U.S. District Judge William Shubb threw out SB 50, a state law giving the State Lands Commission first right of refusal of the sale of federal lands. Judge Shubb ruled SB 50 as unconstitutional because it “trespasses on the federal government’s ability to convey land to whomever it wants.” The ruling means that the federal government may sell lands to private buyers regardless of the state's interests. This is considered a victory for the Trump administration who was preparing to auction off several pieces of land around the state. “The court’s ruling is a firm rejection of California’s assertion that, by legislation, it could dictate how and when the federal government sells federal land,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions in a prepared statement, as quoted in the Sacramento Bee. “This (law) was a stunning assertion of constitutional power by California, and it was properly and promptly dismissed by the district judge.”
Fresno Releases Final Station District Plan
The City of Fresno released its final Station District Master Plan for the square, 14-block area surrounding the future downtown high-speed rail station. City officials believe the station would serve as a catalyst for the continuing revitalization of downtown area. The station is expected to open in 2027, meaning major changes in the area now include reopening some downtown streets that are currently closed to traffic and beginning construction on new underpasses for city streets to carry traffic under the high-speed rail tracks. The plan also includes new Fulton Street plaza and gateway into the station district, converting surface parking lots into mixed-use retail/ commercial buildings, and reconfiguring roads. “Having a high-speed rail station in Fresno does not alone create economic transformation,” said Mayor Lee Brand as quoted in the Fresno Bee. “The Fresno Station District is a blueprint to create a regional hub for economic and environmental innovation within the San Joaquin Valley.
$395 Million Available for Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Round 4
The Strategic Growth Council announced the Round 4 Notice of Funding Availability of approximately $395 million for Round 4 of the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program! The application is available here. The Round 4 AHSC Final Guidelines were approved at our Council Meeting on Monday, October 29. A redlined version of the Guidelines showing the differences between Round 3 and Round 4 is also available on our website. Program staff will be holding Application Workshops in six cities, starting today in Sacramento, and applicants will have the opportunity to meet with staff about their potential projects. Technical Assistance (TA) is also available for AHSC applicants. Parties interested in receiving TA for a potential AHSC project, may complete an informational form by Nov. 21, which will help SGC Staff determine overall TA need.
San Francisco Designates 24 Acres for Affordable Housing
San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance that would allow 24 underused parcels of land in the South of Market area to be converted into affordable-housing projects. The majority of the parcels are zoned light industrial use and used as surface parking lots. While not all the lots may be suitable for housing, the Planning Department said the zone change could lead to 600 or more 100-percent affordable units. Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman introduced legislation for a new conservatorship pilot program under SB 1045. The plan is being developed with the Department of Public Health, the Department of Human Services, the City Attorney’s office, and other agencies. The program would help San Franciscans that suffer from severe untreated substance-abuse disorder or mental illnesses.
Quick Hits & Updates
The Strategic Growth Council announced the public comment period on the Draft 2018-19 Guidelines for the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC). We will be accepting verbal and written comments until 5:00 pm Monday, Dec. 3. SGC will also be holding Guidelines Workshops in Northern and Southern California on November 20 and 29. The workshops will cover significant changes made to the Guidelines, including changes to the risk options, planning grant requirements, easement associated costs allowances, jobs reporting, and incentives for projects located within priority populations.
HCD has announced the availability of almost $30 million in federal Community Development Block Grants. The Notice of Funding Availability applies to non-entitlement cities with a population under 50,000. Grant applications are due Feb. 5. HCD will be holding workshops to review application requirements.
Environmental justice advocates Environmental Health Coalition released a report that found the City of San Diego has spent little funding on implementing its 2015 Climate Action Plan and has failed to track how much of the funding has gone to disadvantaged communities. The report said that more than half of the $129 million allocated this year for climate change went to programs that likely would have happened regardless of the Climate Action Plan. These programs include the city’s water recycling program, Pure Water, which may help reduce greenhouse gases but does not represent new commitments under the climate plan.
The electric scooter company Bird has filed a lawsuit against the City of Beverly Hills in an effort to overturn the city’s ban on motorized scooters which led to the impound of more than 1,000 of the company’s vehicles in July. This is the company’s first attempt in using the legal system to overturn a city’s scooter ban. This lawsuit could set the stage for future confrontations as the vehicles become more popular. (See previous CP&DR coverage.)
The San Diego City Council unanimously approved the new growth blueprint for the city’s Old Town neighborhood. The Community Plan Update aims to triple the area’s population without damaging its character or historic importance. The 176-page document strikes the right balance between preservation of the Old Town State Historic Park, Presidio Park, and other cultural amenities and helping solve the city’s severe shortage of affordable housing. The plan increases the number of housing units from 474 to 1,405, eliminates some surface parking, and adds new plazas and open spaces.
San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim is proposing to rescind a requirement that developers create a minimum amount of parking when they build new housing or commercial property. The Planning Commission voted to approve the “Better Streets” reform package which includes the proposal to eliminate parking minimums and eliminate the ability to make “curb cuts” along transit corridors and bike lanes.
Negotiations are underway with US officials on an inspection site in Campo for a project to revive a 70-mile defunct rail line to connect the San Diego-Tijuana region to El Centro. This project would reduce border congestion and take thousands of trucks off local roads. The company, Baja Rail, has begun analyzing how to repair or rebuild dozens of damaged tunnels and bridges along the route as well as studying how to relocate endangered species in the desert.
The City of Modesto was awarded approximately $3.9 million from California’s Active Transportation Program (ATP) to make Paradise Road, one of the most dangerous streets in town, a little safer. The project includes a road diet to calm traffic speeds and new bike lanes. Paradise Road currently does not include bicycle lanes and has two gaps along its sidewalk.
Los Angeles Metro released the final EIR for Union Station subway project. The project aims to improve turnaround times for Red and Purple line subway trains at Union Station, and create more space in the subway car rail yard.
