April 13, 2023
San Bernardino County Planning has indicated that the Overlay review has moved to the next step, and is now being routed to the County’s various departments for review and comment. Simultaneously, the County will be mailing notifications to Mane Street and nearby property owners to formally inform them of the proposal and solicit feedback. I will post details on how to submit public comments as soon as the information becomes available.
A quick update – after additional feedback, the Overlay proposal is now ready for submission to the County. Thank you to the many many people who have proof-read drafts, attended community meetings and provided feedback on this very important next step for Pioneertown. It’s really encouraging to see how much people care about this community, and how much agreement there seems to be on what everyone wants the future of Pioneertown to look like.
Here’s a list of significant changes that have been made since the last version based on property owner and stakeholder feedback:
Boundaries
Proposed Requirements for Easements & Dedications
Site and Building Design Standards
Temporary Special Events
Land Use Table
Hello All,
Here’s a quick update on the development of the proposed Overlay. Thank you to everyone who has provided comments to help improve the proposal – I am now finalizing the proposal for submission to the County but will try and incorporate any feedback I get up until it is submitted (it’s still on schedule for submission to the County on September 12). While there has been overwhelming support for the proposal I’ve heard from a number of folks that specific items need revision.
I’ve heard from a number of folks noting that the OK Corral should be included. THis was a toss up issue for me when I created the first draft (corral uses are allowable in the County’s proposed RL zoning for that area and the owner indicated no development interest). However, based on feedback from the community and with the property owner’s support the submission version will include the OK Corral within the Overlay boundary.
I received one comment concerned that the Use Table as proposed might not allow or enable the type of craft businesses that have traditionally occupied Mane Street (saddle making, pottery, etc.) The submission version will correct this to ensure that craft businesses (wood, iron, glass and leather working, pottery, blacksmithing, chain stitching, etc.) are encouraged businesses.
Some concerns were expressed by a Mane Street property owner that the combined requirements for new buildings to front on Mane Street aligning with the existing buildings, as well as the prohibition on removal of Joshua Trees would result in insufficient development potential on their properties. A review of what is possible under the proposed Overlay appears to have satisfied them that this is not a significant concern.
The bulk of the comments I have received have been regarding limits on Temporary Special Events. Most of the feedback I have received supports the limits as written; I have received some resident comments that wish to ensure that community events and small (500 person) events are not unintentionally curtailed; two comments suggested total bans on Temporary Special Event Permits, and one Mane Street property owner expressed concerns at any limitations. That party is expected to bring forward an alternative proposal that they believe will address resident concerns about noise, trafific and parking for larger events which I will review and try and incorporate (if appropriate) if I get it in time.
Several comments noted that construction and obstruction of Mane Street is not explicitly prohibited by the proposed Overlay. WHile this was imposed by the setback provisions in the original proposal, it is very important that this inent be clear to COunty staff and I am revising the test to make this explicit.
Here’s a quick reminder of the rest of the timeline:
After submission, the schedule for formal feedback, public hearings and approvals will be set by San Bernardino County Planning – I’ll keep everyone in the loop as that develops. As a reminder, what is going on now is just to get feedback and build consensus – the formal process will occur after submission and be administered by the County.
A few questions and answers that have come up since I posted this:
A: Only kind of. The Mane Street National Register Historic District that the Friends of Pioneertown fundraised for and got approved last year offers some modest protections against demolition of historic buildings and features for projects that need to get a Minor Use or Conditional Use Permit – the COunty will require the project applicant to study alternatives to demolition, but can still allow demolition to occur. San Bernardino County does not have a historic preservation ordinance, and the California Historic Building Code does not include protection provisions. More discussion on this topic can be found here:
A: This is not about any specific project, but rather how future proposed projects and developments will be dealt with by the County. There are a few projects that have already been applied for and will be reviewed by the County based on the rules in place at the time of application. These include the proposed Mane Street Trailer Motel (on Constance Walsh’s old property), the Pioneertown Motel expansion, and a new Bed and Breakfast on Roy Rogers. Each of these will be subject to public comments and hearings separate from this proposed Overlay.
A: The Community Action Guide is a document that was intended to capture community concerns and interests so that they could be turned into binding regulation – it is no regulation itself. In order to make wat is in the Community Action Guide actually have force, it needs to be translated into Development Code regulations – this is the intention of this Overlay. Joshua Tree’s controversial Dollar Tree was approved because the community never was able to translate their Community Plan into Development Code Language.
A: As the proponent, I am holding two pre-application meetings to inform the Community about the proposal and get feedback. When that is complete, I will submit a revised Overlay to San Bernardino County for consideration. Once they receive it, staff will review it, solicit additional community input, and then eventually place it on the agenda for further review and discussion by the Planning Commission which will vote on it after a public hearing. If the Planning Commission approves it, it will go on the Board of Supervisors agenda. Members of the public will be able to submit public comments and testify at this phase as well. If the Board of Supervisors approves it, the Overlay will become part of the development code.
A: Adaptive reuse, restoration, and new development have all been nearly impossible under current County regulations which are difficult to understand and applicants frequently discover impassable regulatory and economic barriers only after significant investment has been made in property purchases and consultant and application fees. Many of Mane Street’s historic building’s are dilapidated because there is no cost effective way to obtain approvals to re-use them. The Overlay will simplify this process by helping unify and make permitting requirements plain, and allow projects of a scale that can be supported by local infrastructure.
Pioneertown’s property value largely comes from its unique setting. Residents and visitors are drawn by its independently owned businesses, architecture and natural environment, all of which may be upset by the introduction of chain businesses, unmanaged growth, or incompatible uses, all of which are very much possible under Mane Street’s current Development Code provisions. The Overlay will protect the investment that current Mane Street property owners have made against undesirable projects which threaten to break Pioneertown’s spell.
Hi everyone,
Since 2018, I’ve been working on a proposal to change County regulations for Mane Street in an attempt to get the codes that govern land use in the area aligned with Community interests, specifically encouraging reuse and preservation of historic structures and to ensure that growth occurs in a way that preserves Pioneertown’s community character and in a way that is compatible with the surrounding residential landscape. I’m now at a point where I’d like to share the proposal and get additional feedback before it is formally submitted to the County for consideration. I’ll be doing the first of two public presentations this Sunday at 7PM at Station 38 (5380 Mountain View). All are welcome.
Currently, Mane Street is not treated any differently by San Bernardino County as the rest of the Section 19 portion of Pioneertown – it has the same zoning, no special provisions to deal with businesses or tourists, and nothing that recognizes its historic importance. This proposal would create a special set of regulations for Mane Street that acknowledges its historic importance, and that ensures that commercial development is done in a manner that is compatible with the surrounding community, at a scale that is sustainable and maintains our community character, and encourages (and in some ways requires) the preservation of historic buildings and features.
As part of the Countywide Plan and Community Action Guide, San Bernardino COunty recognized the need for special regulations for Mane STreet, but left it to an individual or organization to develop them.
I’m a Pioneertown residents and Architect. My wife Jenny and I life on Red Ryder Road and are the landlords for the Red Dog Saloon; before moving to Red Ryder we lived on Mane Street. As part of my architectural practice, I have about twenty years experience in Land Use and have spent about ten years doing professional and community work within San Bernardino County. I initiated and was the project manager responsible for The Friends of Pioneertown’s effort to get Mane Street on the National Register of Historic Places, have a degree in Architectural History, and starting with the Red Dog Saloon have been working to restore and preserve Mane Street since we got here in 2012.
No one – this is a personal project that I am doing without any compensation. In my architectural practice I am working or have worked for many people in Pioneertown; I am currently working with the owners of the Pioneertown Motel and White’s Grocery. I have previously consulted for the owners of the Sound Stage and the Pioneertown Corrals. My experience with these projects has informed this project, however none of my clients has any greater influence on this proposal than any other Mane Street or Pioneertown stakeholder.
Thai proposal is the result of discussions with Mane Street and community stakeholders, with whom I have consulted ove the last year; beginning about two months ago I started sharing the nearly complete draft with property owners and others in the community to get feedback and ensure that it was headed in a direction which could obtain community consensus. I am putting this out here at the earliest point where I feel comfortable that it is sufficiently complete for the greater community to comment on.
Iam going to hold two public presentations and A&As to explain the proposal and get feedback; I also welcome feedback by email (k.ben.loescher [at] gmail.com). Once the proposal is revised to incorporate this feedback as appropriate, it will be formally submitted to San Bernardino County for consideration. County staff has indicated that there will be at least two additional opportunities for written comment and public hearings as part of the consideration of the proposal.
I’ll be periodically checking comments on this thread…
A link to the proposal is here:
Thanks to everyone who came out to the first meeting to introduce the proposed Mane Street Overlay! Your interest and participation is greatly appreciated and I am very glad for the feedback that I’ve gotten so far. Here are a few updates…
I’ll be doing a separate public presentation next Sunday, August 8th at Fire Station 38 at 7PM for those who were unable to attend the first presentation. This is going to be the same material followed by a Q&A so if you attended the first one you probably don’t need to come to this one as well (but you are welcome to!). Fire Station 38 is located at 5380 Mountain View Road, Pioneertown, CA 92268
I would love to hear your questions, comments and concerns about the proposal – feel free to find me in person, email me here (k.ben.loescher [at] gmail.com) or give me a ring at 310-745-9211. I’ll be posting answers to questions about the why and how on Pioneer.town/locals; concerns and suggestions about the content are being compiled so that they can be addressed. Any feedback received before August 22nd, will be used to revise the proposal and those comments (whether supportive or not) will be included as an attachment when the proposal is sent to San Bernardino County.
This is the working schedule for the proposed Overlay leading up to submission.
After submission, the schedule for formal feedback, public hearings and approvals will be set by San Bernardino County Planning – I’ll keep everyone in the loop as that develops. As a reminder, what is going on now is just to get feedback and build consensus – the formal process will occur after submission and will be administered by the County.
Attached here are two documents that were discussed in the presentation and which are critical to the Overlay proposal. These are:
The Pioneertown Communities Action Guide. This is the document that San Bernardino County Planning put together to document the goals, aspirations and concerns of Pioneertown residents that we wanted to see addressed in future land use regulation.
Mane Street National Register Historic District Nomination. This is the nomination, created by the Friends of Pioneertown, that was accepted by the California Office of Historic Preservation and U.S. Department of Interior creating the Mane Street historic district. This document contains information on the history of Pioneertown, the features that make it historically significant, and design standards for new construction.