Orange County Chapter
Steven LaMotte
BIA Orange County Chapter Executive Officer
I am honored that the April 2021 edition of the Southern California Builder Magazine will feature the Orange County Chapter. I am excited to highlight our past and future events, activities and achievements as well as honor the pioneers that have paved the way to create the industry we know today. 2021 has proven to be a productive and busy year for the BIA Orange County Chapter. We have found ourselves back in person at City Council and Planning Commission meetings advocating for much needed housing units and fighting against burdensome regulations and fees. I am happy to report that BIA members continue to participate in our Civic Advocacy Program by showing up to testify at public hearings. And as you’ll soon see by exploring this edition further, it is imperative that BIA members continue to stand together, show up, and testify for housing projects and good policy. Check out the incentives and requirements to receive recognition through our civic advocacy program on our website at www.biaoc.com/cal and please don’t hesitate to thank our advocates listed on the following page. I would also like to thank our events team, sponsors, program committee members and all of our attendees for making 2021 an already successful year for programs. Our upcoming 54th annual golf tournament sponsored by Boudreau Pipeline is SOLD OUT! And part two of our Opportunities for Today & Lessons for Tomorrow series will touch on several projects throughout Orange County and the lessons learned for the future. Below, check out a few government affairs highlights and make sure you look at the events calendar for the So Cal region later in the edition. Magnolia Tank Farm Moves to the Next Round with Help from BIA Advocacy Program We are happy to report that the Magnolia Tank Farm proposal by Shopoff Realty passed the Huntington Beach City Council this year. The next step will be the Coastal Commission. The project will offer up to 250 for-sale single-family homes, 2.8 acres of Coastal Conservation area that will provide a buffer
Southern California
BUILDER |
April 2021
for the adjacent wetlands, 2.9 acres of public parks, trails and viewpoints and a 211,000 sq. ft. lodge with 215 guest rooms, including 19,000 sq. ft. of retail/restaurant space. BIA advocacy was in full swing with over 20 BIA members calling in to testify on the benefits of housing. The grass roots industry effort by our members helped shift the momentum away from the NIMBYs and onto the positives of housing production. Thank you Advocates! Brookfield’s Moiola Neighborhood Project Approved! A big congratulations to Brookfield residential on the approval of their Moiola school site project in Fountain Valley. The approximately 12.9-acre former school site currently supports a total of 40,073 square feet of buildings made up of four classroom buildings. The project boasts 74 single family units, a one-acre park, and offers the city much needed housing stock for those move up or move down buyers!
Inside Edition: THE ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER
B I A O C Executive Officer Update:
Several BIA members showed up in-person to speak at both Planning Commission and City Council, and not one person spoke in opposition of the project! La Habra Inclusionary Zoning Passes The City of La Habra pushed forward an inclusionary zoning (IZ) policy in 2020. Due to coalition engagement, the council voted unanimously to postpone the discussion. However, the policy returned to council in March 2021 and was approved with a 3-2 vote. Mayor Espinoza, Mayor Pro Tem Medrano and Councilmember Simonian cited the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) as well as needing more money and tools for affordable housing as the reasons for approving this policy. This comes months after the council denied much needed new housing that would have generated millions for schools, parks and Affordable Housing! Further, the proposed in-lieu fee language was vague and unclear and could have amounted to an astronomical fee on new housing. Thankfully, the council added a much lower $6.50/sq. ft in-lieu fee before approving the policy. Housing costs and regulations in California are at an all-time high - now is not the time to add more regulation on the industry trying to solve the housing crisis.
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