CP&DR News Briefs June 2, 2026:Concord Navy Base; S.D. Upzoning; Modesto Expansion, and More

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Concord Approves 12,000-Home Redevelopment of Navy Base

An agreement between the US Navy and New York-based developer Brookfield Properties to redevelop the 12,800-acre abandoned Concord Naval Weapons Station into 12,272 housing units (3,000 affordable), parkland and other facilities gained unanimous approval by the Concord City Council. The development agreement sets a 40% local hire construction goal and includes a 75-acre first responder training facility, a 4-acre veterans community center, a sports park, a 5,038 acre park, 16 acres for permanently supportive housing and 10 acres for food bank expansion. In addition to $628 million over nearly 30 years promised by Brookfield, the city has promised a down payment of $4.6 million to the Navy and four guaranteed deferred payments of $10 million plus interest for land, beginning in 2033 and ending in 2036. The naval station, which opened in 1944 and closed in 1999, has been marked for redevelopment since 2006. Though the agreement has been approved the developer’s specific plan is not expected to be presented until summer 2029, with the entire construction projected to span 30 years.

San Diego Seeks to Postpone SB 79 Upzoning in Low-Resource Areas

The City of San Diego may delay implementation of many provisions of Senate Bill 79, which will dramatically increase housing allowed near trolley stations and some major bus stops, raising potential capacity from about 494,000 units to 861,000 units. in compliance with a provision that allows cities to delay certain provisions of SB 79, city planning officials have proposed that 16% of land near transit stops would be upzoned immediately. These are largely areas with abundant amenities and higher average incomes that can accommodate new housing. Roughly 26% of transit-adjacent land in low-income or “low-resource” neighborhoods would not see the changes until 2031 and 52% of land with issues like wildfire risk, historic buildings, or sea-level rise concerns would likely be delayed until 2027. Zoning would not change in lower-income areas until 2031. City planning officials have argued that some areas need more infrastructure planning before major growth occurs. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

Modesto to Add over 12,000 Acres to Sphere of Influence

The Modesto City Council voted 5-1 to advance the largest of three growth alternatives for its 2050 General Plan, expanding the city’s sphere of influence by 12,240 acres. The map allots 4,650 acres for mixed-use development. Opponents criticized the inclusion of areas within and around Wood Colony, a historic Old German Baptist farming community founded in 1869, arguing that development pressures could permanently alter its agricultural character. Supporters, including business groups, police union representatives and property owners, said the expansion is needed to attract commercial and industrial development, strengthen city revenues and increase housing supply. Former Mayor Garrad Marsh argued the proposal would accommodate an 80% increase in housing despite a steady decline in California’s population decline over the past decade.

Sacramento Seeks Major League Baseball Team, Envisions Stadium District

The city of Sacramento in cooperation with civic and business leaders has launched the “Sacramento Pitch” campaign to bring a permanent Major League Baseball franchise to the Sacramento region. The proposal centers on a 50-acre stadium site in downtown West Sacramento with claims of nearly $2 billion in public and private financial backing, with $1 billion that city officials expect to generate through financing, hotel taxes and other revenue sources. A potential challenge for Sacramento’s bid is attendance at the Athletics’ temporary home, Sutter Health Park, where the team averaged 9,487 fans per game last season and 10,634 this season, both ranking last in the American League despite the ballpark’s 14,014-seat capacity.

Western Lands Lose Protections Enacted by Biden Administration

The Trump Administration has overturned a Biden-era policy that facilitated the protection and preservation of hundreds of millions of acres of public lands across California and the West. The rollback of the Public Lands Rule on the Federal Register was first proposed in September, citing “inappropriately elevated conservation” and laws which prevented logging, drilling and mining on Bureau of Land Management property. The Public Lands rule applied to about 15% of California’s total land, which will now be subject to several initiatives that serve to increase development, ignoring ecological safeguards.

CP&DR Coverage: Cities and Counties Push Back Against Newsom On Housing Elements

The Department of Housing and Community Development surprised 15 mostly small jurisdictions around the state with a “Notice of Violation” – a final warning to adopt their overdue housing elements or face dire consequences, including lawsuits from Attorney General Rob Bonta and heavy fines for non-compliant housing elements, which are allowed under SB 1037 from 2024. Most jurisdictions pushed back, saying they have been going back and forth with HCD on their housing elements, some only days before the Notices of Violation were issued. Others said approval of their housing elements was imminent. Of the 15 jurisdictions, 13 are located in San Joaquin Valley counties, all of which have individual councils of governments. The other two are Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County and Montclair in San Bernardino County.

Quick Hits & Updates

The Department of Housing and Community Development released its California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Rezone Exemption Memorandum. Recent legislative changes enacted last year through Assembly Bill (AB) 130 and Senate Bill (SB) 131 made significant reforms to CEQA to accelerate the development of housing, including housing affordable to lower-income households. These measures create and expand CEQA exemptions aimed at reducing delays and legal challenges that have historically impeded housing production, particularly in higher-need areas.

The Sacramento City Council voted on April 29 to deny appeals against a proposed six-story, 68-foot-tall apartment and retail project in East Sacramento, allowing the development to move forward despite opposition from neighborhood groups. Critics argued the project conflicts with local zoning rules, poses traffic and infrastructure challenges, and threatens the character of the historic Casa Loma Terrace neighborhood.

The ACLU of Southern California filed a complaint against the City of Riverside over the rejection of a $20.1 million state HomeKey+ grant that would have created permanent affordable housing. The proposed redevelopment of a Quality Inn would have created 114 units of permanent supportive housing for veterans and people with disabilities, along with long-term services and affordability protections. Advocates allege city council members made biased remarks and relied on stereotypes about future residents, potentially violating state anti-discrimination laws. The ACLU argues the decision worsened Riverside’s affordable housing shortage and disproportionately harmed vulnerable populations.

Governor Newsom announced the following appointments: Jonathan Klein has been appointed Executive Director of the Housing Development and Finance Committee; he previously served as Founder and Principal of Community Finance Solutions Inc. David Zisser has been appointed Deputy Director of Housing Policy Development at the California Department of Housing and Community Development; he previously served as Assistant Deputy Director for Local Government Relations and Accountability at the department since 2021.

San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood is promoting the Slashing Housing Appeals & Delays Everywhere or SHADE Act, legislation aimed at speeding up housing approvals by preventing shadow analysis from being used as grounds for appeals under the California Environmental Quality Act. Mahmood argues that San Francisco’s unique shadow-review rules have delayed or stalled more than 2,000 housing units over the past decade, though all challenged projects were eventually approved.

At the 2026 National Planning Conference in Detroit, Los Angeles-based planner James Rojas received the APA President’s Award for his innovative community-centered planning work as the creator of Placeit, an interactive design and public engagement process that uses art and interactive engagement to help residents better understand and shape urban spaces.