CP&DR News Briefs April 21, 2026: Presidio Board; San Diego Vacancy Tax; Redondo Beach Builders Remedy Project; and More

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here.

Trump Fires Board Overseeing San Francisco's Presidio

President Donald Trump fired all six Biden-appointed members of the Presidio Trust board with no replacement trustees announced. The board is appointed by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior and oversees the Presidio, the 1,500-acre former military base in San Francisco. The overhaul comes one year after President Trump proclaimed that the Presidio Trust should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”. Though the board is appointed by the federal government to oversee federal lands, the park has not received federal funds since 2013, relying on residential and commercial lease profits and philanthropic donations. The park, which includes 3,100 residents and over 300 businesses, reported $182 million in operating revenue in 2024. Officials say the Presidio’s legal protections and independent financial model should allow it to continue operating. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

San Diego Voters to Consider Vacancy Tax The San Diego City Council voted, 8-1, to place a measure on the June ballot that would create a tax on empty homes. If approved, the city would impose an $8,000 tax on all vacant homes in 2027 and $10,000 from 2028 on, with additional charges on corporate-owned properties. The first round of taxes would be due April 2028. While average home prices hover around $1 million and rents for a one-bedroom apartment at $2,000 per month, city officials suggest a tax on the estimated over 5,000 vacant homes could generate revenue to fund affordable housing projects and discourage owners from keeping units empty. The Budget Analyst’s office estimates the measure could generate city funds around an estimated $9.2 million in its first year and $10.4 million in the second, while The IBA's range is $21.4 in the first year and $24.2 in the second.

Redondo Developer Drops Case In Exchange For No Sanctions

Developer Leo Pustilnikov has withdrawn a $120 million lawsuit against Redondo Beach claiming that the city had engaged in a “decades-long effort…to zone out of existence any economically viable alternative use” at the old AES power plant property. Leo Pustilnikov, who bought the property in 2020, signed a settlement agreement with the city to drop the claims in exchange for Redondo Beach not asking for money owed from court proceedings. Pustilnikov has proposed a large mixed-used development with over 2,500 housing units on the 51-acre site and filed plans under Builder's Remedy. The city countered that the site was not zoned for residential development. A city news release states that the property has been zoned for industrial use for decades and the case is being dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. Pustilnikov has four other active lawsuits against the city, but city officials have indicated that the settlement effectively prevents development on the AES site regardless of the outcome of those suits. “Mr. Pustilnikov was effectively threatening to bankrupt the city if we did not agree to his massive and illegal development scheme,” Mayor Jim Light told the Daily Breeze. “Now that the case has been permanently dismissed, the city is safe from this threat.” (See related CP&DR coverage.)

State Launches Conservancy to Manage Imperiled Salton Sea

The California Natural Resources Agency will create the Salton Sea Conservancy, the state’s first new conservancy in more than 15 years. The new agency, established through SB 583, is devoted to restoration of the Salton Sea, including improving air quality, restoring habitat, and protecting public health. The state has committed about $500 million for projects such as the large Species Conservation Habitat Project, which aims to create wetlands, ponds, and vegetation to stabilize exposed land and support wildlife. The Salton Sea has been shrinking in recent years, exposing toxic dust from the lakebed and harming wildlife. State officials say the conservancy will also help maintain and expand existing restoration projects, such as newly flooded habitat areas that have quickly attracted fish and birds. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

Large Data Center Nears Approval in "Lithium Valley"

The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted, 4–1, to advance a major data center project near the city of Imperial by approving a key “lot merger,” despite strong public opposition and ongoing legal and environmental concerns. The proposed data center would be one of the largest in the U.S., but the developer needs to secure power and water agreements and comply with additional regulatory steps before construction can proceed. Reports suggest the data center could require nearly twice the electricity used by all of Imperial County in 2024 and as much as 750,000 gallons of water each day. The data center is designed in part to complement the proposed "Lithium Valley" activities in the are. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

CP&DR Coverage: Fulton on Evolution of the Planning Commissioner

Recently, over 400 planning commissioners from around the state gathered for the League of California Cities’ annual Planning Commissioners Academy in Anaheim, and one thing can be reported with certainty: planning commissioners aren’t happy with how things are going. And who can blame them? Their ability to deny projects is extremely limited by the Housing Accountability Act, and in many cases, the streamlining and approval process means projects never come to them before. Traditionally, a planning commissioner's job is a combination of the quasi-judicial role of applying development code to specific projects and the advisory role of providing recommendations to elected officials. However, these days, planning commissioners hold three roles instead of two: 1. Applying the rules on residential projects; 2. Interpreting the rules on commercial and industrial projects; 3. Advising the electeds on objective design standards and plans.

Quick Hits & Updates

San Diego officials are weighing a new proposal to redevelop land near Mission Bay Park while ensuring that housing is not built on parts of the park itself. The effort centers on AB 2525, which would exempt Mission Bay Park from housing and preserve it primarily for recreation and open space. City leaders say the goal is to allow some surrounding underused properties to be redeveloped and revitalized, while protecting the park from residential construction, and allowing housing would require amending the City Charter, which would require approval by two-thirds vote of San Diego voters.

A nonprofit conservation group, Peninsula Open Space Trust, purchased a 71-acre farm in Coyote Valley for $5.3 million to preserve it as farmland and open space. The property, owned by the O’Connell family since the 1950s, currently grows crops such as bell peppers, corn, lettuce, and pumpkins used by the nearby Spina Farms Pumpkin Patch. This purchase is part of a larger effort to protect Coyote Valley as a farming region, wildlife corridor, and natural buffer between San Jose and Morgan Hill.

San Francisco is considering cutting its affordable housing requirement for new market-rate developments from 15% to as low as 5% after reductions made in 2023 failed to produce sufficient housing. A city advisory committee says lowering the requirement could make more projects financially feasible and help restart development. However, critics warn it could further reduce already limited affordable housing unless new funding sources are secured.

The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) announced more than $78 million in grant funding to build, plan, and improve parks and open space across the County. The funds, sourced from 2016 voter-approved property tax Measure A, will support 48 organizations including cities, non-profits, and public agencies to improve open spaces. Nearly two-thirds will go to communities identified as having high need, including extreme heat, poor air quality, and limited access to safe outdoor space.

A UCLA study argues that aspects of U.S. building codes are outdated, unsupported by strong scientific evidence, and unnecessarily increase housing construction costs while limiting innovation. The report says code rules accumulate over time without meaningful analysis, making mid-rise housing far more expensive than single-family homes and reducing design efficiency. It also claims the International Code Council’s rulemaking process gives outsized influence to industry groups, small jurisdictions, and officials who face pressure to avoid safety risks but not rising costs.

Tri-Valley officials are advancing Valley Link, a proposed new rail system that would connect Livermore and San Joaquin County commuters to the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station after plans to extend BART directly to Livermore were abandoned. If funding is secured, Valley Link could begin construction in 2028 and open its first segment by 2031. Supporters say the project could bring new patrons, improve traffic, and support growth in connected towns, but critics question whether the region should spend billions on a new rail line when existing transit systems like BART face major budget shortfalls.