The California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) has approved a new two-year business plan. It includes an agreement to add more than $1 billion in costs to connect the City of Merced to the initial operating segment and to invest $2 billion to improve existing rail services in Southern California. While it will not change the alignment, the plan calls for construction of an additional line that will connect to Merced and eventually further to Sacramento. This statement was released in a 22-page revision of the draft 2016 business plan that had received significant criticism. The new document did not name new sources of funding but examined potential private or federal funding. While HSRA is attempting to address complaints, residents of San Jose, farmers in Central Valley, officials in Bakersfield and Southern California are frustrated and pessimistic. According to the 2008 bond, the deadline for presenting the final to the legislature was May 1.
San Diego Stadium Plan Submits Signatures
The group backing the Citizens Plan initiative, one of two competing potential ballot measures to promote a new NFL football stadium in San Diego, has submitted 100,845 signatures to raise a hotel tax to pay for tourism promotion and a convention center. The hotel tax would be raised from 12.5 to 15.5 percent and hotel owners could deduct up to two percent from the patrons for tourism marketing. The Chargers are pushing their own proposal, which would raise hotel tax to 16.5 percent, which would pay for the $1.8 billion stadium and convention center. With the hotel tax funds, the Citizens Plan wants to renovate Qualcomm Stadium into a tourist and higher education facility in Mission Valley and protect and preserve the river park.(See prior CP&DR coverage.)
Federal Government Questions Use of Funds for Water Tunnels
The Interior Department inspector general has begun an investigation looking into funding irregularities for the proposed water tunnel project known as California Water Fix. The $15 billion plan received complaints from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit that accused the project of taking $60 million federal money that was intended for fish and wildlife conservation. If the inspector general finds that the funds were misallocated, the state would be required to pay the money back, which could harm the tunnel project.
Interactive Website Illuminates Transportation Data in Southern California
UCLA's Lewis Center, in collaboration with the Southern California Association of Governments, released Revision, a new web application to better understand Southern California's transportation options. Metrics that the site can display include accessibility, livability, employment, health, commutes and will focus on growth near public transportation. By generating customized maps, users can see differences between neighborhoods, trends over time, Area Report, and Property Reports. Revision's area reports will compare over 10,000 census blocks in Southern California to countywide data or to one another. The website and visuals are available for Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties.
ULI Enters Debate over Future of Planning in Los Angeles
The Urban Land Institutes's Los Angeles Chapter has released a Planning and Development Principles Statement for Los Angeles to advocate for a community vision, instead of the project-by-project negotiations that has been currently happening. Acknowledging that the city's 1995 General Plan Framework is outdated and that the city has "neglected" its Community Plans, the statement comes out in part as a response to the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, a proposed ballot measure that could constrain the city's ability to plan. The eight principles to help guide the way forward are 1) allowing all unique communities to thrive equally, 2) make great plans, 3) stick to the plans once they're made, 4) allow growth but keep neighborhood character, 5) provide adequate infrastructure, 6) commit to budget so all community plans can be reviewed and updated regularly, 7) EIRs should be reliable and trusted, and lastly 8) engagement from everyone. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
L.A. County Considers Tax for New Parks
Los Angeles County is considering an initiative to use a parcel tax of 3-to-5 cents per developed square foot, to build parks. In some cities in the county, like Malibu, there are 13 acres of park for each 1,000 residents. El Monte and South El Monte have around one acre per 1,000 residents. A report by the county showed 51 percent of residents live more than half a mile from the nearest park, and in some areas the parks are in unsafe locations or rundown. Funds that could be generate by the proposed tax range from $191 million to $309 million. Funds would not be equally divided among the five supervisorial districts, instead funding would be distributed based on need.
Four Finalists Chosen to Redesign L.A.'s Pershing Square
Nonprofit Pershing Square Renew has selected four finalists for redesigning Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles. The square, last redesigned in the early 1990s, has long been reviled as unattractive and unwelcoming. Agence Ter and Team's design includes a "smart" canopy, variety of themed gardens, and a main lawn that will show film screenings. James Corner Field Operations with Frederick Fisher & Partners include playgrounds, restaurants, hammock grove, and dog run to name a few amenities. These are the same designers of Santa Monica's Tongva Park and Manhattan's High Line. SWA I Morphosis's goal is to create a park that is active in the day and nighttime with many activities and a solar-powered hydroponic urban farming tower. wHY with Civitas, has a vine-covered shade structure, misting devices and uses alternatives and sustainable water filtration for the entire park. the public is able to vote and give comments. Funding for the project, which may cost in the tens of millions of dollars, has yet to be secured.
$1.3 Billion Housing Measure Introduced
Amid growing concerns for the state's housing supply, a group of Assembly Democrats has proposed legislation that would allocate $1.3 billion to help metropolitan areas increase housing supply. The bill would include local grants and tax credits to support construction of multi-family rental units, homes for farmworkers, supportive services for homeless and lower-cost housing statewide. Gov. Brown's 2016-17 budget proposal contained around $776 million for housing and transit from the cap-and-trade fund from carbon emission permits. Republicans, such as Marc Steinorth (R-Rancho Cucamonga) argue that instead of asking for more taxes, legislators should "encourage cities--even suburban ones--to focus on increasing housing supply, rather than tie their hands with out-of-date regulations."
Beverly Hills Takes Lead on Autonomous Vehicles
Beverly Hills City Council voted unanimously to look into providing autonomous public transportation to shuttle residents from one location to another. Mayor John Mirisch hopes this small city of 5.7 miles can be a leader in adopting this new and innovative technology. While driverless cars are able to navigate in controlled-areas such as freeways and parking garages, city driving can become too chaotic. The city also plans to install fiber-optic cable to provide high-speed access throughout the city, which in the future, would allow the autonomous vehicles to communicate with one another.
Lung Association Rates California's Air
The American Lung Association's State of the Air 2016 report found two California cities ranked top of the list for most polluted cities in the nation. Bakersfield tops the list with most airborne particles and LA leads in harmful ozone pollution. Eighty percent of Californians, roughly 32 million people, live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution during some time in the year. Cities in California have made progress, businesses have spent $40 billion since 1992 to cut air pollution and have reduced pollutants by 80 percent since 1980 levels.
