Last night, BIAOC hosted our first Networking and Advocacy event of the year - and had an amazing turnout of members who came out to support a member's project before the Anaheim City Council. Scroll down to our Government Affairs Updates section to read more.

Check out the upcoming News & Events section below for NEW upcoming events and industry news - including BIAOC's 10th Annual Baseball Night! Join us for an evening of networking and pre-game tacos as we watch the Angels v Yankees - Register to reserve your spot today!

Scroll down to our Government Affairs Updates section for the latest BIAOC member advocacy wins and calls to action - including an exciting victory regarding Senate Bill 12. Your continued advocacy makes a difference in our industry and in our community. Contact slamotte@biaoc.com to become an industry advocate today!

For questions or more information on BIAOC click here.

New and current NextGen Members are welcomed to join this networking event!

Register now for this FREE event!

BIA Orange County Chapter 55^th Annual Installation Gala

The Laguna Hills City Council recently held three public meetings to hear from city staff, city consultants, Merlone Geier Partners, and the public on the Village at Laguna Hills development – totaling about 20 hours of public hearing.

Following a lengthy discussion, the City Council opted not to vote on the project, but instead extend the process another six months and direct staff to reopen negotiations on the staff-supported development agreement with Merlone Geier. This is an unfortunate and costly delay. The public has been wanting action for years, yet the can is kicked down the road further.

Several BIA Members showed up to the Council meetings to speak in favor of this project. I would like to thank Les Card, Jeff Montejano, Eric Nelson, Bryant Brislin, Sunti Kumjim, and John Hogan for attending and supporting this project.

BIAOC Executive Officer, Steve LaMotte is passing the gavel to Rancho Mission Viejo VP, Government Affairs and BIASC Governing Board Member, Mike Balsamo. Steve has served as chair of the South Orange County Economic Coalition for two years, accomplishing a plethora of goals related to strengthening the Coalition and continuing its reputation as a premier advocacy organization in South OC. Great to see another BIA associate at the helm – Good Luck, Mike!

The BIA held its first Networking and Advocacy event of the year this month – supporting the Holden Senior Living Project by Alliance Residential in front of the Anaheim City Council. The project was approved by the planning commission last month, but a small group of NIMBYs appealed the project to the City Council. The BIA showed up in force and countered the NIMBY opposition to new housing by holding signs and cheering in support of the project! I would also like to thank our BIA members for publicly testifying in support! However, the Project was ultimately denied with Mayor Sidhu, and Council Members O’Neil, Valencia, and Moreno voting no. This is another clear example of NIMBY pressure stopping much needed and city staff supported housing – stating the same thing over and over again, we want housing, just not near us.  

The Climate Action Plan is a document and policy direction focused on defining the city’s course to combat global warming and carbon emissions. While these policies are crafted with the greater good in mind, it is the position of the BIA to ensure these documents do not lead to extremely burdensome regulations that could add staggering costs to current and future development – contributing to the already high cost to build. We thank the city of Irvine for their openness and transparency through this process. The plan will be returning to city council in August for discussion and direction. For more info, please contact Steve LaMotte.

The City of Santa Ana is considering changes to the recently lowered Inclusionary Zoning policy, otherwise known as the Housing Opportunity Ordinance, or HOO. As you may remember, the BIA led a successful effort to lower the Per Square foot fee from $15 dollars to $5, as not one permit was pulled during the $15 fee timeframe. Since the fee was lowered, thousands of units have moved forward in the city of Santa Ana. However, the new city council feels the fee needs to be increased! The BIA has testified in opposition of this proposal – and cannot understand why the city would look to increase a fee that literally stopped development in their city. Up next, there will be a stakeholder meeting in the near future- and then the policy should return to the city council this summer. If you have any questions, please contact Steve LaMotte.

BIASC is pleased to announce that Senate Bill 12 failed to make it out of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development. As proposed, Senate Bill 12 would have opened the door to an avalanche of new regulations by giving far-reaching regulatory powers to an obscure state agency regarding the approval of new housing developments throughout the state.

By adding another layer of bureaucratic overreach, Senate Bill 12 would have eliminated the ability to build badly needed new housing on vast portions of developable land appropriate for housing. In response, BIASC worked tirelessly with private and public sector stakeholders to stop this harmful piece of legislation from moving forward as proposed.

BIASC would like to thank YOU for your willingness to respond to our initial call-to-action, which ultimately led to thousands of emails to state legislators asking that they oppose Senate Bill 12 as proposed. You spoke, and they listened!

NextGen Membership Co-Chair chad@daviesimaging.com