Greetings Members-
I hope this message finds you well and no doubt busy as we speed toward the end of 2021 and prepare for an exciting 2022!
First a big thank you to all who attended and helped to sellout our BIA Riverside Chapter Wine Under the Stars event at beautiful Wilson Creek Winery. The highlight of the evening was a memorable tribute and recognition for our former Riverside Chapter Executive Officer Borre Winkel who has retired after 25 years representing BIA in Riverside and San Diego counties. Thank you again to Borre for all he has done for our industry!
Your Riverside County BIA Chapter team continues to be active and engaged on numerous issues throughout Riverside County and the region to advance our industry interests. Below is an update on a few items of note:
SCAG SoCal GreenPrint
The Riverside Chapter along with our other BIASC colleagues and other coalition partners were successful October 7th in securing a 43-10 vote of the SCAG Regional Council to maintain a pause on the deeply flawed SoCal GreenPrint. The BIA concerns remain focused on the need for improved datasets, a formal draft plan, and other clarifications to minimize the detrimental impact to housing affordability, as well as federal funding for various transportation projects.
Because of the leadership of the BIA Southern California and our broad coalition, SCAG staff changed their initial recommendation to end the existing pause on GreenPrint to keeping the pause in effect. Special thanks to Riverside County SCAG Representatives Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel, Murietta Councilmember Johnathon Ingram and Wildomar Councilmember Ben Benoit who have been forceful advocates for our concerns throughout this process.
City of Menifee CEQA Guidelines
The City of Menifee has been working update their policies regarding implementing the CEQA process in the City and they have now completed this work and the new guidelines are in place. We thank the City Council and staff at Menifee for ensuring these new guidelines are cost-effective, provide a clear path to successful entitlements and for engaging the Riverside Chapter BIA in the process.
City of Riverside Decarbonization
The City of Riverside is considering potential new building codes that would require all single family and low-rise multi-family developments to be all electric by 2023. At the task force meeting on October 27th we were joined by Christopher Ochoa, Senior Counsel for Codes, Regulatory and Legislative Affairs from the California Building Industry Association. Chris has a wealth of knowledge and experience with decarbonization efforts, and I appreciate his support in helping our industry work with Riverside to develop a program that is market-based, environmentally responsible and protects housing affordability.
Riverside Chapter Installation Gala
Our Annual Riverside Chapter Installation Gala is on Friday, November 19th at the Historic Mission Inn. Join us for a special evening as we thank outgoing President Greg Shaia from Richmond American Homes and welcome incoming President Mike Freeman from Lennar. To become a sponsor or to register for the event please click here. It will be an event you will not want to miss celebrating a successful 2021 and looking ahead to a promising 2022.
As always, if I can be of assistance, please feel free to contact me directly at eo@riversidebia.org.