Region Business chaired a broad-based coalition to pass the Sacramento downtown housing initiative which streamlines the development of 10,000 housing units. Key provisions included: a downtown master-plan and programmatic environmental impact report to streamline development, identification of “opportunity sites” and providing funding through enhanced infrastructure finance districts, and eleven provisions to streamline the planning/building review.
The Sacramento Region's Most Influential Business Organization
Downtown Housing Initiative
Golden One Center - Kings Arena
Region Business successfully managed and led The 4000 and DowntownArena.Org coalitions to save the downtown arena project. We exposed Seattle’s Chris Hansen’s effort to launder $100,000 to the anti-arena campaign to kill the arena deal. Following that success, we collected the most petition withdrawals in California State history which provided a key element of the judges decision to remove the anti-arena petition from the ballot.
Elk Grove Mall, Casino & Resort Project
Region Business led a broad-based coalition of organizations to pass a memorandum of understanding between the City of Elk Grove and the Wilton Rancheria to pave the way for the proposed Casino & Resort project which will spur the development of the Elk Grove Ghost Mall and create over 5,000 new jobs. Through our petition withdrawal campaign we uncovered the secret-funders of the campaign against to kill the mall and casino/resort projects.
Big-Box Ordinance
Region Business chaired a broad-based coalition to successfully repeal the Sacramento Superstore Ordinance which was a defacto ban on large format retail stores. This ban had been in place for seven years and cost the City of Sacramento thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue. The repeal included exempting planned developments like Delta Shores and North Natomas, expanding existing stores, and allowed building new Superstores in food deserts.
Permit Simplicity
Region Business created a broad-based coalition to pass Permit Simplicity in six local municipalities. Permit Simplicity is a one day permitting program based upon a program from the City of Phoenix with local customization for the Sacramento regional market area. Permit Simplicity allows businesses to obtain a permit for improvements to an existing building in one day. Under this program, plans must be prepared by pre-qualified professional.
El Dorado County Development
Region Business created a broad-based coalition to defeat two anti-development ballot measures in El Dorado County which would have banned development. Measures M and O would have made developing high-density residential projects impossible in many parts of the county. The measures used purposely confusing language, misleading traffic models, and incorrect analysis to mislead voters into banning development.