KB Home to Test Demand for Solar Power

The L.A. Times reports today that KB Home is including solar panels as standard features on homes in 10 new Southland developments. KB has provided solar panels as an option in the past but this is the first time they have been standard.

The company may expand the program if it proves popular, said Steve Ruffner, president of KB's Southern California Division:

The reason we're trying it here is because there is a great interest in solar power, because of the amount of sunshine we get per day. We will see how it performs and what the customer demand is.

The systems, built by SunPower Corp., will be capable of producing about 30 percent of a home's daily energy use. The developments are being built in Eastvale, Chula Vista, Temecula, Lancaster, Santa Clarita, Chino, Valencia, and Lake Forest.

Resolution of Intent Moving Forward at Castaic Lake Water Agency

Wednesday evening, the Board of the Castaic Lake Water Agency voted 9-1 to move forward with a Resolution of Intent to adopt the 2010 Data Document but hold off on implementation of fee increases for a one year period.  This was one of three Alternative Resolutions presented by staff and it was the Resolution which the BIA requested and recommended the board adopt.  The 2010 Data Document called for fee increases to take effect on January 1, 2010 and increases fees an average of 25%, depending on Water Service Area (WSA).  Resolution 21784 will now be noticed for public hearing and will be heard on April 13, 2011. 

Several BIA members turned out to oppose the fee increases and many others submitted letters objecting to the proposed increases given the state of the economy.  Leading to this regular meeting, the Castaic staff offered a workshop to the board and stakeholders to provide a better understanding of the Data Document.  This workshop encouraged a lengthy dialog between staff, the board and the BIA and lasted five hours.  The public hearing is now scheduled for April 13, 2011and if adopted as recommended, the fee increases will take effect January 1, 2012. 

In conjunction with fee increase opposition, the BIA also requested the agency also adjust the timing of fee collection from permit to certificate of occupancy. The current fee payment policy requires developers to make a huge cash-outlay up front.  The board responded to the BIA request to move forward with the implementation of timing of the collection of fees from permit to occupancy which provides builders some relief in their carrying costs by avoiding payment of facility capacity fees until the units are sold and closer to when builders have the cash in hand to pay.  Staff indicated that this shift in payment timing process would be handled administratively.

The Home Energy Makeover Contest in Los Angeles County has just launched! Applications are being accepted from March 1st thru March 31st, 2011.

LA CITY Development Reform Continues

KH Consulting Group, along with Woolpert, has been contracted by the City of Los Angeles to prepare a Development Reform Action Plan that will improve the level of service and aid the building community receives through the development process. 

The consultants are meeting with both business and neighborhood groups and are taking all suggestions and comments to develop a list of priorities for implementation in order to provide immediate action items that can be executed within six months.  In addition, they will also be preparing long term recommendations for implementation within the next three years (Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 Plans).  The three main departments currently engaged with the consultants are the Department of Building and Safety, the Planning Department and the Bureau of Engineering.  Other areas have been identified for improvements (i.e., DWP, Fire Department, etc.).  However, they are currently not part of the consultants’ contract.

Members of the building industry are strongly encouraged to submit comments, as well as suggestions for improvements, stories of what is broken or highlight cities that are doing it better.  To have your comments considered, voice your concerns or provide examples of what cities are doing well, visit www.surveymk.com/s/DevelopmentReform.  The consultants are seeking as much information as possible and visiting case cities that Los Angeles can use as a model to improve customer service, the entitlement process, permit processing, inspections, fees, etc.

Redevelopment on Chopping Block: CBIA Expresses Opposition to Wholesale Elimination

California’s housing industry understands firsthand the level of anguish and difficulty brought on by the Great Recession – the now historic 30 month period from July of 2007 to December of 2009. While the state lost over 1 million jobs during this time, more than half of those losses have come from construction, real estate and mortgage finance-related firms. As slight, but nonetheless positive, signs of recovery begin to take shape, the fallout lingers in devastated state and local budgets. To help solve California’s nearly $26 billion budget shortfall, Governor Brown has offered many good ideas to get our state back on track. Unfortunately, the proposal to completely do away with local redevelopment agencies is not one of them. In addition to targeted state programmatic cuts and continued efforts to raise adequate revenues, California needs to ensure that it has a vibrant and sustained economic development plan to propel the state into the future. Redevelopment agencies can assist in meeting that need. Though not perfect by any means, RDAs offer the organizational expertise necessary in California’s urban areas to jump start the economic engine and help rebuild these “legacy” communities from the inside out by providing affordable housing options to working-class residents. Looking ahead, a prime role of redevelopment could be to better align with the state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals contained in SB 375, the landmark legislation of 2008 that rewards and encourages urban development as a way to reduce the effects of climate change. That’s why CBIA took official action last week to oppose the elimination of local redevelopment agencies. CBIA’s Governmental Affairs team, along with our allies at the League of California Cities and the California Redevelopment Association, is actively engaged in a comprehensive effort to oppose the elimination of redevelopment. California homebuilders believe in the California dream and are committed to doing our part to help the state achieve its promise. We believe that eliminating redevelopment agencies will hinder the state’s goal of providing affordable living spaces for California families. For more information, contact Jason Bryant or Richard Lyon at California Building Industry Association (CBIA)