CP&DR

Cautious Davis May Have Little Impact on Planning; But Legislature is Now Strongly Democratic

Dec 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Vol. 13 No. 12 Dec 1998, William Fulton

Gray Davis's election appears to mean a new era in Sacramento. But whether it portends a shift in state policy relating to planning and development remains to be seen. Davis is a Democrat who has always enjoyed environmentalist support, but he is also a cautious politician unlikely to initiate sweeping policy reforms. Caution notwithstanding, Davis must deal with a strengthened Democratic majority in the Legislature that may seek a more aggressive approach on environmental, land use, and local go...

Santa Cruz Scales Back Boardwalk Plan: Merchant, Social Interests Collide

Nov 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Larry Sokoloff, Vol. 13 No. 11 Nov 1998

After a roller-coaster ride lasting several months, the beach town of Santa Cruz has finally approved a scaled-down plan to expand its historic boardwalk area — and election results in November's city council races are expected to offer a public referendum on the council's decision. The proposed expansion is the latest development issue to divide Santa Cruz -— a college town known for its environmental, non-traditional bent that has undergone a series of bruising growth and redevelopment battles in th...

Cityhood Bill Likely to Return Next Year: But Will State Hold Counties Financially Harmless?

Nov 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Timm Herdt, Vol. 13 No. 11 Nov 1998

A Republican lawmaker who tried earlier this year to end the standoff between counties and prospective cities by creating a state subsidy for incorporations has abandoned that plan and instead will try next year for an outright repeal of a 1992 state law that has effectively kept new cities off the map. Following a legislative hearing in October on his plan to require state government to reimburse new cities for the costs of traffic enforcement and wildlands fire protection now borne by stat...

Controversy Swirls Around Proposed Bay Bridge Re-Design

Oct 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 10 Oct 1998

Disagreements both petty and profound continue to swirl around the proposed rebuilding of the Bay Bridge. The $1 billion proposal, which is intended to replace the eastern portion of the bridge damaged in the Loma Prieta quake, seems to please no one except officials of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is vexed that the proposed design will cast a shadow some prime development sites on Yerba Buena-Treasure Island. In the East Bay, mayors of the cities ...

Most ‘98 Bills Make Minor Legal Changes; Only School Bond Would Have Widespread Impact

Oct 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Vol. 13 No. 10 Oct 1998, William Fulton

Nineteen ninety-eight will not go down in history as a year when the California Legislature made sweeping changes in California planning and development law. Instead - like most legislative sessions since the passage of term limits in 1990 - it was a year in which legislators who sought minor changes were more likely to succeed. In general, the Legislature passed a series of small bills that made changes on the margins of planning and development law. The big exception, of course, was SB 50, the...

Local Ballots Will Contain Many Land-Use Measures; Ventura, San Diego Will Be Hotly Contested Counties

Sep 1, 1998

Ballot Measures, Featured Articles, Vol. 13 No. 09 Sep 1998, William Fulton

In a reversal of recent trends, ballot initiatives to restrict growth appear to be on the upswing - especially in Southern California, where few ballot measures have appeared in recent years. The hotbeds of controversy appear to be in Ventura and San Diego counties, which have historically had more "ballot-box zoning" than other parts of Southern California. In Ventura County, slow-growthers have mounted a coordinated November effort to pass urban growth boundaries in six cities as well as a voter ap...

School Bond Includes Repeal of Mira; Builder Are Happy, Citties Aren't as Decade-Long Dispute Ends

Sep 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Timm Herdt, Vol. 13 No. 09 Sep 1998

Ending a two-year political stalemate, the Legislature has placed a $9.2 billion education bond on the November ballot with conditions that would fundamentally change the way school construction is financed in California. Under the proposed reforms, local school districts would have to cover half the cost of new schools, and the state would suspend the ability of cities and counties to levy school fees in excess of state-mandated limits - a power granted by a series of appellate court decisions c...

State Urges Policing of Land-Based Securities; Waterford City Attorney Faces Charges

Aug 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Morris Newman, Vol. 13 No. 08 Aug 1998

The current system of regulating municipal securities, including Mello Roos and Marks Roos bonds, is "inadequate" and "encourages non-compliance", according to a new report a state task force. Noting the alarming rate of defaults among land-based securities, the report recommends creation of a new municipal bond law-enforcement division within the state's department of justice. The findings and recommendations have been praised by both government officials and some industry observers, although at...

Sacramento Yields Few BIg Bills in ‘98 Session; Some Minor Proposals Remain Alive

Aug 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Vol. 13 No. 08 Aug 1998, William Fulton

With the election-year session coming to a close, the California Legislature has not moved aggressively on most issues associated with planning and development. A deal to place a multibillion-dollar school bond on the November ballot may still materialize - and if it does it could repeal or reform the state's long-standing Mira doctrine on school impact fees. A constitutional amendment to permit sales-tax sharing is still moving forward, as it a minor revision of the housing element law and a few...

Election Activity Focuses on Bay Area; Only One Measure on Ballot in Southern California

Jul 1, 1998

Featured Articles, Larry Sokoloff, Vol. 13 No. 07 Jul 1998

The June 1998 election featured only eight land use and environmental measures throughout the state, the lowest since 1986 according to a CP&DR analysis of election returns. Seven of the eight measures were on the ballot in Northern California cities and counties. In the only Southern California ballot measure, voters in San Diego overwhelmingly approved a measure to finance a $216 million expansion of the city's convention center. That expansion had been fought by opponents of downtown redevelopment,...