CP&DR

Milpitas Moves Deliberately on Ambitious Plan for High Density

Nov 1, 2003

Local Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 11 Nov 2003

The City of Milpitas has adopted an ambitious specific plan for the heart of town, yet the city's approach to implementing the plan relies heavily on private investors.

Playa Vista Grows, Shrinks and Gets Ready for Next Round

Oct 1, 2003

Local Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 10 Oct 2003

Development at Playa Vista, the controversial project on Los Angeles's West Side, is proceeding even though the project is getting smaller. During the same week in September that Playa Vista hosted an official grand opening, Gov. Gray Davis said he would sign a bill to spend $25 million of state bond money to partially purchase 193 acres at Playa Vista for habitat restoration and open space.

Lawsuit Settlement Makes Clean Air a Fresno Planning Priority

Oct 1, 2003

Environment Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 10 Oct 2003

The connection in people's minds between air pollution and urban development is getting stronger in Fresno. This summer, the City of Fresno settled a lawsuit filed by clean air advocates over the city's general plan. The city agreed to take a number of steps to encourage development that is less automobile-dependent than past projects, and the city committed $1 million to the effort.

Budget Strikes at Land Use Programs

Sep 1, 2003

Featured Articles, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 09 Sep 2003

The $99 billion 2003-04 state budget signed in August by Gov. Gray Davis contained almost nothing to cheer the planning and development community. The budget added another layer to an already complicated system of funding local government, shifted money away from redevelopment agencies, cut funding for some land use programs, and appeared to delay many of the toughest decisions for at least a year.

San Diego County Lagoon Restoration Projects Receive Mixed Reactions

Sep 1, 2003

Environment Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 09 Sep 2003

A long-planned 115-acre lagoon restoration project in Del Mar is on track after an appellate court rejected neighboring property owner's lawsuit over the restoration. Two to three years worth of work to restore San Dieguito lagoon could begin as soon as 2005.

Fairfield Voters Will Decide on City's New Growth Strategy

Sep 1, 2003

Local Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 09 Sep 2003

The November election in the City of Fairfield could provide a significant indicator of how the city of 103,000 people will grow during coming years. After many years of supporting pro-growth officials, the electorate will cast ballots on a policy that requires voters to decide on changes to the Solano County city's urban limit line, which the City Council tightened last year.

Green Light Burns Brightly for Growth in Placer County

Aug 1, 2003

Local Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 08 Aug 2003

By percentage, Western Placer County's growth rate is about the fastest of any area in California. And the cities of Roseville, Lincoln and Rocklin — and Placer County itself — are planning for numerous large developments with tens of thousands of housing units.

Second-Unit Ordinances Overhauled: State Law Forces Revisions in Many Cities and Counties

Aug 1, 2003

Featured Articles, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 08 Aug 2003

In response to a new state law that mandates the easier regulatory processing of second units, cities and counties across California have been revising their regulations. Most jurisdictions are relaxing their rules, although some cities and counties appear to be adding performance standards that could discourage second-unit development.

Voters to Decide on Reservoir Expansion in East Bay

Aug 1, 2003

Paul Shigley, Public Development, Vol. 18 No. 08 Aug 2003

Voters in the Contra Costa Water District will decide early next year whether to quadruple the capacity of five-year-old Los Vaqueros Reservoir in the hills east of Mount Diablo. The reservoir expansion would increase water reliability and improve water quality but would not provide more water for growth, water district officials insist.

Interior Department Water Report Steers Clear of New Dams

Aug 1, 2003

Environment Watch, Paul Shigley, Vol. 18 No. 08 Aug 2003

A Bush administration framework for Western water is drawing praise from some surprising circles, while normal administration allies are showing skepticism or outright hostility.