In a reversal of a previous recommendation, the staff of the Coastal Commission has recommended approval, with conditions, of a controversial development for Banning Ranch, a 401-acre parcel in Newport Beach. The new staff recommendation increases the amount of developable land from 19 ares to 55 acres, with most of the remaining land set aside as a nature preserve. As proposed, Newport Banning Ranch would include an upscale hotel, retail space and around 900 homes. The Newport Beach city council had approved the development years ago and subsequently won a court challenge by environmentalists, saying the Coastal Commission had final approval. Proponents of the project note that the parcel is far from pristine, as it is a working oil field. Opponents say the project needs to be reduced drastically because, despite the oil operations, it serves as an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area for the California gnatcatcher and endangered San Diego fairy shrimp. The commission will vote May 12.
Federal Legislation May Aid Salton Sea
U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and James Inhofe (R-OK) introduced a bill that would ask the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to partner with local governments and other agencies to address fragile ecosystems such as Salton Sea, Lake Tahoe, and Los Angeles River. The Salton Sea poses a serious public health hazard as the decline of the water exposes more dirt. The area is a major bird sanctuary and the air quality issues are harming the critical habitat. This Water Resources Development Act would give the Army Corps the authority it needs to provide long-term assistance to the sea. The Act would also address aging infrastructure, aid regions suffering from the drought and provide funds for projects like desalination and groundwater recharge.
Housing Advocacy Group Sues Bay Area Cities
The San Francisco Bay Area Renters' Federation (SFBarf) has begun its "sue the suburbs" campaign to force small cities to increase density amidst the growing housing supply issue. Lafayette is the first city being targeted because it scrapped a plan to build high-density housing on 22 acres north of Highway 24 and is located near BART. The city opted for 44 single-family homes instead of the 315 units planned. SFBarf is suing because of the state's Housing Accountability Act, which stops cities from rejecting development for arbitrary reasons. SFBarf is hoping to teach other municipalities a lesson against construction and housing growth. The group is funded primarily by Yelp CEO Jeremy Stoppelman who says the lack of available housing has "choked off the growth potential" for companies in the Bay Area. In response to SFBarf, residents group Save Lafayette is now suing the city to have a ballot referendum that would allow voters to reverse the zoning plan for the future development area.
Rents May Be Topping Out in S.F., Poll Finds
A recent poll shows that high cost of living is promoting up to one-third of Bay Area residents to consider leaving the region. In the poll of 1,000 people (pdf), conducted by Bay Area Council, the top three reasons were high living costs, low housing supply, increasing traffic times. Around 60 percent of residents think additional housing should be built outside the nine-county region and 84 percent want better transportation networks between the Bay and surrounding cities. However, as President and CEO of the Bay Area Council Jim Wunderman said this will only push lower-income families farther away and mean commuters will travel farther distances. Housing supply in the Bay Area has shrunk, with a shortage of 50,000 homes per year. In a separate Bay Area Council poll on commuting habits (pdf), 83 percent of residents said traffic will never improve. While some counties like San Francisco want transit planning to stay local, the majority of residents in the area want a regional transportation plan.
Counties Sue to Stop Purchase of Delta Islands
San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties sued the Metropolitan Water District to stop the $175 million purchase of five islands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A judge has refused to block the controversial purchase. Now the deal's opponents will seek a preliminary injunction at a May 19 hearing, the purchase will be made in June. They say MWD should not be able to buy the land without undergoing the CEQA process. MWD says it will use the land to store dirt and construction equipment for a proposed multibillion-dollar water tunnel project and will comply with CEQA when it decides what to do with the property.
Forces Line Up to Support, Oppose SANDAG Funding Measure
The San Diego Association of Governments will vote on a proposal Friday that would raise up to $18 billion on roads, transit and parks in the region. San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, the county Republican Party, green groups and La Mesa City Council will vote against the plan that would a half-cent sales tax increase. San Diego could expect $1.812 billion while the smallest city, Del Mar around $8.3 million and SANDAG would keep roughly $12.5 billion for the numerous construction projects it has planned. The SANDAG board approved the measure and the initiative will go to county supervisors before appearing on the November ballot. Criticism ranges from low-income communities paying high proportions to spending too much on mass transit while majority of residents commute in cars or prioritizing freeways and interchanges instead of only mass transit. Currently, polls show between 67.8 to 62.2 percent support from voters.
Report Ranks U.S. Cities According to Brownfield Redevelopment Potential
Arcadis, a Dutch design and environmental consulting firm released its Urban Land Restoration Index (pdf) that ranked development potential for 27 U.S. cities. In California, San Francisco was ranked 6th and Los Angeles 19th it and San Diego was 25th out of 27 U.S. cities in attractiveness for commercial development restoration. San Diego was ranked worst for cleanup costs and 24th for real estate opportunities. All three of the cities were ranked high on the cost for cleanup spectrum. A major factor in the high rating was the city's stringent regulatory requirements. While these are common in other major cities, San Diego has a much slower economy and fewer developers interested in cleaning up brownfield sites. A local real estate consultant, Gary London, says San Diego has very few brownfield sites as majority have been cleaned up in the past three decades. The main brownfield site is the 8-acre MTS bus yard that may become the new Chargers stadium. In Los Angeles, a 160-acre former aircraft and aerospace facility was converted into a 800 thousand resident community that stimulated $800 million in private investment, $45 million in lease and tax revenues.
Bill Would Ban Ex Parte Communication between Coastal Commissioner, Developers
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, of Santa Barbara, wants to introduce legislation to ban California Coastal Commissioners from ex parte communication with developers to restore the public's confidence in the Commission. Since 1992, commissioners have been required to disclose the contact within seven days with pertinent details. Of the disclosure forms reviewed by the Los Angeles Times, two lobbyists account for 42 percent of communications related development interests. Jackson hopes to eliminate these systems but opponents say these are crucial to giving developers extra time with commissioners for questions.
Slow Growth Campaign Proceeds in Santa Monica
Resident activist group Residocracy has collected enough signatures to file the Land Use Voter Empowerment (LUVE) to qualify for the November ballot in Santa Monica. The campaign gathered 10,000 signatures for an initiative that would give greater control to voters for large developments in the city. The goal is to stop alleged over-development and require voter approval for Major Development Review Permits and major changes in the City's Land Use Policy Documents. The group successfully lobbied for down-zoning of the city's award-winning LUCE last year. (See prior CP&DR coverage.)
