In late September, FOVA helped launch a signature drive to encourage our county supervisors to consider an ordinance that would pause the Builder’s Remedy law while the county finalizes its housing plan.  The hope was to require Builder’s Remedy applicants to comply with the new housing regulations moving toward certification. 

 

In just a few days, more than 600 people signed the petition and we were gaining steam.  Unfortunately, Griggs-Orosco resubmitted their airfield subdivision plans soon after we launched this campaign which, for the second time, gives their application the extraordinary benefits of fast-tracking dense housing.

 

Once a project like the Airfield Park has been submitted, it retains its status under the BR's rule, even if the BR is later lifted following state approval of the County's housing plan.  

 

We extend our heartfelt thanks to attorney Richard Rosenthal and to the hundreds of concerned locals who signed the petition to pause Builder’s Remedy. 

There are good legal arguments to support local authority, but lawsuits by developers defending Builder’s Remedy rights are legendary, and usually successful.  Supervisors have expressed that they do not want to subject the county to these costly suits.  Therefore, it seems unlikely now that we could sway enough votes to pass this well-intentioned ordinance.