County Board of Supervisors To Examine Mountain Business Parking Requirements

Big Bear, Ca, August 11, 9:00am –The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chief Executive Officer is going to review parking requirements for mountain businesses, after a request to do was presented by Supervisor Neil Derry.  Supervisor Derry communicated his concern that some of the requirements were too burdensome for businesses given the unique geographic factors present in our mountain communities and expressed his desire to foster a more business-friendly environment.  County regulations require a certain number of parking spaces in order to operate a business and some businesses have had to close or have been threatened with closure if they do not acquire the requisite spaces. “Our parking standards are in place for good reasons, but we must also be cognizant of the fact that in a county as large and diverse as ours that more flexibility is needed,” Supervisor Derry said. “We need a mechanism that either takes into account these unique qualities or allows for greater subjectivity in the review process.”  The mountain topography consisting of slopes and difficult terrain while bordering national forest land presents difficult challenges in what are the most densely populated mountains in the nation.  The mountain economy is struggling under tremendous amounts of pressure and would benefit from this review.  Supervisor Derry expressed gratitude for the support he received from his colleagues on the board and is hopeful that the review can be completed quickly.