Growth Debate Follows Fires

A grove of pine, fir and cedar trees on a scenic incline near the wooded community of Twin Peaks was largely spared by the wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the San Bernardino Mountains last year.

The grove -- home to snakes, squirrels and birds -- may soon be partly cleared by bulldozers and backhoes under a plan to build a 50-acre Christian-sponsored camp for boys, with dorm rooms, swimming pools, two amphitheaters and a gun range. To make way for the project, the developer must remove more than 2,000 trees.

The proposed $15-million camp is the largest mountain development to come before San Bernardino County planning officials since last year’s wildfires. Some environmentalists and planning experts say the project will be a gauge as to how much, if anything, the disaster has changed San Bernardino County’s historically friendly attitude toward growth and development.

Following the county’s most costly wildfire, planning officials have vowed to increase their scrutiny of fire safety measures on projects proposed for hillsides and mountain areas. Slow-growth advocates and environmental groups say officials should also slow the pace of development in the mountains to reduce the danger to life and property posed by wildfires.

But “I don’t expect there to be any changes,” said Patrick Marley, an attorney for the Save Our Forest Assn., an environmental group based in the San Bernardino Mountains. “It’s going to be business as usual.”

In San Bernardino County, business as usual has often meant accommodating growth. Two years ago, a team of researchers from Rutgers and Cornell universities dubbed the Inland Empire the worst example of urban sprawl in the nation.

But county officials defend the fast pace of development in the region, saying it is needed to keep up with a surging population. The Inland Empire is the fastest-growing region in the state. The population in Riverside and San Bernardino counties jumped by 660,000 from 1990 to 2000 -- a 25% increase -- and is expected to grow 74% more by 2025, according to census figures and regional government planners.

The population in the San Bernardino Mountains also has grown dramatically. From 1990 to 2000, the number of mountain residents rose nearly 24% to more than 55,000, according to a county planning study.

The threat of fire in the mountains has grown along with the population.

Adding to Fire Danger

Severe drought and an infestation of bark beetles have killed millions of trees, leaving the mountain populated with what some residents call “standing matchsticks.”

After the Southland’s wildfires erupted in October, environmentalists and others accused county officials of imperiling the lives of thousands by approving residential projects next to groves of dead and dying trees.

“I don’t see how they can build an additional structure up here,” said Peter Jorris, a founder of the Mountain Rim Fire Safe Council and co-founder of the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust. “We just had a disaster, and we are still a disaster ready to happen.”

The fire in San Bernardino County consumed nearly 151,000 acres, killed seven people and destroyed 659 homes and 11 commercial buildings. Subsequent erosion helped cause a flash flood in Waterman Canyon that killed 13 more people on Christmas Day.

County officials say they are doing what they can to improve fire safety, including drafting new building codes for the mountains. But they say the county does not have the power to ban construction in fire danger zones because doing so would violate the right of property owners to develop their land.

“Living in the mountains brings certain hazards, and that is not going to change,” said Jim Foster, a spokesman for San Bernardino County Supervisor Dennis Hansberger.

Emmett Berg, a researcher with the Los Angeles-based Center for Governmental Studies and coauthor of a report on development policies in Southern California’s foothills, suggests that San Bernardino County officials levy extra fees on developers who want to build in the mountains, to pay for fire stations and equipment.

“They should put their money where their mouth is if they truly want to improve fire safety,” he said.

Unlike some other cities and counties, San Bernardino County does not charge developers fees to help cover police, fire, parks and other county services. Instead, the county charges developers for schools, sewers and water services. The fees charged to build a home in unincorporated San Bernardino County are generally in line with fees charged by most cities in the region, according to a 2002 survey by the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California.

In response to San Bernardino County’s wildfire, the Board of Supervisors is expected to hold public hearings this month to consider new building standards throughout the mountains. An ordinance would impose new setback requirements and restrictions on the types of material builders can use on roofs, fences and walls.

County planners also vow to more closely scrutinize the fire safety measures already required in the mountains.

“New projects will get a closer review from a fire safety standpoint,” said Randy Scott, director of advanced planning for the county. “There is no question about it.”

But critics of the proposed year-round camp note that the project, like others before it, would increase the population on the mountain, thus putting more people in harm’s way.

The proposed facility, to be called Royal Rangers Adventure Camp and Conference Center, would hold a maximum of 1,048 campers and staff. The Assemblies of God sponsors the Royal Rangers program, which provides camping and other outdoor activities for boys ages 5 to 17.

Precautions Imposed

Among the conditions already imposed by the county is that the campground add a 750,000-gallon tank to increase water capacity for firefighting. The county has also asked the developer to eliminate all 50 proposed outdoor fire rings, to reduce the chances of sparking a blaze.

Despite the added safety measures, Heather Sargeant, a longtime resident of the Twin Peaks area, vehemently opposes the project.

She wrote to county planners saying: “The last thing we need up here are more people, many of whom presumably are not familiar with the area and have to evacuate in the event of another fire.”

In an interview, Sargeant said she feared that county officials wouldn’t slow the rate of construction in the mountains, despite the fire danger.

“Until things improve up here, we should not build anything,” she said.

David Vincent, district commander with the Royal Rangers, defended the camp project, saying it would include a number of fire safety precautions. He noted, for example, that buses would be available to evacuate the camp. Vincent added that the main facility -- a 51,600-square-foot frontier-style building that would include 10 dormitories, a gym, dining room and meeting rooms -- would have fire sprinklers.

“Our job is to help kids,” he said. “We certainly don’t want to endanger them.”

Vincent said he believed many of the project’s opponents were using the recent disasters as a scare tactic to kill the project. In reality, he said, most project opponents simply were worried about the noise and traffic it would generate.

“We’ve tried to assure people that we will be the best neighbor we can,” he said.

Vincent conceded that the threat of fire was a real concern for mountain residents. But he added: “I think that just goes with life in Southern California.”