Quick Hits & Updates
A trial court
rejected without leave plans to amend the Orange County Council of Governments' lawsuit that challenges the Department of Housing and Community Development's requirement for Southern California Association of Government jurisdictions to account for 1,341,827 homes by 2029.
The descendants of Black families who were displaced from Santa Monica to make way for freeways and other urban renewal projects during the 1950s will be
offered priority placement in the city's affordable apartment units. About 600 families were forced to move when the city approved construction of I-10 in addition to those displaced when the city replaced Belmar Triangle with the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
Wealthy and white Los Angeles residents have shorter commute times than the city's low-income residents and residents of color, according to Md. Rabiul Islam and Jean-Daniel M. Saphores in their
research, "An L.A. Story: The Impact of Housing Costs on Commuting." The researchers analyze the relationship between housing costs and commutes and consider housing, transportation, public health, and climate implications.
San Francisco's Embarcadero must be
elevated as much as 7 feet to prepare for rising sea levels and protect the blocks behind the Embarcadero that hold some of the city's most valuable real estate. While there is not an exact timeline or analysis of how the changes would impact the waterfront attraction, the shoreline defense report is a precursor to a more detailed survey that will come out next month.
A group of Central Valley farmers and desalination supporters are
starting to collect signatures to propose a statewide ballot measure that would streamline the process for approving and funding big water projects, which could lead to a big showdown with environmental advocates over the state drought. The measure, "Water Infrastructure Funding Act of 2022," would require 2%, or $4 billion, of California's general fund to be used for projects that increase water supplies.
The city and county San Francisco
released an update to its Vision Zero Action Strategy intended to establish a citywide plan that makes crossing streets safer and promotes slower streets. The update brought together multiple government agencies with local advocacy and community groups and residents to more aggressively work to eliminate traffic deaths.
The U.S. Supreme Court
rejected an appeal by Bay Area developer John Sweeney, who was punished with a $3.6 million fine for polluting Suisun Bay to construct a duck-hunting club and kite-surfacing center on his 39-acre island, Point Buckler. Sweeney now must clean up the soil he deposited into the water.
The Oakland City Council
approved multiple ordinances that will allow RVs, mobile homes, manufactured homes, and tiny houses on residential properties in order to increasing housing options for the city's residents. The council eliminated a decades-old city law that required all residences to be built on a permanent foundation and placed its amendments under the protection of local rent control laws.
A Bay Area school district is
hoping to increase funding by finding a developer who will build over 1,100 apartment units on one of its campuses. The Jefferson Union High School District in Daly City is imagining a large multifamily housing project that would stand alongside retail, restaurants, parks, and trails on the 22-acre Serramonte Del Rey campus.
A block of closed and unused retail shops near the 16th Street Mission BART Station is getting closer to being redeveloped into low-income housing after Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Hillary Ronen
announced a plan for developer Crescent Heights to gift the 57,000-square-foot parcel to the city. If approved, the deal would produce housing for 330 low-income households on a site originally planned for market-rate housing that raised concerns over gentrification and displacement.
The Wildlands Conservancy
closed escrow on a 26,600-acre ranch in Northern California and will transform the space with a 10-bedroom lodge into an open space with mountains and valleys for the public. The family of investment giant Dean Witter sold the plot on the Eel River for $25 million to the conservation group that plans to welcome hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming, and camping on the site.
The Mojave Trails National Monument may be
designated as an International Dark Sky Sanctuary, which defines spaces that are remote, open to the public, and host a particularly good spot for viewing starry nights because they are very dark.
Bakersfield is
introducing an experimental program that will select 100 vulnerable, young residents to participate in a year-long study that examines how free access to public transit and electric scooters and bikes impacts their lives. The program reflects a nationwide interest in the concept of universal basic mobility, which would guarantee a minimum level of transportation accessibility.
The Los Angeles City Council
approved the city's first two Jobs and Economic Development Zones: one on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood and another on the Goodyear Tract in South Central. The JEDI Zone incentive program is intended to support small businesses by increasing access to capital, introducing loan program fees and interest reductions, and simplifying compliance and permitting processes.
The Biden Administration is
working on reversing a Trump-era decision that allowed Cadiz Inc. to pipe water across public desert land for sale. Though Cadiz claims the project will not damage nearby springs, their idea has faced severe opposition from Indigenous tribes, advocacy groups, and environmental organizations.
