GOBiz webinar lays out steps to make California parcels ‘construction‑ready’ for business investment

Jolia Jackson, regional engagement and development manager with the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GOBiz), opened a statewide webinar on the California Jobs First Business Ready Sites program, telling attendees the session would focus on “site safety, grading, and physical readiness” and how communities can reduce timeline risk to attract investment.

Guest presenter Jerry Camilas said the cornerstone of any parcel submission is a clear environmental record and mitigation plan. “The final certified environmental impact report is critical because in that it has mitigation measures. These mitigation measures literally are the roadmap to deliver a project,” Camilas said, urging jurisdictions to clarify whether an EIR is programmatic or project‑specific because that distinction affects subsequent review requirements.

Camilas walked through technical checks that determine whether a parcel is construction‑ready: Phase I and, when necessary, Phase II environmental site assessments to reveal historic contamination; grading, compaction and erosion‑control plans; soil testing and foundation design tied to local geotechnical conditions; and fire‑safety plans coordinated with local fire departments. He warned that unresolved offsite infrastructure needs — water, sewer, drainage, dry utilities and high‑voltage connections — can add cost and delay and recommended surfacing those agreements early.

On flood risk, Camilas noted the need to coordinate with FEMA and local flood managers and, where grading or finished elevations change floodplain boundaries, to pursue conditional letters of map revision or LOMRs. He also referenced California’s SB5 as a 200‑year floodplain standard that jurisdictions may apply on top of federal mapping.

Responding to common terminology confusion, Camilas said “shovel ready” is often used inconsistently and recommended the terms “construction ready” or “business ready,” which encompass both physical readiness and operational elements such as incentives and tax considerations. “The most abused phrase that I have heard over my whole career is the term shovel ready,” he said.

The presenters emphasized process clarity and cross‑departmental alignment. Camilas recommended a single end‑to‑end Gantt chart showing every step from current site status to final occupancy and said jurisdictions should plan for inspection capacity (including extended hours) to match aggressive construction schedules.

During a brief Q&A, Jackson clarified program logistics: there is no strict submission limit but GOBiz prefers “about two to four sites per region” and the account registration requires roughly 10 contact fields; the team asks that submitters allow 48 hours for responses. The webinar closed with a reminder that program resources — a regional data tool, submission checklist, guides, office hours and recordings — are available and that staff can provide one‑on‑one technical assistance. Jackson gave the program contact as businessreadysites@gobiz.ca.gov.

The webinar is part of a series intended to help local governments and economic development organizations prepare parcels that can compete for headquarters, research and manufacturing investment. Participants were encouraged to follow up with jurisdiction‑specific questions and to use the program’s checklist to document environmental clearance, utility access and permitting pathways.