The San Francisco Bay Area Renters Federation (SFBARF) is suing the City of Berkeley City Council over allegations that the council has repeatedly violated California’s Housing Accountability Act (HAA). The HAA, from 1982, compels municipalities to “not reject or make infeasible” housing developments that help meet housing needs. SF-BARF, along with California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund (CaRLA), allege the city has violated HAA by rejecting a recently submitted application for a new three-unit development. The project was in compliance with “all applicable, objective general plan and zoning standards and criteria, including design review standards” and problems arose when neighbors were unhappy with the project and appealed. The City Council argues because the project required demolition permits to remove the existing residence, HAA did not apply. This is the second city that SF-BARF has sued to comply with HAA; the pervious case against the City of Lafayette, was settled in the city’s favor last month.

Design Competition Seeks Responses to Sea Level Rise
A newly announced design competition in the Bay Area, “Resilient by Design,” will select 10 interdisciplinary teams to tackle 10 sites around the bay, with at least one in each county, to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise. The Rockefeller Foundation pledged $4.6 million to fund the competition (the foundation also funds 100 Resilient Cities; see prior CP&DR coverage). Other sponsors include Metropolitan transportation Commission, City of San Francisco, and Santa Clara Valley Water District. The kickoff last week will couple a request for qualifications from design teams as well as an “open call” for Bay Area residents to suggest particular spots that might be worthy of in-depth attention. The 10 design teams will be selected this summer, and the fall will be spent gathering information and visiting the different sites, which will be finalized in December. Design solutions will be presented next May and each design team will receive $250,000 for its work. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)

Trump Budget Proposal Would Eliminate Much City-Related Funding
According to analysis by the League of California Cities, President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2018 budget proposes significant cuts to programs that generally serve cities, either directly or indirectly. The budget would eliminate Community Development Block Grants, HOME Investment Partnerships, Choice Neighborhoods, and Self-Help Homeownership Opportunity Programs. Other changes include eliminating funding for Transportation Security Administration Law Enforcement Grants, Flood Hazard Mapping and Risk Analysis Program, and five components of existing FEMA Programs, while requiring a 25 percent local match on others. This is only a short list of the proposed eliminated and reduced programs. However, this is only an initial proposal and Congress must ratify the budget. Many Congressional members have expressed concerns for the major cuts proposed by the administration. The administration justifies the cuts on the “state and local governments are better positioned to address local community and economic development needs”.

San Francisco Adopts Density Bonus Ordinance
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved, 10-1, a housing density law that has been in discussion for two years. The ordinance allows developers to build taller residential structures in exchange for 30 percent of units made affordable. The only dissenting vote, Supervisor Norman Yee, asked for a special exemption for the Ocean Avenue corridor in his district. The ordinance, known as Home-SF, will bring more housing units into an increasingly expensive market and is critical in keeping working and middle-class residents in the city. The supervisors also unanimously approved a settlement with short-term rental services such as Airbnb and HomeAway that ensures all local hosts are registered with the city.

L.A. Airport Settles Lawsuit with Neighboring Communities
The Los Angeles City Council agreed to settle lawsuits brought by Culver City and Inglewood that alleged potential environmental impacts from modernization projects at Los Angeles International Airport. The two cities will participate in planning future development at LAX and implement transportation projects that will be paid for by Los Angeles World Airports, according to the agreement. The airport department will give Culver City $2.71 million and Inglewood $14.9 million to implement “intelligent” transportation systems, which should involve sophisticated information and communication technologies to move people safely and efficiently. Inglewood will receive an additional $10.6 million to develop a transportation demand management system to reduce travel demand or redistribute it over time or across the transportation system. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)

SCAG Announces Winners of Annual Sustainability Awards
The Southern California Association of Governments handed out its Sustainability Awards at its recent Regional Conference, which "recognize projects that best coordinate land use and transportation to improve the mobility, livability, prosperity and health of Southern California." Transportation Corridor Agencies, Foothill South Settlement Agreement received an award for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainability; UCLA BruinBikeSmart received an award for Active Transportation; the City of San Bernardino’s Waterman and Baseline Neighborhood Specific Plan received the “Against All Odds” award; the Collaborative Partnership went to the Imperial County Transportation Commission’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Access Study for the California/ Baja California Land Ports of Entry. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation won an award for Green Region; the City of Lynwood for Healthy and Safe Communities, and City of Long Beach for its Midtown Specific Plan.

Quick Hits & Updates
The City of Long Beach has released its Midtown Specific Plan for 369-acres along Long Beach Boulevard corridor. The plan includes walkability measure, improved mobility options for bicycles and transit riders, and new development and housing opportunities along the corridor. The California Association of Environmental Planners (AEP) awarded the plan’s vision and contributions with an Outstanding Planning Document award. 

San Francisco Supervisor Sandra Fewer has requested a study on the possibility of a BART extension to the Richmond District. An MTC study revealed approximately 16,200 Richmond District residents commute downtown on a public transit lines designed to serve a maximum of 16,800.

The State Historical Resources Commission earlier this month voted unanimously to recommend placing the Albion River Bridge on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the last timber trestle bridge on Pacific Coast Highway. Caltrans wants to replace the 150-foot tall bridge with a wider, more earthquake-safe bridge. However, some Mendocino Coast residents want the agency to repair and keep the quirky bridge.

The Sacramento City Council approved a scaled-back renovation of the Sacramento Convention center, choosing to save money for a second, undetermined project intended to draw tourists and conventioners to the city. Mayor Darrell Steinberg told the Sacramento Bee, “It would be a missed opportunity to put all of our money in a single asset to increase tourism and hotel demand.” The original proposal was $170 million and would add more than 100,000 square feet to the convention center. The new plan that figure by $50 million.

Los Angeles County Metro will open three new bike-share pilot projects this summer: 31 kiosks in Pasadena as of July 14, the Port of Los Angeles July 31, and Venice later in the summer. The pasadena program will include 370 bicycles for a two-year pilot program.

Los Angeles County’s homeless population has increased 23 percent over last year to nearly 58,000 although 14,000 people are permanently off the streets through rent subsidies, new construction, outreach and support services. In City of Los Angeles, homelessness jumped over 34,000, which is up 20 percent from 2016.

Santa Clara County Housing Authority has agreed to buy Buena Vista Mobile Home Park in Palo Alto for $40.4 million. The Housing Authority’s board must give final approval to the deal, but the agreement to save the city’s last real affordable housing has been worked out over the last four months.