The BIA-PAC has released its Voter Guide which lists the endorsements for the June 5th Primary Election.   The Voter Guide was created after of a year-long effort between the Political Communications Committee and the BIA-PAC and included countless candidate interviews and close examination of local ballot measures. The Voter Guide is prepared each election year as part of an ongoing industry effort to inform its members of the candidates and issues that will impact the economy and the industry.  The BIA Podcast Series was also released and includes interviews with the leading candidates for San Diego City Council and the Board of Supervisors.

More information is available on the elections page of the BIA website.

The County Board of Supervisors continued its stated pursuit to improve and streamline its land use process by voting to restructure its planning operations.  Under the unanimously approved reorganization plan, the Department of Planning and Land Use will be renamed Planning and Development Services (PDS).

Some Public Works sectors will be blended into the new structure in an effort to improve communications and regulatory efficiency. All planning disciplines will be located in the same offices to improve coordination.

The Board also adopted a new citizens advisory committee that will evaluate the county’s land use process and report back to the Supervisors.  The renewed emphasis on regulatory reform is a byproduct of the Red Tape Reduction Task Force that examined county operations and offered multiple recommendations to improve land use planning efficiency.

What a spectacular morning this past Saturday was for BIA’s political efforts.

Last weekend members of  Team Cornerstone and Team Fenton along with members of the BuildSD Pac and Y-Gen Council deployed 1,000 yard signs in support of Scott Sherman’s Campaign.   Just think about it, at 9:30 am Saturday morning there were hardly any yard signs in the San Carlos/Del Cerro/Tierrasanta portions of District 7 demonstrating just how much support Scott had among is neighbors.  By noon 1,000 of Scott neighbors were demonstrating their support and it was all due to the efforts of 59 BIA members and their family and friends who gave a few hours of their precious Saturday morning to help change San Diego for a decade to come.

Along with Ure Kretowicz and Mike Neal, BIA would like to THANK all of those who committed their time to make a change that will help not only the Building Industry but all businesses in San Diego.

This coming weekend BIA is committed to deploying yard signs for Carl DeMaio, but unfortunately the number of volunteers we have committed to this effort is far fewer than we need.   Please if you can spare a few hours this weekend come help BIA help Carl .  Let me know at Campaign2012@biasandiego.org

We are pleased to announce the hiring of Russell Aaron York as our new Communications Advisor.  Russell came to us directly out of Patrick Henry College, VA, where he graduated with a degree in American Politics and Policy.  He is a native San Diegan and spent his summers interning at the Airport Authority and the Lincoln Club.

Last Summer, Russell completed a 40-day, solo bike-trip from Washington, DC to San Diego for Younglife Ministries and their effort to help orphans in Ukraine.  This feat drew a lot of media attention across the country.  Speaking of media, Russell will be leading our effort to create BIA’s new website.  He will also be in charge of all of our social media outreach and interaction activities.  Please help us welcome Russell York to the BIA of San Diego, his new home.

Last night the Olivenhain MWD Board of Directors voted once again to raise their water capacity fees, by a 5-0 vote. This District follows the pattern of others who raise fees on our industry because they collect less revenues from our industry. Go figure. For details on what happened and over our objection, contact Mike McSweeney at mmcsweeney@biasandiego.org.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors decided not to tinker with the makeup or structure of its planning groups despite recommendations from the Red Tape Reduction Task Force that called for term limits and modest experience qualifications. Some county planning groups have brought the ire of property owners and project applicants who say the groups act more like quasi regulatory agencies that demand design changes and multiple meetings rather than as an advisory board as prescribed by county law. Their approach leads to excessive delays that add thousands of dollars in project costs.

Planning group members raised strong objections to any changes but the Supervisors did implement a mandatory training session for planning group members in order for their group to receive indemnification protection from the County. Supervisors are moving forward with a host of regulatory improvements designed to improve the overall time and efficiency of its land use review process.

Davidson Communities

When Davidson Communities opened the doors at Arista at The Crosby at Rancho Santa Fe in March, over 700 people toured the model complex, despite the rain. By Sunday night, four of six homes in Phase One –- priced from the mid-$800,000s –- had been sold.

Just a mile or so away, Sentinels by Davidson at Del Sur logged three sales last week. Priced from the high-$700,000s, Sentinels has just one home left to sell.

What’s happening?

“We’re feeling confidence returning to the market,” said Bill Davidson, president of Davidson Communities. “And what does that mean for builders? With that confidence, with that sense that prices have bottomed out and this really is the right time to buy, shoppers are taking less time to make their purchase decision. It used to take seven or eight visits before a prospect felt good enough to commit; today’s buyers are returning just two or three times.” Read the rest of this entry »

Congratulations to Fernando Landa, Trigild Corporation’s General Counsel and Vice Chairman of (build)sd PAC, who was recently profiled in The Daily Transcript. Take a look at the feature below!

Trigild’s new general counsel has

had some very unusual tasks since

taking post

By THOR KAMBAN BIBERMAN, The Daily Transcript

Fernando Landa, Trigild Corp.

Fernando Landa,Trigild Corp.’s new general counsel’s unusual tasks have included what to do with a tenant growing a large indoor pot farm in Northern California, getting a body out of a Kansas apartment and closing a brothel that operated out of a truck stop.

While these events are not the typical fare for Landa since joining Trigild last November, he has learned to expect the unexpected.

Landa recalled taking over one commercial property in Northern California where marijuana was being grown.

“Medical marijuana is legal at the state level, but it’s still illegal at the federal level so we had to abide by that,” Landa said, adding that the grower was booted off the property.

Landa said Trigild sometimes runs into surprises when inspecting an address. Read the rest of this entry »

The county is moving forward with a proposal to reduce its Traffic Impact Fee by 40% to 50% in the coming weeks.  The fees are paid into a county fund by construction projects and are used for future roadway improvements.  The reduction is a by-product of the new General Plan which will lower projected roadway costs from $900 million to $535 million due to future development being located near existing towns and infrastructure.

County staff will hold a workshop on March 19th to provide more detail to three alternative financing plans that range from $420 million to $535 million.  Additional workshops are scheduled for March 22nd in Ramona and March 27th in Jamul.

It is expected to go to the County Planning Commission on April 13th followed by a hearing before County Supervisors in May.

BIA Cares, the charitable foundation of the Building Industry Association of San Diego County, has announced that they will award $10,000 in scholarships to high school and college students who are seeking a career in the building industry.

Students must be full time, from San Diego County or going to school in San Diego, and be pursuing a career as a developer, contractor, architect, civil/structural/soils engineer, designer, interior designer, banker, accountant, planner, landscape architect, framer, carpenter, plumber, electrician or other real estate and development related profession.  The scholarships are highly competitive and applicants will be evaluated based on their academic record, personal achievements and financial need.

To apply for one of the scholarships visit BIA Cares online, complete the application and submit a copy of your transcripts by April 20, 2012.  The scholarship committee will be awarding the scholarships to those deserved
students in June, 2012. Read the rest of this entry »