Political Firestorm Flares Up Over Rancho Cucamonga Development
Submitted by jstephens on 15 March 2010 - 9:43pmCovered by chaparral and dry brush, the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties are at a perennial risk of wildfire. And when the seasonal Santa Ana winds sweep through, they bring Apocalyptic storms of fire and ash that rain down on, and sometimes consume, the communities that press up against these slopes.
California’s Redevelopment Agencies Seek Allies
Submitted by jstephens on 15 March 2010 - 11:17amThe primary takeaways from last week’s California Redevelopment Association conference was unambiguous: stakeholders and public officials alike must know the true impact of reduction of redevelopment funding in communities and statewide. Panels on the final day of the conference sent attendees home with some idea of the steps that both local agencies and the state association must take to achieve this goal and keep the state’s redevelopment agenda on track.
Redevelopment Field Trip: Past, Present, and Future
Submitted by jstephens on 13 March 2010 - 5:25pmSometimes one has to leave the conference hall and go and check things out for oneself -- it wouldn’t be a redevelopment conference without a nerdy redevelopment tour.
As Cities Forge Ahead, Journalism Faces Its Own Rebuilding
Submitted by jstephens on 11 March 2010 - 12:28pmIn planning, as with anything else, the progress does not arrive merely with the flow of time. The enthusiasm and ideas that swept over these pages in the first decade of this century -- smart growth, downtown revitalization, AB 32, SB 375, and all the rest -- are now met with delay, deferral, and, in some cases, bankruptcy.
Redevelopment Agencies Circle the Wagons, Fight for Funding
Submitted by jstephens on 10 March 2010 - 9:03pmFor many cities, redevelopment relies on public-private partnerships, innovative financing, and design integrated with existing surroundings which, in turn, often support the hot topics of smart growth, transit-oriented development, and climate change adaptation.
New Tsunami Maps Depict Extreme High-Water Mark
Submitted by jstephens on 10 March 2010 - 3:38pmCalifornia has a yet another seismic threat to prepare for, thanks to a set of new maps that depict a ferocious line of water that may, if earth moves in just the wrong way, someday surge inland along the state's coastline. Experts are saying that these new maps should be used to plan for emergency evacuations, not changes in land use planning. In at least one case, however, the Coastal Commission is already considering policies that would take tsunamis into account when approving developments.
Local CEQA Appeals Not Exempt From Filing Fees
Submitted by jstephens on 9 March 2010 - 4:49pmUpholding a 27-year-old California Supreme Court determination, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled that local agencies may impose a fee for the filing of an administrative appeal of a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) decision.
Local Planning Funds Will Flow Through Water Bond
Submitted by jstephens on 9 March 2010 - 1:37pmThe old saying in government is that in order to understand what’s going on, you’ve got to follow the money. In local planning throughout California, that’s becoming increasingly easy to do. Local government revenues – property tax, sales tax, development fees, redevelopment funds – are in steep decline.
First District Upholds CEQA Distinction Between ‘Agreement’ and ‘Project’
Submitted by jstephens on 9 March 2010 - 10:52amIn yet another California Environmental Quality Act case involving whether an agreement between a tribe and a city constitutes a “project,” the First District Court of Appeal has held that the law did not apply to an agreement requiring a city’s formal support of a proposed casino in exchange for the tribe’s funding of undefined city services and improvements.
Land Use Legislation For 2010
Submitted by jstephens on 8 March 2010 - 9:28amCP&DR's regular roundup of legislation pending in Sacramento.
