The governor has a new infill housing initiative that includes a proposal to use housing as CEQA mitigation. But this play is only partly about housing. It's mostly about getting transportation projects adequately mitigated under SB 743.
In an unpublished case, an appellate court strikes down an environmental group's challenge to parking reform in San Diego. The court relied partly on SB 743 to uphold a CEQA exemption for the ordinance.
As California brings the gas-powered car era to a close, let's remember: It was just awful enough, at just the right moment, to inspire a revolution in land use regulation.
What's in the future: A lot of talk about low-VMT and high-VMT zones, renewed discussion of TDM, maybe some VMT banks -- and, yes, still a lot of LOS analysis, just not under CEQA.
