HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-07-2021_ Open Session_Item 36_Blankenship, Bill_City does not need to declare moratoriumMarch 24, 2020
To: Honorable Mayor, City Council and Senior City Management
From: Bill Blankenship, Director Legislative Affairs for the National Association Industrial Office
Properties, Inland Empire Chapter (NAIOP IE Chapter)
Re: Agenda item 36
NAIOP, the commercial real estate development association, is the leading organization for
developers, owners and investors of office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. NAIOP
IE Chapter comprises 20,000 plus members and provides strong advocacy, education and
business opportunities through a powerful North American Network. The Industry has over 6
billion square feet of private commercial real estate, which includes companies of all sizes from
a single person owning 1 building to some of the largest multi- national real estate companies
and everything in between.
The NAIOP IE Chapter is the definitive resource for the real estate industry in the Inland Empire.
The NAIOP IE Chapter is dedicated to providing leading-edge education and information,
proactive legislative support and critical business development. Combined these objectives
support the Chapter’s mission to advance the real estate profession, contribute to the greater
community in which we all live and work and positively impact economic development and the
improved quality of life, throughout the Inland Empire.
The Goods Movement Industry now employs 192,500 jobs in the Inland Empire. Since 2011
the Industry added 95,750 jobs or 23.6% of all jobs created in the Inland Empire. In 2018, 6,000
new construction jobs were added in the Inland Empire and many of those jobs are also serving
the Goods Movement Industry.
Today, more Californians are ordering consumer products via the internet and are directly
delivered to their door, while never leaving their home. This fact has never been more
relevant then today and the Goods Movement Industry has been characterized by many as the
backbone of our nation. The Industry is working night and day to keep our Nations supply
chain open and providing our businesses and our residences the goods that are needed.
The City of San Bernardino is uniquely poised to continue to be a key partner with the Goods
Movement Industry. The cities proximity to Ontario International Airport which is the hub for
Fed EX, UPS and Amazon and the San Bernardino International Airport, as well as their
immediate proximity to the I 10 and I 15 Freeways, State Route 210 and major rail lines, is a
major strength for the future of the City. The City of San Bernardino has carefully planned for
and is positioned itself to be a strong partner with the Goods Movement Industry.
It is my strong belief that the City does not need to declare a moratorium to adequately
address concerns related to the Goods Movement Industry.
1) Moratoriums are a last resort, when all other planning options have failed or a
community is without other planning tools to address the stated concern.
2) There is a process for each future applicant of a project to follow in the City and
ultimately the applicant must seek approval from the City’s Planning Commission and
the City’s Council to develop their project.
3) I believe that a moratorium has the ability to send the message that a community is not
open and willing to approve development, even in a case of a narrowly focused
scenario.
To conclude my remarks, I am respectively requesting that the City Council vote “NO” for the
consideration of a moratorium to be placed on a future City Council Agenda. I am further
urging the City Council to exercise discretionary approval for future projects and as the
Industries Representative, I am available to work with your staff to develop development policy
that the Industry and the City can support, if the need arises. Thank you for the opportunity to
make public comment on this important issue and I am hopeful that you will all continue to be
healthy and that the next time we all come together, we are able to do so in person.