CP&DR

Lancaster, Palmdale Stall New Departments

May 1, 1999

Local Watch, Vol. 14 No. 05 May 1999, William Fulton

Concerned about an apparent increase in interest from apartment developers, the Antelope Valley cities of Lancaster and Palmdale are both moving toward moratoria on multi-family units. Their moves appear to be part of a growing trend among exurban communities to reassess their policies on multi-family construction. In Lancaster, where the City Council adopted a moratorium in January, officials say they will use the moratorium period to examine whether Lancaster has an over-supply of apartment units or...

Rapidly Growing Contra Costa Considers Tighter Urban Limit Line; New Regional Planning Efforts Stretch From Bay Area to Valley

Apr 1, 1999

Featured Articles, Vol. 14 No. 04 Apr 1999, William Fulton

In the latest chapter in a long-running story, Contra Costa County and many of its cities appear to be ready to tighten up the county's urban limit line. The county is examining the creation of tighter boundaries in the controversial Tassajara Valley area and in fast-growing eastern Contra Costa County. Meanwhile, the county's Local Agency Formation Commission recently adopted a written policy committing itself to honoring the county's urban limit line wherever possible. Urban limit line tightening co...

Another Challenge Arises for Control of L.A. Redevelopment

Mar 1, 1999

Economic Development, Vol. 14 No. 03 Mar 1999, William Fulton

The City of Los Angeles is once again considering a reorganization of its redevelopment functions that would dismantle the once-powerful Community Redevelopment Agency and place it under the control of the City Council. But some council members are still balking at the idea of taking over the CRA themselves. At a meeting in early February, the council ordered city officials to move forward with the reorganization plan, which would give the council direct control over redevelopment functions ...

New Courthouses for Downtown Riverside

Feb 1, 1999

Public Development, Vol. 14 No. 02 Feb 1999, William Fulton

Downtown Riverside appears to be using the legal system as a revitalization tool - not by suing anybody, but by recruiting new courthouses. Last year, Riverside County agreed to finance construction of a $21 million federal courthouse in the same neighborhood as the county's Hall of Administration and County Courthouse. And in January, the Fourth District Court of Appeal moved from its longtime headquarters in downtown San Bernardino to a new courthouse adjacent to the federal site. The Court of App...

New Comission Tackles Cortese-Knox Act; Proposal Likely at End of Year

Feb 1, 1999

Featured Articles, Vol. 14 No. 02 Feb 1999, William Fulton

A new state commission is examining local govern issues and is expected to produce a proposed legislative overhaul of the Cortese-Knox by December. The 15-member Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century was created last year as a by-product of legislation making it easier for the San Fernando Valley to pursue secession from the City of Los Angeles. The commission is officially charged with reviewing the Cortese-Knox Act, proposing methods to increase public participation in l...

Zoning Ordinances Come Under Renewed Scrutiny; Cities, Counties Ponder Radical Shift or Simple ‘Tweak'

Jan 1, 1999

Featured Articles, Vol. 14 No. 01 Jan 1999, William Fulton

As California's post-recession economy picks up steam, many city and county planning departments are revisiting an important policy document that serves as one of the pillars of the community's planning. Contrary to expectation, however, this policy document is not the general plan. It's the zoning ordinance — a document that serves as the workhorse of day-to-day land-use planning but can easily be rendered obsolete or irrelevant by a rapidly changing economy or a highly political planning environmen...

Growth Results Mixed in November Balloting; Ventura Slow-Growthers Succeed, But Others Fail

Dec 1, 1998

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

In one of the most active election days of the decade for planning and development issues, pro-growth and slow-growth forces battled almost to a tie on local ballots around the state in November. Slow-growthers won some high-profile victories, most notably a near-sweep in passing a highly publicized series of urban growth boundaries in Ventura County. However, they lost other key races in San Diego and El Dorado counties. And - perhaps most surprising - most measures to allow or promote growth passed ea...

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...

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...

A Lake for Downtown San Bernadino?

Oct 1, 1998

Public Development, Vol. 13 No. 10 Oct 1998, William Fulton

Seeking to improve local groundwater problems and possibly expand redevelopment activities as well, the City of San Bernardino has created a joint-powers authority with a water district and an economic development agency to pursue some kind of "water feature" near downtown San Bernardino. The project would cover some 300 acres in the Base Line area north of the current downtown and might involve condemning some 900 parcels of land at a cost of more than $100 million. The San Bernardino Municipal W...