The U.S. House of Representatives voted to overturn the Bureau of Land Management’s “Planning 2.0” rule, which took effect in December. The rule governs all planning for future uses of 250 million acres of federal public land, primarily in western U.S. The House lawmakers also voted to eliminate the federal methane rule that requires oil and gas companies using public lands to control air pollution. Both measures now move to the Senate, and if approved the rules would be eliminated and the BLM banned indefinitely form developing similar rules. The BLM rules would increase public involvement and incorporate more current data and technology to decide whether and where to drill, mine, and log on public land. The rollback could affect up to 15 million acres of land in California, or 14 percent of the state’s landmass.
Los Angeles General Plan Amendments Approved in 90 Percent of Cases
A Los Angeles Times analysis found that of nearly 1,000 cases of general plan amendments to accommodate individual projects since 2000 — sometimes known as “spot zoning” — about 90 percent of general plan amendments, zoning or height district changes heard before the Planning Commission have been approved. Critics, such as those promoting the Measure S ballot measure, contend that this practice has led to an erosion of the role of zoning regulations as an accurate guide of the city’s development. City officials and developers argue the exceptions are essential to increasing housing supply and to working with outdating zoning codes. The Times review found when planning commissioners raised objections to some projects, developers included more affordable housing or other conditions to receive approval. The Times did not analyze projects that may have been proposed but withdrawn from consideration when developers realized that they would not receive Planning Commission support.
Ainsworth Named Permanent Coastal Commission Director
Jack Ainsworth has been selected as executive director of the California Coastal Commission. Ainsworth has served as acting executive director since last February and has worked at the commission for nearly 30 years. The Commission voted unanimously for Ainsworth. He has received positive feedback from leaders across the state and will be able to guide the agency if it ends up battling the Trump administration, especially over offshore drilling. Environmental groups had been critical of the commission and strongly opposed the departure of former executive director Charles Lester . A nationwide search was conducted for the position with over 1,000 individuals contacted.
Chan Zuckerberg Foundation to Support Housing Initiatives in Bay Area
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, established by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Dr. Priscilla Chan, is giving $3.1 million to Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto to support programs to counter the eviction and displacement of families. The grant will allow the group to hire five more full-time lawyers, adding to the current 16 full-time attorneys, five of which are devoted to housing. The foundation is also donating $500,000 to the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley to help generate long-range solutions to the region’s housing predicament. Tech companies such as Facebook have been accused of exacerbating the housing affordability crisis in the Bay Area. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
Santa Monica Considers Strict Seismic Retrofit Ordinance
The City of Santa Monica is considering an ordinance that would require as many as 2,000-earthquake-vulnerable buildings to be retrofitted. It would likely be the most intensive such seismic retrofit law in the nation. While neighboring Los Angeles requires wood and concrete buildings to be retrofitted, Santa Monica will also require steel-framed structures. While these are less likely to collapse in an earthquake, past earthquakes have shown that these buildings are still vulnerable to irreparable damage. Mayor Ted Winterer does not want to take those changes and said: “We are very committed here in Santa Monica to make sure that we are resilient in the face of possible catastrophe.” The northern half of the city is located along the Santa Monica fault. The city has released its list of possibly vulnerable buildings.
Long Beach Plan Promotes Cycling, Walking
Long Beach City Council unanimously voted to approve updates to its pedestrian and bicycle master plans. The plan is called: Communities of Excellence in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention Pedestrian Plan (Cx3) and focuses on low-income neighborhoods. The Cx3 study area includes ten neighborhoods in Central and West Long Beach that lack strong pedestrian connections and are primarily served by private cars. The update to the bicycle master plan will continue to connect its bike paths to make them more continuous and inviting to users.
Quick Hits & Updates
The California Coastal Commission voted, 9-1, against the proposed Banning Ranch development in Newport Beach last September. Last week the commission confirmed its reasons for denying the project. While this move was largely procedural, it formalized the panel’s reasoning for rejecting the large development. The commission is concerned that he development does not comply with environmental laws that protect the area’s species and habitats.
In 2016, Los Angeles Metro saw a 9 percent drop in bus ridership with the opening of the Gold and Expo rail extensions. Metro found 25 million fewer rides systemwide last year compared to 2015, a 6 percent drop. One explanation for the nationwide trend of dropping ridership is that riders are walking, biking or using ride-sharing apps instead of buses. As well, an improved economy means that commuters can afford their own vehicles.
A report by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office suggests that the state extend the Cap-and-Trade program calling it the most cost-effective way for the state to fight climate change. The program is facing a lawsuit challenging its legitimacy as businesses argue the program is a tax and therefore requires two-thirds vote and not a simple majority. Democrats suggested they would support the extension if more funding and benefits reached lower-income communities that often have much more air quality. The LAO suggests getting two-thirds votes to ensure legitimacy of the program.
The Irvine Company has dropped a lawsuit against supporters of the 25-story Museum House condominium project in Newport Beach. The company accused the supporters of circulating petition on its shopping center properties without permission. The lawsuit was filed in December and was a restraining order against developer Related California from going onto Irvine Company properties for anything other than commercial activities.
The City of San Diego hopes to open a center to temporarily house hundreds of homeless people while helping them find permanent housing within the next few years. The city plans to spend $12.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funding for the center. The city has put out a Request for Statement of Qualifications.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee signed legislation to authorize the phased redevelopment of the Potrero Terrace and Annex and Sunnydale public housing sites, both part of the city’s HOPE SF initiative. The communities will be mixed-income, affordable to more than 3,000 low-income and middle-class families, and developed according to non-displacement principles in the Mayor’s HOPE SF initiative. HOPE SF initiative is the nation’s first large-scale public housing transformation and reparations effort aimed at creating healthy mixed-income communities without mass displacement.
The California High Speed Rail Authority has received authorization from the State Public Works Board to purchase two parcels in Los Angeles along the Hollywood Freeway in Downtown LA. The entire Union Station project is estimated to cost $2.75 billion, according to LA Metro.
Six aviation interest groups asked a federal appeals court to review a recent agreement between the City of Santa Monica and the FAA to shorten the runway immediately and close the facility by 2028. As Ed Bolen, business association’s president and CEO told the LA Times:“Santa Monica's airport is a vital asset to our aviation system, both locally as well as nationally, and serves as a critical transportation lifeline for the entire Los Angeles Basin.”
The Mojave Desert Land Trust announced it would donate more than 3,000 acres of desert land to the Mojave National Preserve. The Trust has been buying private land that survived within the boundaries of the Mojave National Preserve, Joshua Tree National Park, and Death Valley National Park. Over the past decade, the Trust has donated more than 23,000 acres of land to the National Park Service.
LA Mayor Eric Garcetti has called out backers of the Measure S ballot measure for using his image in a campaign message. Mayor Garcetti called the move a “dirty trick” and is strongly opposed to the measure that would restrict city lawmakers ability to approve changes to the General Plan.
A ruling by Contra Costa County Superior Court Judge Judith Craddick will allow the City of Richmond’s new rent control law to remain in effect. The California Apartment Association, which represents landlords, requested a permanent injunction to overturn the “unconstitutional” voter-approved law. The injunction was denied on the grounds that the association could not prove that its members would suffer “irreparable harm” if rent control remained in effect pending a hearing on the merits of the case.
California Treasurer John Chiang is exploring a ballot measure committee suggesting he plans to tie his campaign to a long-planned yet unspecified initiative on affordable housing. Creating more affordable housing, will resonate with vote-rich cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego. Chiang’s campaign said: “While California has recovered from the great recession, there are millions of Californians who are still economically dislocated and not within reach of the opportunities enjoyed by past generations of Californians.”
Los Angeles Metro is reviewing a technical study for a proposed bus rapid transit line that would link the Red, Purple, Expo and Green Lines via Vermont Avenue. The 12.4-mile proposed system operates the second busiest bus corridor in the Metro network with 45,000 daily boardings between two lines. Four concepts are currently being considered for the project.
