Borrego Springs Desert Area Initiative
Community Involvement Forums
Session One, January 29:
Introduction and Input
Session Two, February 26:
Analysis and Draft
Session One: Agenda
 Introductory Presentation: Learn more about the
Desert Area Initiative in this interactive 30-minute
session.
 “Topic Table” Visits: Talk personally and share
feedback and ideas with your neighbors and
Steering Committee members from 3:30 – 7pm
 Self-paced: Stay as long as you want and
contribute as much or as little as you want
 Sign letter of support, if you are so inclined
Session One: Intentions
 Gain feedback about the work done so far
 Obtain input to complete / expand the
work done so far
 Facilitate a conversation with the
community about issues impinging on
Borrego Springs
Session One: Results
 Learn more about the Desert Area
Initiative (Introduction presentation)
 Express opinions and ideas to help
sharpen appeal (interactive “Topic Table”
discussions)
 Gain community support and a unified
voice (opportunity to sign letter of
endorsement)
What is the Desert Area Initiative?
 Commissioned by the Borrego Springs
Community Sponsor Group, our
appointed liaison to Supervisor Horn
regarding land use issues
 An appeal to the San Diego County
Board of Supervisors to grant status to
Borrego Springs as a special Desert Area
 Grassroots effort, involving diverse
volunteers who serve on the Desert Area
Steering Committee
Volunteer Steering Committee
Rich Caldwell, Facilitator
Jim Engelke
Abby King
Betsy Knaak
Kurt Levens
Gwenn Marie
Dennis Nourse
Sam Webb
Desert Area Designation:
Why do we need it?
To manage growth that respects our desert
environment.
 There are thousands of acres under planned
development by non-residents who may not clearly
understand the desert environment.
 Our native plants, animals, soils, dark night sky,
quietness, arid climate, and aquifer-dependence
are unique in San Diego County.
 As an unincorporated area in San Diego, generic
land use regulations govern our development –
but many are inappropriate for a desert community.
 Now is the time to act, before scheduled 2020
Plan zoning is codified
Desert Area Designation:
Why do we need it?
To give us a platform for a voice about how we
grow.
 The desert elements that make Borrego Springs
unique are at risk if growth is not thoughtfully
planned with the County’s help.
 Desert Area guidelines would help us grow in a
way that respects our natural environment
versus one that could destroy or forever degrade it.
 Desert Area guidelines would be enforced by the
County as codes and required specifications
when plans are approved
Desert Area Designation Goal:
Protect our unique desert setting
 Native plants, animals, soils, geology,
climate
 Sources of water
 Clean Air
 Dark Night Sky
 Quiet
 Friendly, small-town desert community
Desert Area Designation Goal:
Strengthened County land use regulations
 Recognize that our Village in a Park is a distinctive
San Diego ecosystem requiring special
consideration
 Protect what makes our town so special – open
vistas, dark night skies, clean air, beautiful natural
(and drought-tolerant) landscapes
 Enable thoughtful collaboration on growth,
creating standards and guidelines that respect
desert conditions
 Identify new guidelines to aid Sponsor-group
decision-making
Desert Area Initiative:
How do we get there from here?
Recruit a Steering Committee to drive the process
Express values and ideas about
what's important to us.
Why do we love Borrego Springs?
Examine problems, objectives, and solutions
in the areas most impacted by unplanned growth
Solicit community input to our appeal
Formally present our appeal
to the County Board of Supervisors
What We’ve Done
Met weekly
since May 2006
Identified "problems,"
specific issues that district designation
might mitigate
(June - July)
Drafted "objectives,"
what we're trying to accomplish
(August - September)
Drafted "solutions,"
actions to positively impact outcomes
(October - November)
Convened Community Involvement Forums
to gather ideas and input
(January - February 2007)
What comes next?
 TODAY: Community Involvement
Forum 1, to present this idea and hear
what you have to say about it
 February 26, 2007: Community
Involvement Forum 2, present draft of
final recommendations incorporating
community feedback
 April 2007: Final appeal documents
prepared for Sponsor Group submission
Supervisor Horn
Protect our desert setting: Problems
 Native Vegetation: Lot clear scraping, an
increasingly common residential building strategy,
completely destroys desert habitat and increases
wind-blown dust.
 Water: Without it, we don’t exist. We must learn
more about using our most precious resource
more wisely.
 Dark Night Sky: Lack of awareness of,
conformance to, and enforcement of outdoor
lighting regulations is increasing light pollution
Protect our desert setting: Problems
 Climate: Expanses of black asphalt change our
climate, making it even hotter in the summer
 Cultural resources: Significant natural and
historic sites are not properly identified or
inventoried
 Trails, washes, flood plains: Natural “traffic
flow” patterns for desert animals and flood waters
are diverted by development
Issue: Saving native vegetation
Problem: Proliferating non-native plants
and lawns don’t fit the desert, use precious
water, and destroy valuable soils.
Objective: Protect native plants and
encourage their use in landscaping
Possible Desert Area Solutions:
– Promote the use of native plants, especially
curbside
– Prohibit lot clear-scraping
– Convene native landscaping awareness classes
Issue: Water
Problem: Aquifer depletion
Objective: Ensure continued water access for all
Borrego Springs stakeholders
Possible Desert Area Solutions:
– Facilitate removal of mature citrus groves and
replacement with low water-use crops
– Develop methods to help farmers convert farmlands
to income sources, including subdivision
– Provide Incentives to upgrade to more waterefficient irrigation systems
Issue: Dark night sky
Problem: Lack of conformance to and enforcement of
outdoor lighting regulations is increasing light
pollution
Objective: Preserve dark night sky at or below
existing light levels
Possible Desert Area Solutions:
– Enforce lighting regulations
– Require dimmable and down-lighting
– Promote and raise awareness of our dark night
skies
– Revise ordinances to reduce allowable lumens
Issue: Air
Problem: Air quality compromised by dust and other
potential pollutants
Objective: Maintain our valley’s clean healthy air
Possible Desert Area Solutions:
– Limit agricultural burn to time of optimal
atmospheric condition
– Implement stringent grading ordinances that
prohibit lot clear scraping to limit blowing sand
– Work to preserve the Salton Sea to prevent it from
becoming a toxic dust bowl affecting air quality and
health
Issue: Preserve our friendly, small-town
desert community
Problem: Hodgepodge and unsightly development
degrades the appeal of our town
Objective: Create and use effective building
standards to enhance valued aesthetics:
– Open Space
– Panoramic Views
– Abundant Wildlife
– Native Plants, Wildflowers
– Significant History
– Desert Recreation & Educational Opportunities
Issue: Preserve our friendly, small-town
desert community
Objective: Create and use effective building standards to
enhance town character and aesthetics
Possible Desert Area Solutions:
– Design pedestrian-friendly community with connecting
paths, shade, benches, drinking fountains, crosswalks, bike
racks
– Develop a valley-wide system of connected walking paths
with easy access from the business center to the state park
and to significant natural and historical sites in the valley.
– Observe Borrego Landscaping, Lighting, and Grading
Ordinances and guarantee adherence on submittal materials.
– Use visual graphics and signage to telegraph values and
standards
Five Topic Tables:
See more recommendations
and give us your input
 Shared Values
 Cultural Resources
 Community Design
 Technology
 Community Building
Topic Table: Shared Values
Volunteer Chairs: Betsy Knaak & Sam Webb
Our unique characteristics are vital to the future wealth, quality
of life, and vitality of Borrego Springs.
- We value: Accessible water * Clean air * Dark night sky Quiet *
Panoramic views * Wildlife * Native plants * Outdoor recreation &
education* Friendly desert community
- These characteristics are worth protecting as the community
grows.
- Codes and guidelines can help ensure compatibility between the
built and natural environments, unique in San Diego County
- Community collaboration on a plan that reflects the natural and
cultural character of the valley
Topic Table: Cultural Resources
Volunteer Chair: Abby King
Honor the rich western roots of the Borrego Valley
culture and keep our history well In sight as we grow
- Identify sites and structures deemed to have cultural
and historical significance
- Develop designation standards for authentic “midcentury” architecture
- Preserve and protect the small town feel and
aesthetics of Borrego Springs
- Elect local planning group to work with the County on
development planning
- Designate Old Borego as an official historical site
Topic Table: Community Design
Volunteer Chair: Kurt Levens
Up-date and up-grade Borrego Springs design and building
codes developed specifically for desert conditions.
- Require adherence to Borrego Grading, Landscape, and
Lighting ordinances, documented and presented in writing
for permitting process on all new constructions
- Prevent unnecessary disturbance of established soil crust
and native vegetation
- Preserve desert/mountain view corridors through legal
parcels
- Encourage the use of native plants, particularly at street
side
- Require that exterior lighting fixtures be shielded
Topic Table: Technology
Volunteer Chair: Jim Engelke
Use new technologies and strategies to reduce
water and energy consumption.
- Modify the design of sewage-treatment plant to
allow re-use of treated effluent in golf course irrigation.
- Create a system of collecting radiant energy using
photovoltaics
- Coordinate a system of water and sewer line
extensions that will direct growth patterns
- Interface hydrology systems with utility retention
systems
Topic Table: Community Building
Volunteer Chair: Dennis Nourse
Building the kind of community we want Borrego
Springs to be. What’s important to us?
– Integrate public safety, healthcare, and education
interests into collaborative planning platform
– Balance pedestrian circulation to ensure safety and
convenience
– Provide valuable way-finding and orientation aids to
newcomers and visitors
Thank You!
The Desert Area Steering Committee
appreciates your involvement and ideas.
- Visit the Topic Tables
- Sign the Letter of Support
- Email ideas to: castlekeepers@sbcglobal.net
- Join our next session to review analysis and draft
presentation of our appeal
- Monday, February 26th, 3 – 7pm
- Questions & Discussion