The L.A. County Board of Supervisors changed a staff recommendation on new vineyards in the Santa Monica Mountains from heavy regulation to an outright ban. An appellate court concluded that the change was so small in the overall context of the area plan update that no further CEQA action was needed.
Yes, the rooftop deck near the University of Southern California doesn't create a significant impact under CEQA, as per the People's Park case. But the City of Los Angeles still must find that the project conforms with an old redevelopment plan.
Appellate court rules that bill exempting project from CEQA does not violate state constitution. Preservationists made the unsuccessful argument that the state cannot be trusted to implement the law constitutionally.
Altogether the governor signed more than 40 planning and development bills, vetoing only one bill designed to encourage conversion of old office buildings to housing, apparently because off the labor standards contained in the bill.
Legislation includes everything expanding SB 9 to guardrails on builders remedy to clarifying how a housing element can be deemed compliant. About 15 planning and development bills remain on the governor's desk.
In reversing trial court ruling, appellate court okays lower significance threshold -- but also says higher baseline in a supplemental analysis was fine.
AB 98 would impose standards on new warehouses, especially in the Inland Empire -- but environmental justice groups say it doesn't go far enough and the bill was prepared in secrecy
Two bills sitting on the governor's desk would make it more difficult for cities and counties to claim that their housing element is compliant just because their elected officials approved it. Those are among the 30 so or planning and development bills approved by the Legislature this year.
