Master Plan of Trails Process Discussed at Planning Commission

Big Bear, Ca, November 15, 2011, 12:00pm - Earlier this year the City of Big Bear Lake was awarded a grant from Cal Trans to develop a Master Plan of Trails for pedestrian, bicycle, and equestrian trails on the valley floor.  Siri Eggebraten, city planner responsible for the grant, will be presenting on the Master Plan of Trails process at the Planning Commission meeting, which will take place tomorrow/ today at Hofert Hall at 1:15pm.  Eggebraten will be presenting the planning process, including the scope of work, the need for advisory committees, and public participation. The goal for the Master Plan is to produce a document that will list and prioritize pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian projects on the valley floor with connections to the National Forest, resources for active and healthy lifestyles, to act as stewards of natural resources including habitat conservation, and to make city partners such as the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation eligible for future grants to construct trails and paths.  Eggebraten told KBHR that public participation will be very important in the planning process.  Those interested in hearing more about the Master Plan of Trails and how they can get involved are encouraged to attend the Planning Commission meeting, as everyone is welcome to attend.

Planning Commission To Look Into Alternative Methods To Inform Public

Big Bear, Ca, October 28, 2011, 4:00pm - In the future the City of Big Bear Lake may be using other methods to get information out to the public than the newspaper.  Historically public notices have legally had to be published in the newspaper to announce issues that need public input, or that are to be brought to the public’s attention.  At a recent California League of Cities meeting, the issue was brought up that newspapers may not be the best venue to get information out to the community anymore as readership levels have gone down across not only California, but the entire United States. The Big Bear Lake City Council sent the idea to Planning Commission to look into alternative forms of getting public notices out to the residents of the Valley.  Some of the ideas are email alerts, fliers in newsletters or mailers, or a page on the city website for these items.  Jim Miller, City of Big Bear Lake Community Development Direct told KBHR that the city is “not trying to eliminate anything, we are just trying to see how we can reach people better.”  Miller also added that the younger generations don’t read newspapers like past generations.  The issue will be discussed at the November 16^th meeting of the Planning Commission, and the public is encouraged to attend and provide input.

Three New Planning Commissioners Selected

Big Bear, Ca, April 13, 2011, 12:00pm - At the April 11^thCity of Big Bear Lake City Council meeting, three out of nine applicants for the Planning Commission were selected.  Joseph Pacelli, Paul Senft, and Anne Zimmerman were chosen to fill the open seats.  Pacelli will fill the  immediate vacancy left when then Planning Commissioner David Caretto was elected to City Council this past November.  In addition to filling the few months left on Caretto’s term, Pacelli will also serve another four-year term, ending on June 30, 2015.  Senft will fill the unexpired term of current Commissioner Jim DeGroot.  DeGroot gave notice that he is relocating out of town and will resign from the Planning Commission effective April 30, 2011.  His term is set to expire June 30, 2013. Zimmerman will serve another four-year term beginning this July when her current term as Planning Commissioner expires June 30 of this year.  Her new term will expire June 30, 2015.  Pacelli and Senft will take their oath of office at the first Planning Commission meeting they attend on May 4, 2011.  The Planning Commission consists of a five-member body, appointed by the City Council.  Currently, the Commission meets on the 1^st and 3^rdWednesday of each month at 1:15 p.m. in Hofert Hall.

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Planning Commission Meeting To Hear Big 5 Proposal

Big Bear, Ca, March 31, 2011, 12:00pm - The City of Big Bear Lake Planning Commission will meet on April 6^th in Hofert Hall.  Big 5, a sporting goods retail store, will go before planning commission to obtain approval to start construction on a 10,000 square foot building on the south east corner of Big Bear Blvd, and Conklin Road.  Big 5’s proposed plan includes a 10,000 square foot building, a parking lot with 43 spaces, and driveway, sidewalk, gutter, and curb improvements, as well as a trash enclosure, loading zone, parking lot lighting, landscaping, and business advertising signs.  According to Big Bear Lake Director of Building and Planning, Jim Miller, this will be the 4^th time Big 5 has attempted to find a location in Big Bear Lake.  In previous attempts, the developer for the store was unable to meet Big 5 requirements.  The Planning Commission meeting will start at 1:15pm.

Appeal To Planning Commission At City Council

Big Bear Lake, CA, March 3, 2011, 2:00pm – At the February 28^th meeting of the Big Bear Lake City Council Larry Longo and Shirley Jones appealed to City Council about a decision that was approved in Planning Commission regarding a minor subdivision in their neighborhood, that a developer is going to turn into condominiums.  The Planning Commission and Big Bear Lake planning staff approved a minor subdivision to turn these non-occupied units into condominiums.  Longo’s appeal was based upon past non-compliance with the original conditional use permit issued in 2007.  The neighborhood objections had to do with setbacks, landscaping for screening, and non-compliance with conditions for grading, as well as run off issues caused by the new retaining wall.  In a 3-1-1 vote, with Carreto abstaining at the advice of the city attorney due to his previous time on the planning commission, and Herrick voting no on the motion made by Liz Harris, and seconded by Jay Obernolte to accept the conditional use permit as submitted by city staff accepting the minor subdivision without any additional conditions.  Harris, Obernolte and Jahn all voted in favor.  The applicants both suggested litigation if the minor subdivision was granted without additional conditions.

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City Council Will Hear An Appeal To Decision Made In Planning Commission

Big Bear, Ca, February 28, 2011, 3:00pm - City Council will meet tonight in Hofert Hall at 6:30pm for their regularly scheduled meeting.  The County of San Bernardino will give a presentation regarding the Community Development Block Grant program requirements and future direction of the program.  There will also be an appeal to a decision made in Planning Commission, regarding the approval of a conditional use permit.  The public is encouraged to attend, and will have the opportunity to speak during public comment time.

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Public Meeting On Village Specific Plan

Big Bear, Ca, February 22, 2011, 8:00am – Local business owners and the public are invited to attend a community meeting on the update to the Village Specific Plan. The Village Specific Plan was originally adopted in 1987 with policies and standards to guide development. That plan has served the community well for almost 25 years, is now in need of an update. The current planning effort will set a bold vision for the future of the Village and strengthen it as the premier entertainment, shopping and dining district in the Valley. This can be accomplished by adding many public amenities and removing barriers and obstacles to development. This community meeting will unveil the results of hours of input from Village business and property owners, as well as the community-at-large. The meeting starts at 6pm Tuesday, March 1^stat Hofert Hall.

Special Meeting To Discuss Affordable Housing

Big Bear, Ca, February 4, 2011, 4:00pm - A joint meeting of the Big Bear Lake City Council, the Improvement Agency, and the Planning Commission will be held Monday, February 7, 2011 beginning at 1:00 pm.  During the meeting, an overview of affordable housing will be presented by the Planning Division, followed by a legal overview by the City Attorney’s Office.  The legal requirements discussed will include the Housing Element and Regional Housing Needs Assessments, as well as potential ramifications for non-compliance. Beacon Economics representatives will provide information from the Affordable Housing Demand Study, the City’s Redevelopment Director, Lyle Haynes will discuss the history of local policy development and the Notice of Funds Available process.  Also on the agenda is an overview of the proposed Sandalwood Development by EAH Housing.  Following each of the main presentations, the public is invited to address the boards on the agenda items.  The meeting will be held in Hofert Hall at 39707 Big Bear Blvd in Big Bear Lake.

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Big Bear Lake Residents Apply for Positions on the Planning Commission and DWP Board of Commissioners

Big Bear Lake, CA, July 22, 2010, 5:14pm – Last Wednesday at 5pm was the application deadline for full-time Big Bear Lake residents interested in applying to serve on either the Planning Commission or the Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners for terms that extend through June 30, 2013.  According to the City of Big Bear Lake City Clerk, residents who applied for the one available position for the Planning Commission were Barbara Willey, Mary Jones, Don Smith, Robert Jackowski, Todd Bittner, Rusty Barnes, Jerry Roberts and Curtis Bryant.  Applications were accepted for the one seat on the DWP Board from Barbara Willey, Douglas MacIver, Don Smith and Robert Jackowski.  During the next step, staff will contact the Big Bear Lake City Council to schedule a date and time for interviewing the applicants. In other election news, for the zone-specific seats available on the Big Bear Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors; residents who have been issued nomination documents to run again included Todd Murphy for Division 1, Paula Fashempour for Division 2 and Skip Suhay for Division 3.  This November 2, 2010 election will include federal, state and county offices as well as 15 offices specific to the Big Bear Valley.  Prospective candidates have until Friday, August 6 to file candidate papers with the Registrar of Voters in order to be included in the November General Election.

Application Deadline for Two City of Big Bear Lake Vacancies

Big Bear Lake, CA, July 20, 2010, 1:30pm – Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 21st at 5pm is the application deadline for full-time Big Bear Lake residents interested in applying to serve on one of two City of Big Bear Lake vacancies on terms that extend through June 30, 2013.  The Planning Commission and the Department of Water and Power Board of Commissioners each have one seat vacated by residents who are relocating outside of Big Bear.  Richard Lambert of the Planning Commission and Karen Dally of the DWP Board have vacated their seats.  In addition to being a full time Big Bear Lake resident, applicants for either commission must be registered voters, and complete an application, available either at the Big Bear Lake Civic Center or online at citybigbearlake.com.  The Planning Commission is a five-member body, appointed by City Council, and meets on first and third Wednesday afternoons to make recommendations to Council on matters related to growth and development, such as General Plan amendments, specific plans and zone changes, as well as addressing development applications, such as conditional use permits, plot plan reviews, subdivisions and condominium maps. For these efforts, current Commissioners receive a $400 monthly stipend. The DWP Board of Commissioners also receives a $400 monthly stipend–meets on the third Tuesday morning of each month. Responsibilities of DWP Commissioners include decisions related to water conservation, supply, generation, distribution and sale of water and related services.  The City Council will interview prospective candidates for appointment to the Planning Commission and DWP Board.

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