
