Building Industry Association
of San Diego

BIA volunteers pack the Zapf Campaign Headquarters

Gloomy skies and a steady rain did not dampen the spirits of BIA volunteers who turned out in mass Saturday morning for San Diego City Council candidate Lorie Zapf.  Nearly 100 people answered the call to help Zapf take to the neighborhoods in an effort to reach as many voters as possible on the last Saturday before the November 2nd general election.

Zapf, flanked by San Diego City Councilman Kevin Faulconer and BIA Campaign 2010 coordinator Russ Valone thanked the scores of volunteers and the BIA for their help in her fight to defeat her union funded opponent for the right to represent the residents of the 6th city council district. The last 72 hours are critical as the campaign shifts to its Get Out To Vote effort in what political analysts say is a dead heat contest.   Volunteers are needed for election day and the campaign is asking anyone interested in helping to contact the campaign at 619-674-4776 and  help make Tuesday a big success.

If money is the mother’s milk of politics then San Diego city council candidate Howard Wayne is drowning in vitamin D. According to recent campaign disclosure reports, Wayne is the beneficiary of more the $230 thousand in union money. The San Diego Imperial County Labor Council views the 6th district council seat as essential to maintaining their pro-union majority on the San Diego City Council.

Wayne and the unions seek to defeat Lorie Zapf for the right to replace outgoing councilmember Donna Frye in the district that includes Kearny Mesa, Clairemont, Linda Vista and Mission Valley. Zapf is supported by a host of probusiness groups and the building industry but has been outspent 4 to 1 thanks to an avalanche of union money for Wayne.

With one week left until the November General Election most analysts consider the race between Zapf and Wayne too close to call.  Union leaders would love to hold this seat as they continue to advance their agenda at city hall which includes higher sales taxes, union only constructed and operated hotels, a ban on Walmart Supercenters and mandatory project labor agreements for taxpayer funded capital improvement projects.

Over eight hours of testimony opposing the draft County General Update is under way in the County Board of Supervisors Hearing Room.  The County’s consultant, the audit firm of Keiser Marston stunningly alleges that the downzoning of 400,000 acres of land will have no negative economic impact drawing strong rebuke from property owners.

BIA joins an impressive array of coalition partners arguing in favor of the following positions to be taken by the Supes:

KEY CORRECTIONS THE INDUSTRY WANTS MADE IN THE GP 2020 UPDATE:

DO NOT ALLOW COMMUNITY PLANS AND COMMUNITY PLANNING GROUPS TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS ON CLUSTERING.
The general plan relies on clustered developments to succeed but contains language that allows clustering only on the condition that it is consistent with community plans. Most community plans mandate 1-acre minimum lot sizes which makes clustering impossible.

DO NOT SUPPORT THE MORATORIUM ON GENERAL PLAN AMENDMENTS.
The General Plan will place a moratorium on changes to land use categories unless it is part of a comprehensive General Plan Update.  The last comprehensive general plan update was almost 30 years ago!

DO NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSED DOWNZONING.
The General Plan will downzone over 400,000 acres of private property and eliminate 36,000 housing units. Despite two public votes that soundly rejected massive down zoning, the General Plan will create land use categories of 1du/40 acres, 1du/80 acres and 1du/160 acres.

ELIMINATE REQUIREMENT TO GIVE UP BETWEEN 75% – 90% OF YOUR PROPERTY AS PART OF THE CONSERVATION SUBDIVISION PROGRAM.

This requirement coupled with large minimum lot sizes will result in the loss of potential housing units.

Voters wishing to cast their ballot by mail have until Tuesday, October 26th to submit a Vote by Mail Application.  With the November 2nd General Election just two weeks away the BIA-PAC is urging all members to review its November General Election Voter Guide for candidate endorsements and ballot recommendations.  The Voter Guide is the product of an 11-month process of candidate interviews and ballot proposition analysis.

Polls open at 7:00 am.  Click on the Find Your Polling Place to see where you can cast your vote on Tuesday, November 2nd.  And don’t forget to take along the Voter Guide.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will take up the issue of the Draft General Plan Update at its Wednesday, October 20th hearing.  It has been 13-years since the supervisors directed staff to proceed with the crafting of a new general plan and it has not been without major controversy.

The plan includes the downzoning of over 400,000 acres in the back country with the intent of directing future growth toward existing towns and infrastructure. The downzoning has brought the scorn of hundreds of private property owners and farmers who argue that voters have rejected such downzoning in two county-wide propositions over the last ten years.

While the county claims there is plenty of opportunity for future growth in designated areas, it grants community plans and planning groups the right to veto higher density projects.  It also prevents any adjustments to the general plan until there is another comprehensive review. It has been nearly 30 years between general plan updates.

The BIA is urging all private property owners to attend the Wednesday, October 20th hearing and voice their concern with the draft general plan.  For more information, contact Matt Adams at the BIA.

It was standing room only for the second annual Meet the Builder event.  BIA San Diego and BIA Riverside partnered together to host over 400 attendees at the  Ponte Winery in Temecula. The energy filled room offered numerous opportunities for associates to network with builder representatives.  Over 20 builder teams took the time to meet and mingle with the guests and gain new contacts.

The BIA is very thankful to all of the San Diego Builders who participated and helped make this event so successful! Thank you to: Chelsea Investment Corporation, Cornerstone Communities, G.J. Gardner Homes, Hallmark Communities, Pacific Coast Communities/Heritage Building & Development, Pardee Homes, Reynolds Communities, Roel Construction Company, SeaCountry Homes, The Corky McMillin Companies, Turner Construction, WaveCrest Enterprises, and many more for your continued support to your Industry and Association.

A special thanks to our San Diego sponsors, we could not have produced such a wonderful event without you!
Hazard Construction
Martin Roofing Co., Inc.
Pro Wall Lath & Plaster
Western States Fire Protection Co.

BIA-PAC Voter Guide

The Building Industry Association Political Action Committee has  released it’s Voter Guide for the November 2, 2010 General Election.  The voter guide is part of its continuing effort to inform industry members on the key candidates and issues that will directly affect our future and economic recovery.  The Voter Guide is available on line and at the BIA offices.  The BIA-PAC and the Political Communications Committee of the BIA have worked for months interviewing dozens of  candidates and analyzing local and state ballot propositions. BIA members are encouraged to visit the Politics and Elections page of the BIA website for all the latest information on candidates and issues.

Saying the City of Chula Vista must prepare to reduce vulnerability to expected local climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, less rainfall,  and hotter weather, a Climate Change Working Group is proposing 11 recommendations for the city council to consider.  The Working Group has met since October 2009 to come up with recommendations at the council’s request.

Recommendations include ‘cool paving’ regulations on new parking lots, a shade tree ordinance, additional storm water regulations, and new CEQA land use regulations to address flooding from a rise in sea level.

Chula Vista already has the most stringent energy and climate change regulations is Southern California.  A workshop is scheduled for October 7th at Chula Vista City Hall.

San Diego — The City of San Diego Community Planners Committee voted down a proposal to restrict large retail outlets in San Diego.  The union-backed ordinance is being carried by Councilman Todd Gloria and would styme retailers such as Walmart from expanding their stores to include more groceries because they would compete with unionized grocery chains.   The plan targets Super Walmarts and would force them into more stringent government review than their non-union counterparts.  Opponents   say the ordinance is a thinly veiled attempt to stop Super Walmarts because the requirements are so stringent they will prevent Super Walmarts from being built within San Diego city limits.  The Big Box Retail Ordinance is scheduled to return to the City Council later this year.