RelAcross California, many homeowners are protesting local and statewide proposals to do away with single-family zoning, on the grounds that, among other things, the development of multi-unit homes might diminish "neighborhood character."

San Diego Housing Element Zones for 174,000 New Units One of the first cities to update its a housing element under the new RHNA cycle--and its significantly increased housing targets--the City of San Diego recently adopted a housing element of 174,678 units, which is more than the city's RHNA requires. San Diego will slightly adjust its housing policy to construct adequate units and align with state-mandated housing requirements. On June 8, the city council approved the planning department’s modifications to the city’s eight-year housing proposal. The amendments are small tweaks designed to ensure the completion of the 108,036 homes in San Diego required by the state by 2029. Though housing advocates have voiced concerns that city’s plan includes unsuitable development sites, the city maintains that it has allocated more than enough space to meet its quota. Housing Construction Grows, but Not Keeping Pace with Prices While private builders are turning out housing at the highest level in 13 years, the growing supply remains inadequate for the state’s housing crisis, and it isn’t bringing down costs according to an analysis by the Sacramento Bee . California added 103,000 units to its housing market in the past year, with slightly more single-family homes than apartments. Los Angeles built almost 17% of all new housing, while the Central Valley and foothills, particularly San Benito, Yuba, and Placer, saw the most housing per capita. This data evidences the trend of residents’ moving to less dense, cheaper locations, including those in the Sacramento region, which built 16,427 new units in 2019 and 2020. Despite extensive statewide housing growth, multiple years of insufficient construction leaves California in its housing crisis, which will continue to be informed by the high cost of construction and a decreasing population. Sacramento Considers Regionwide Bike Network The Sacramento Area Council of Governments is starting public outreach to determine bike travel interests in an online survey that will serve as a bike and walk signpost for planning of a unified bike trail network. The region already has a disconnected patchwork of off-street biking corridors that will serve as a starting point. It includes the 32-mile American River Bike Trail. Additional bike projects are in the works in Sacramento, Citrus Heights, and Orangevale. One ambitious plan in the works is a path between Yuba City and Marysville that would take advantage of an unused Union Pacific rail line. One key goal is to link under-resourced and lower-income neighborhoods to jobs, shopping, and recreation. Study Indicates Market-Rate Development May Lower Nearby Rents A meta-study of neighborhood-level impacts of market-rate housing by the UCLA Lewis Center found that the supply effects of market-rate housing are relatively small. The studies collectively indicate that market-rate development causes rents in nearby buildings to fall rather than rise. The findings, the authors note, do not imply that market-rate development should be permitted irrespective of local impacts, which vary. Local, project-specific impacts are impossible to predict but do support the argument that market-rate housing should be assumed to complement rather than undermine other affordability and economic empowerment strategies. If market-rate housing lowers nearby rents, it can help stabilize property values so that affordable housing construction and acquisition is less costly. CP&DR Coverage: Fulton on Google Urbanism in San Jose There is no bigger real estate development deal in California right now that the Google deal for a second, urban campus in downtown San Jose – 15 miles to the east of its headquarters in Mountain View. Last month, in a meeting that lasted almost seven hours, the San Jose City Council approved both the 720-age Google development agreement and a revision of the Diridon Area Station Plan to reflect Google’s plans. There’s no question that, with the approval, San Jose has made a major commitment to Google. The development agreement essentially guaranteed Google’s ability to build its 80-acre project – under California law, a development agreement establishes a vested right to build – and is also providing Google some critical parcels of land. But Google, it would seem, is giving up more. Quick Hits & Updates  While Caltrain’s electrification process promises to speed up trips across California, insufficient funding, inaccessible materials and train cars, and unexpected underground utilities are preventing the electric trains from running any time soon. Delays in the $2.3 billion project, which are now commonplace for Bay Area transportation proposals, mean that we won’t see Caltrain’s electric transportation on the road until late 2024. July 1, 2020 population estimates from the US Census Bureau indicate the pandemic trend of residents’ moving away from California’s biggest cities; throughout the year, Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Francisco all experienced population decreases, while San Diego’s population grew at a mere 0.2% in the past year, down considerably from its 9% growth during the decade. San Francisco, San Jose, and Long Beach were all members of the “largest one-year percentage losses.”  Due to extreme drought conditions, the Marin Municipal Water District is considering banning water hookups for new developments with some exceptions. If implemented, the ban could threaten and complicate increased housing production required by the state, including the 15,000 units proposed by the Association of Bay Area Governments for completion in Marin County between 2023-2031. Dominion over the Queen Mary has returned to Long Beach to better maintain the decaying, 87-year-old ship and floating hotel, which, without quick restoration, is at risk of capsizing. Not only does the Queen Mary require $23 million for immediate repairs, but a 2017 study suggests that essential flood-prevention upgrades come with a $289 million price tag. The Samuel Lawrence Foundation filed a lawsuit against the Coastal Commission, which approved demolition at the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS), over concerns about the environmental impact of radioactive waste disposal. While the Coastal Commission believes that Southern California Edison, SONGS’ majority owner, will properly manage the dismantling over the next eight years, the advocacy group believes that the owner is mishandling the 3.55 million pounds of waste at the site that is located next to the ocean.  San Francisco is the next city likely to make outdoor parklets – crucial pandemic infrastructure – a permanent option for outdoor dining. Though contention over amendments adopted by city supervisors is complicating approval, most officials hope to move forward with the program because of its value in pandemic recovery. A public hearing will be held on June 18 to discuss the adopted amendments, and the Board of Supervisors will vote on June 22. The Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach released budgets with significant expenditures on development and infrastructure upgrades. The Port of Los Angeles will spend a significant portion of its $1.7 billion budget on encouraging visitor attraction to Wilmington and San Pedro waterfront projects, while over half of the Port of Long Beach’s $622.4 million budget will be dedicated toward improving terminals and roads. Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Lompoc, was recently renamed in order to bolster the federal Defense Department’s establishment of the US Space Force. The base's economic impact on the surrounding Lompoc area could exceed $6 billion in the next decade, according to a new study by REACH. This economic reinforcement would result from the base’s employment and capital investment, long-term residency for Vandenberg employees, increasing regional job development, and rocket launch tourism. Hundreds of mid-city residents in San Diego are petitioning against the city’s new ADU policy, which officials hope will help with the housing crisis. The residents, who compose the group Neighbors for a Better San Diego, argue that allowing property owners to add bonus units to single-family properties will change neighborhood character, lead to inadequate parking, and increase traffic on routes to freeways. Researchers at the UCLA Center for Neighborhood Knowledge developed a tool for determining which of California’s neighborhoods experience heightened homeowner vulnerability. The goal of the Owner Vulnerability Index is to help policymakers center the most at-risk homeowners in their pandemic protection policies. The Milken Institute’s Center for Regional Economics released “Recalibrating Workforce Development Across California,” a report that recommends how to improve workforce stability and resilience after the pandemic underscored widespread employment vulnerability, particularly for marginalized communities. The report endorses policies that increase access to education and employment and reinforce public-private partnerships. The Dixon City Council voted to approve the General Plan 2040, whose strategies for future development include strengthening the downtown’s importance to the community, protecting natural resources and minimizing environmental concerns, and prioritizing economic development for local businesses. Los Angeles Metro will use Colorado Boulevard for Eagle Rock’s portion of the proposed Bus Rapid Transit line from North Hollywood to Pasadena. The committee will decide which lane configuration plan to move forward with in its Beautiful Boulevard plan and must approve the Final Environmental Impact Report. San Diego County will introduce a new office that centers environmental and climate justice to prioritize the health and safety of residents who have been systemically marginalized. The department will combat existing threats of pollution and toxic waste as well as ensure that future climate policy does not further harm low-income communities and communities of color. The City of Long Beach will allow sidewalk parklets popularized during the pandemic to remain throughout the summer and, for some businesses, exist permanently, after the City Council voted on May 18th to extend its Open Streets program. While multiple cities have now enforced sober living rules, the Department of Housing and Community Development is pushing back against some regulations, citing that their approach is discriminatory against disabled people, which, according to the state, includes recovering drug users and alcoholics. The state took its first step to resist local authorities with a “Notice of Violation” sent to the city of Encinitas and could proceed with more significant action in other cities, including the revocation of millions in housing funds and legal disputes. (See related CP&DR coverage .)

Orange County Cities to Sue State over Housing Allocations The board of the Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG) voted , 15-0, to sue the Department of Housing and Community Development over its most recent Regional Determination under the Regional Housing Needs Assessment. In its statement on the legal action, the board maintains that the HCD did not follow the statutes outlined in state law to develop the projected number of units needed in the next eight years to adequately house Orange County’s population. Though Orange County continues to adhere to the state’s housing requirements, the OCCOG believes that the latest state-determined zoning quotas will be unfair to local taxpayers. (See related CP&DR coverage and commentary .) Navy Proposes 10,000-Unit, Mixed-Use Redevelopment Near Old Town San Diego In a draft environmental impact report, the Navy proposed that the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command — a World War II-era bomber plant in Old Town San Diego –be reimagined as a high-density, mixed-use development featuring over 100 buildings, 10,000 residences, 2.5 million square feet of office and retail space, and mass transit. The Navy chose this blueprint with tall buildings, ambitious housing, and transportation plans over options that lacked these features, maintaining that this proposal not only provides essential services to NAVWAR and its employees and visitors but is also suitable for an unpredictable future due to its versatility. The recommendation is still conceptual and is now available for public comment through July 13. Long Beach to Transform Defunct Industrial Zone around Airport The Long Beach City Council voted unanimously to advance a plan that will direct the development of 437 acres of land west of Long Beach Airport. The former Boeing C-17 facility and the surrounding land was initially going to be rezoned immediately, but the council instead provides a 10-year transition period for parcels under 10 acres to accommodate the new plan. The Globemaster Corridor Identification Plan includes several different districts within the area. It includes a Business Park area that is planned to be "a campus-style district" with businesses ranging from Research and Development to warehousing to aviation uses. Several other districts of the plan include commercial districts that offer retail, hotel, and service uses. An open space district would offer recreation, cultural, and community service activities. CP&DR Event: The -Plex Paradox: Writing the Code to Undo Single-Family Zoning (June 17) The upzoning of potentially millions of single-family lots poses a monumental technical challenge to California’s planners. Zoning changes must account for density, design, parking, infrastructure, fire danger, and topography — among other complicating factors. It’s a challenge that some cities are already willingly taking on and that others will have to take on if Senate Bill 9 or a successor passes. Please join us at noon Thursday, June 17 to discuss how planners in early-adopter cities are approaching this challenge and how planners and urban designers around the state can prepare for what may be one of the major planning trends of the coming years. Presented by the California Planning & Development Report , the California Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley. Click for details and registration info. Quick Hits & Updates The Blackstone Group, one of the largest landlords in San Diego County, intends to purchase 5,800 units for over $1 billion, marking a momentous real estate transaction. The private equity firm's assets in the area currently total $4.5 billion, and the group plans to spend $100 million to renovate its upcoming purchases. The firm also expressed its goal to ensure affordable housing with free in-building services. (See related CP&DR commentary .) Northern California's McCloud River has been named one of American Rivers' ten "most endangered rivers." A Trump-era decision to raise the height of Shasta Dam on the McCloud could have devastating implications for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe. Though the river is federally protected from dams, the height increase, if left unmitigated by the Biden Administration, would flood 5,000 acres of nearby forest and riverside habitats. The City of Long Beach is proposing to supplement its density bonus program with new transportation incentives, allowing housing development to expand in neighborhoods close to bus and rail lines. The proposal, which is still in its approval phase, underscores a connection between population density and public transit. A Court of Appeal sided with the Coastal Commission and will require the City of Santa Barbara to permit more vacation rental properties. The city lost to its own 2015 decision which determined that any development proposal must apply for a Coastal Development Permit, and its attempt to restrict vacation rentals is considered a development. The Coastal Commission maintains that allowing for more rental properties will increase access to affordable vacations in the area. The Coastal Commission's decision to prohibit off-roading at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area faces legal challenges from Friends of Oceano Dunes. The organization, whose lawsuit is the fourth response to the decision, argues that the site should be legally designated for OHV use. A longstanding argument between the City of San Francisco and the state over the Tuolumne River came to a head yet again when the city filed a lawsuit, maintaining that the state's actions would result in water shortages for San Francisco residents, while the state claims that the city must restrict its river water extraction in order to maintain the Tuolumne's natural ecosystem. The lawsuit signifies a longstanding debate over how to allocate the limited resource, especially with increasing pressure from climate change. Fresno's 81-year-old Tower Theatre may achieve historical landmark status if the court permits the City of Fresno to enter and appraise the building. The city filed its order in the midst of heightening controversy over the Tower Theatre's sale. Failing that, the city may invoke eminent domain. A Fresno County Superior Court judge  ruled that the City of Clovis has been violating California Housing Element Law and will be required to meet its RHNA requirement for more than 4,000 homes. The judge ordered that Clovis implement a new housing program in the next 120 days to include 4,425 low-income housing units. The San Jose city council approved " The Breeze of Innovation ," a new iconic landmark that won an international competition in 2019. The structure will consist of 500 flexible rods, each 200-feet-high, that say in the breeze. The energy created by the motion will be used to provide electricity to the building and light up the rods at night. (See prior CP&DR commentary .) A study from the University of Redlands compares warehouse locations with data about health, wealth, poverty, online shopping, race and ethnicity. They illustrate a troubling trend: low income, Black, and Latino populations are disproportionately burdened by the pollution that comes with the logistics industry, especially in the Inland Empire and some freeway corridors of Los Angeles County. Californians see BART and Caltrain as redundant organizations, according to a new Bay Area Council poll that found 83 percent of respondents support combining BART and Caltrain into a single integrated system. Support rises to 86 percent when respondents are told that a merged system “would provide for a more efficient, convenient and better service and allow continuous rail around the bay.” Following a scathing city audit that laid out flaws in Oakland's homeless encampment management strategy, which has largely consisted of moving people from one street to another, Oakland City Council is proposing a range of new ideas using vacant lots to house the city's homeless residents. Tiny homes, yurts, RV parks and more could pop up everywhere from Lake Merritt to East Oakland. Five environmental groups have filed a lawsuit in a Montana federal court alleging that the way that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permits for oil and gas pipelines nationwide violates the Clean Water Act. The battle centers on whether pipeline builders should be allowed to use a generic permit, known to regulators as Nationwide Permit 12, when pipelines cross rivers, streams, and wetlands. According to a recent analysis, Redwood City  is the rare Bay Area city that is exceeding its housing goals: more than a dozen major apartment buildings have popped up over the past six years in downtown Redwood City. For the current period, Redwood City is on course to build 4,143 housing units, about 33 percent more than the allocation goal of 2,789. These numbers are in contrast with many of its neighbors in the San Francisco Peninsula region. The scenic San Diego County mountain town of Julian was recently certified as California’s second dark-sky community, following the lead of nearby Borrego Springs. Residents established the Julian Dark Sky Network in 2016, working with the county for several years to enact an outdoor lighting ordinance that met the standards of the International Dark-Sky Association. Despite being based in the city, Bird scooters will have to vacate Santa Monica streets by July 1. A selection committee chose Veo, Spin, and Lyft as providers for the city's second shared mobility pilot program. Collectively, the companies are allowed to place 2,000 scooters and e-bikes across the city. San Jose's historic flea market, known as "La Pulga" to many Hispanic residents, may undergo a radical change to pave way for high-density neighborhood of apartment buildings, offices, and retail shops at its current site. The San Jose Planning Commission is recommending that the city council approve a revised rezoning plan for the 61.5-acre site.

While the Bay Area boomed over the decades, diminutive San Benito County kept a low-profile. Now, the days of rural quietude may be ending, whether residents like it or not.

There is no bigger real estate development deal in California right now that the Google deal for a second, urban campus in downtown San Jose – 15 miles to the east of its headquarters in Mountain View. Last month, in a meeting that lasted almost seven hours, the San Jose City Council approved both the 720-age Google development agreement and a revision of the Diridon Area Station Plan to reflect Google’s plans. There’s no question that, with the approval, San Jose has made a major commitment to Google. The development agreement essentially guaranteed Google’s ability to build its 80-acre project – under California law, a development agreement establishes a vested right to build – and is also providing Google some critical parcels of land. But Google, it would seem, is giving up more. Uncharacteristically for large development agreements, the city is not paying for infrastructure – Google is. And Google is ponying up a community benefits fund of around $200 million, to be paid out over the life of the project. The extraordinary part of the deal is not what San Jose has promised to Google but what Google has promised to San Jose. Diridon Station is located a few blocks west of Highway 87 – essentially on the other side of the freeway from most of Downtown San Jose. Diridon serves as the southern terminus for Caltrain and is also a center for the San Jose area’s light-rail and bus systems. While Downtown has experienced considerable dense development in recent years, little development has occurred around Diridon – it’s mostly still surrounded by parking lots.

City councils across California have adopted, or are considering, policies to loosen single-family zoning and ease the way for duplexes and other small multi-unit configurations. But how? The upzoning of potentially millions of single-family lots poses a monumental technical challenge to California’s planners. Zoning changes must account for density, design, parking, infrastructure, fire danger, and topography — among other complicating factors. It’s a challenge that some cities are already willingly taking on and that others will have to take on if Senate Bill 9 or a successor passes. Please join us to discuss how planners in early-adopter cities are approaching this challenge and how planners and urban designers around the state can prepare for what may be one of the major planning trends of the coming years. Presented by the California Planning & Development Report , the California Chapter of the American Planning Association, and the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley.    AICP Credit will be available.  Panelists Edward Manasse , Deputy Director of the Planning Bureau, City of Oakland Tom Pace , Director of Community Development, City of Sacramento Karen Parolek , Principal and CFO, Opticos Design  Sandra Wood , Principal Planner, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, City of Portland, Oregon  Moderator Bill Fulton , Publisher, California Planning & Development Report  Date: Thursday, June 17, 2021  Time: Noon - 1:15pm PDT Register: https://berkeley.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8Xb9kv6_Q0ucjXRx1ulGdA (program is free, but RSVP required)  Location: Via Zoom   Related CP&DR Coverage Sacramento Moves Forward With Abolishing Single-Family Zoning How Berkeley Will Move Away From Single-Family Zoning What Is Opposition To Duplexes Really About? Close Call For SB 1120 May Mean More Focus On Duplexes  Image courtesy of  Opticos.

San Jose Gives Final Approval to Google Downtown West Complex On May 25, the San Jose City Council approved plans for Google’s 80-acre mixed-use mega-campus, Downtown West. With approvals from multiple stakeholders — housing and labor organizers, businesses, and the surrounding community — advocates of Downtown West are referring to the public-private partnership as “the gold standard.” The proposal, which is part of the larger Diridon Station Area Plan, includes housing, transportation, retail, office space, and public park development as well as a job creation program and a fund to help transition community members out of homelessness. While the plan has had one key opponent — the NHL’s San Jose Sharks, which expressed concerns about local parking supply — the city has curbed any potential hurdles with the team by ensuring that a sufficient amount of parking will remain near the arena. Moving forward, we can expect infrastructure construction to begin in 2022 and the appearance of some buildings in 2023. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) Biden Administration Supports Wind Power off California Coast In its effort to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and invest in renewable energy, the Biden administration, with support from Gov. Gavin Newsom, intends to develop offshore wind power facilities in the Pacific Ocean about 20 miles off the coasts of Morro Bay and Humboldt County. Large wind turbines — 600 to 700 feet tall — would generate enough clean electricity to power 1.6 million homes, and the initiative would provide a significant number of jobs for electricians and construction workers. Though the Department of Defense will no longer challenge the Morro Bay site, circulating now are worries from the commercial fishing industry. Biden’s plan also aligns with the climate goals of Gov. Jerry Brown, who set a zero-emission energy source requirement by 2045. OPR Planning Survey Reveals Attitudes about Pandemic, Affordable Housing The Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released  results of its 2020 Annual Planning Survey . Many of the survey questions centered on the COVID-19 pandemic and local capacity to address statewide concerns. By a wide margin, cities reported that streamlining housing was the most widely taken action in response to COVID-19, surpassing transit transit service and climate change mitigation and adaptation as responses. One hundred and forty-nine cities and 30 county respondents bolstered programs to support persons at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. Ninety-nine jurisdictions increased focus on temporary shelters and supportive housing, 76 focused on affordable housing supply, and 57 utilized project Home Key and Room Key funding. General Plan updates have continued mostly unabated. With regards to climate change, many local agencies have streamlined permitting for solar and electric vehicle charging stations. Moreover, nearly half of all respondents developed a climate action plan or included GHG reduction measures in their general plan. Unsurprisingly, interest in technical assistance (TA), particularly with regards to housing, has ticked up since COVID has pushed activities on-line. Overall interest in was above 70 percent for each planning topic. Court Upholds Ballot Initiative Taxing Commercial Rent in S.F. for Child Care A state Supreme Court decision validates Proposition C, a San Francisco ballot initiative designed to raise $146 million a year to fund child care and education through taxes on commercial rents. It was challenged in court by anti-tax advocates who argued that ballot measures raising local taxes require approval of two-thirds of the voters. But California appellate courts have recently ruled that the two-thirds requirement does not apply to measures placed on local ballots by signatures on initiative petitions because those are actions by the voters, not local governments. The First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco reached that conclusion last June in upholding another citywide initiative, a November 2018 measure raising business taxes to fund programs for the homeless. Another division of the court issued a similar ruling in January upholding Prop. C of June 2018. Quick Hits & Updates  The City of Long Beach is proposing to supplement its density bonus program with new transportation incentives, allowing housing development to expand in neighborhoods close to bus and rail lines. The Enhanced Density Bonus ordinance covers properties with at least five units located within a half-mile of a high-quality transit corridor or major transit stops. A long-simmering argument between the City and County of San Francisco and the state over the Tuolumne River came to a head again when the city filed a lawsuit, maintaining that the state's actions would result in water shortages for San Francisco residents. The state claims that the city must restrict its river water extraction in order to protect the Tuolumne's ecosystem. Fresno's 81-year-old downtown Tower Theatre may achieve historical landmark status if the court permits the City of Fresno to enter and appraise the building. The City filed its order in the midst of heightening controversy over the theater’s anticipated sale to Adventure Community Church sale. The Livermore City Council will make a decision about the removal of planning commissioner John Stein after he made derogatory comments concerning a vote on affordable housing developments. Stein was the only member to vote "no" on the proposal, saying affordable housing would create a "ghetto." Other council members have voiced their concern that Stein's comments signify a larger issue about his approach to marginalized communities. Converting underused office spaces to housing units could stimulate Los Angeles’s economic recovery, according to a new report from the Central City Association and Gilmore Associates. The increase in empty offices due to the pandemic provokes conversations about expanding adaptive reuse across Los Angeles, since an estimated 80% of Los Angeles residents can continue to work from home. While expectations for declining rent prices in coastal and central areas remain, cost increases are projected for just about everywhere else in LA County, according to the USC Casden Multifamily Forecast . The forecast considers the uncertainty that follows pandemic-era realities, including the departure of jobs and amenities from downtown and central LA, relocations to areas outside of the city, and the thousands of dollars still owed in rent. The Wilton Rancheria  tribe will move forward with plans to develop its Sky River Casino in Elk Grove after a D.C. Court of Appeals ruled against efforts by Stand Up for California! to stop the Interior Department from acquiring land for its construction. Though Stand Up has made multiple attempts in opposition to the casino, Wilton Rancheria says that its continued legal victories indicate a move toward greater autonomy for the only federally-recognized tribe in Sacramento County. The Congress for the New Urbanism , a Washington-based organization that champions walkable urbanism, is welcoming long-time Californian Rick Cole as the new executive director. Cole embraced New Urbanism as Mayor of Pasadena; he served as City Manager in Azusa, Ventura, and Santa Monica; and served as Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation for the City of Los Angeles. Gov. Gavin Newsom has ordered California's top oil regulator to implement regulation to stop issuing new fracking permits by 2024. He has also directed the state's air resources agency to look at ways to phase out oil extraction completely by 2045. The order comes just after a more aggressive plan to ban oil and gas production died in the state Senate. Federal officials approved the $550 million Crimson Solar Project that will have the capacity to power approximately 87,500 homes from public land in the Mojave Desert west of Blythe. The project, slated to be erected on 2,000 acres, is located within an area designated for development within the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan. San Francisco and San Diego parks scored top marks in a national ranking of public park systems by Commercial Cafe. San Francisco ranked in the top 5 for its investments in the local park system and its park-to-city area ratio, as well as its above-average percentage of walking commuters. San Diego earned the 14th-highest score, ranking well for walking commute time, as well as park area and spending. The mayors of the Bay Area’s three largest cities are pushing back after they were denied key affordable housing funds. The denial of funds means four projects in San Jose, five in San Francisco, and five in Oakland now are on hold. In total, 1,600 units for low-income and homeless residents are stalled, and another 1,4000 are at risk. A new statewide survey by USC and the California Emerging Technology Fund showed 55 percent of workers with access to broadband have been working fully or partly at home. The findings suggest telecommuting could reduce vehicle trips - relative to pre-pandemic levels - by 55 percent. Poseidon Water won a key approval in its quest to build a desalination plant on the Huntington Beach coastline. But the permit does not ensure that the facility will break ground. Poseidon still needs a construction permit from the California Coastal Commission and a binding deal with a public agency to buy 50 million gallons a day of desalinated water.

When is a house not a house?

CP&DR Vol. 36 No. 5 May 2021

Traditionally, California’s “May Revise,” the governor’s update to the budget proposed in January, is a quiet, bureaucratic affair. This year, Gov. Gavin Newsom has turned up the volume -- and the expenditures. It hinges on a projected $75.7 billion surplus, reflecting many Californians’ unexpectedly high incomes and investment profits in 2020, plus $25 billion in pandemic relief monies from the federal government, bringing the total state budget to $268 billion. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) In a series of recent announcements, Newsom carved out that $100 billion calling it the “ California Comeback Plan ,” with new investments in a wide variety of projects and services. (The Legislative Analysts Office cautioned that the $75 billion surplus is really only about half that number, because the other half must be spent on schools, savings, or debt repayment.) More than 10% of the California Comeback monies will be dedicated to housing and homelessness, among other expenditures related to transportation, environmental justice, and planning initiatives to mitigate climate change. Budget categories related to land use include the following: Housing & Homelessness  The Governor’s plan will invest $12 billion to tackle the homelessness crisis, helping more than 65,000 people get off the streets or avoid homelessness altogether. The seeks to rebuild the behavioral health housing system that has been dismantled over decades. It also comes with new accountability measures to ensure local governments are spending the money effectively. California will seek to achieve functional zero on family homelessness within five years through a new $3.5 billion investment in homeless prevention, rental support through CalWORKs and new housing opportunities for people at risk of homelessness. The package will expand Project Homekey and unlock more than 46,000 new homeless housing units, including nearly 5,000 new affordable homes for people at risk of or exiting homelessness. Finally, the plan calls for partnering with local governments to clean litter, commission public art and revitalize downtowns, freeways and neighborhoods across California and will put $3.5 billion into building more affordable housing for low-income families and create homeownership opportunities. Climate Resilience & Community Resilience $1.3 billion in targeted investments for communities that are facing the impacts of climate change. This includes proposals addressing extreme heat, sea level rise, and community-driven infrastructure investments in the most disadvantaged communities, which are often the hardest hit by climate change and other health, environmental, and economic challenges. A subset called the Community Resilience Package includes $495 million over three years in investments that foster economic and climate-resilient communities through the California Strategic Growth Council, Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the California Environmental Protection Agency. The vast majority of these funds consist of a $420 million investment in the Transformative Climate Communities Program, which funds place-based, sustainable, community-driven, catalytic projects in the most disadvantaged communities. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Regional Climate Collaboratives Program will receive a $20 million investment for collaboratives of multi-disciplinary partners to enable under-resourced communities to build capacity to advance community-led resilience and equity goals. $20 million investment for Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Program Planning Grants to help fill local, regional, and tribal funding needs, provide communities the resources to identify climate priorities, and support climate-resilient infrastructure projects across the state. The Governor also proposes $22 million for the Fifth Climate Change Assessment, which provides the foundation for science-informed policy and investment decisions that protect public health and safety, reduce risks to vulnerable communities. Transportation & High Speed Rail $4.2 billion for the High Speed Rail project, $3.1 billion for high-priority rail and active transportation projects, and $2.4 billion to repair the state highways and local bridges, and accelerate rail projects. Taken together, these investments will result in thousands of new jobs and spur even more economic activity throughout the state. Environmental Justice An additional $200 million, bringing the total to $500 million, to accelerate cleanup of contaminated properties throughout the state in impacted communities and proposes an additional $291 million for cleanup of additional properties near the former Exide facility in Vernon. The May Revision further invests in protecting Californians from harmful pesticides by implementing a notification system to provide important information about local pesticide use. It also includes $200 million to plug abandoned orphaned oil and gas wells, many located near low-income residential areas. Environment & Emissions  $5.1 billion in the coming years to address water supply statewide — including drinking water, waste water and drought mitigation in communities. The budget proposes spending $794 million in upgrades in farming, improved drought resiliency, sustainable pest management and more. The governor is also proposing $3.2 billion over the next three years to expand the state’s zero emission vehicle goals, including more zero-emission short-haul vehicles and alternative fuels infrastructure.

Newsom Signs Bill to Expand CEQA Streamlining for Housing In what may be a preview of a strongly pro-housing 2021 legislative season, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 7, which extends expedited California Environmental Quality Act review for key developments and expands the streamlining process to include small-scale housing projects – boosting the state’s economic recovery with the creation of more housing and good jobs. SB 7, known as the Housing + Jobs Expansion & Extension Act and a centerpiece of the senate’s “Building Housing for All” package of 11 bills, extends through 2025 the provisions of legislation enacted in 2011 (AB 900) that created an expedited judicial review process under CEQA for large, multi-benefit housing, clean energy and manufacturing projects. To allow smaller housing projects to qualify for streamlining, SB 7 lowers the threshold for eligible housing projects to those with investments between $15 million and $100 million that include at least 15 percent affordable housing and are infill projects. AB 900 has resulted in the approval of nearly 20 major new clean energy and infill housing projects, creating over 10,000 new housing units and thousands of high-wage construction and permanent jobs. (See related CP&DR coverage .) SPUR Envisions Collaborative Effort to Add 2.2 Million Units to Bay Area by 2070 SPUR  released its long-awaited Regional Strategy, an ambitious set of policy proposals to create a more equitable, sustainable, and prosperous Bay Area by the year 2070. The numerous proposals include building 2.2 million new housing units, ending exclusionary zoning practices, eliminating fossil fuels use, preventing future wildfires through land use planning, building housing and job centers around transit, and fundamentally re-envisioning Bay Area transit. The report is based around five big ideas, primarily that housing is infrastructure, that protecting vulnerable Bay Area residents is important, and that Bay Area communities should be inclusive and diverse. The second big idea is growth as opportunity. The third centers around closing the wealth and well-being gap to build economic security for all people. Finally, equitable environmental goals must include a 21st-century transportation system where it's easy, fast, and enjoyable to get around without driving alone. Developer of Controversial Warehouse Complex Settles Lawsuit After over five years of legal battles, developer Highland Fairview and a coalition of environmental groups signed a $47 million settlement agreement that brings the World Logistics Center a step closer to development. If completed, the 40.6 million square feet of warehouse space--about 700 football fields--would be one of the world's largest logistics centers. The settlement requires Highland Fairview to invest up to $12.1 million in electric vehicles, use solar electricity to generate at least 50% of each warehouse’s demand, create electric vehicle charging infrastructure, electrify the complex and take measures to reduce the World Logistics Center’s impact on air quality, local wildlife and area residents. Highland Fairview doesn’t yet have the green light to begin construction as another legal challenge is still underway. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) CP&DR Coverage: Parking Reform Hits the Gas Cities across California are lowering, or even eliminating,  parking minimums in an effort to de-emphasize the use of cars and promote dense development. Some cities' reforms are citywide, while others apply to localized areas such as downtowns, other commercial centers, and transit nodes. One of the first major reforms came nine years ago, when Los Angeles reduced parking densities around 20 or so rail stations. Santa Monica followed suit in 2016 by eliminating parking minimums in the downtown area. In the last two years, however, California has seen a dramatic increase in activity around parking reform. At the same time that cities are reconsidering their approaches to parking, the state legislature is doing the same. Assembly Bill 1401, currently in committee, would prohibit cities from imposing minimum parking requirements on any development within a half-mile of public transit. Quick Hits & Updates Major League Baseball has granted the Oakland A’s permission to explore relocation to other markets as they continue to pursue a deal with the city to build a waterfront ballpark in downtown Oakland. Opening the possibility for relocation could add urgency as the A's have asked the Oakland City Council to vote on the ballpark proposal by July. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals paused a sweeping order by a district court judge that would require the city and county of Los Angeles to house everyone on Skid Row by fall. The reprieve is only temporary: a three-judge panel issued a stay in the district court judge’s preliminary injunction until June 15, while a hearing in the case overseen by Carter proceeds on May 27. San Jose's planning commission gave its blessing to the updated Diridion Station Area Plan , greatly increasing the capacity for both residential and commercial development around Diridion Station. The City Council will voted on the amended DSAP during the same meeting it votes on Google's San Jose campus proposal, which could happen as soon as late May. While California's population is trending downward, the latest data shows that people who move to California are more likely to be working age, to be employed, and to earn high wages--and are less likely to be in poverty--than those who move away. Those who move to California also tend to have higher education levels than those who move out. San Diego leaders voted, 3-2, to adopt a countywide temporary rent cap of roughly 4 percent and new rules to make evictions more difficult for landlords during the pandemic. Landlords under the new law can no longer evict tenants for “just cause” reasons, such as lease violations, and can only be removed if they are an “imminent health or safety threat.” It also blocks a homeowner from moving back into their property and kicking a renter out. A Court of Appeal sided with the Coastal Commission and ruled that the City of Santa Barbara must permit more vacation rental properties in order to facilitate coastal access. The city lost a 2015 decision which determined that any development proposal must apply for a Coastal Development Permit; the court determined that the city’s attempt to restrict vacation rentals is considered a “development.” The Coastal Commission's recent decision to prohibit off-roading at theOceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area is facing legal challenges from Friends of Oceano Dunes. The organization, which filed two other pending lawsuits against the Coastal Commission, argues that the site should be legally designated for OHV use. The Blackstone Group , one of the largest residential landlords in San Diego County, intends to purchase 5,800 units for over $1 billion, marking a momentous real estate transaction. The private equity firm's assets in the area currently total $4.5 billion, and the group plans to spend $100 million to renovate its upcoming purchases. The firm also expressed its goal to ensure affordable housing with free in-building services. (See related CP&DR commentary .) San Francisco Supervisor Rafael Mandelman is proposing a policy that allows for the construction of four-unit buildings on corner lots that are currently dedicated to single-family housing. Mandelman claims that his legislation would address development disparities in the city, where multifamily housing production on the east side is limited, but many find his approach to be too weak to make significant improvements to San Francisco housing. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The McCloud River, in Siskouyu and Shasta counties, has been named to American Rivers’ 10 “ Most Endangered ” list. A Trump-era decision to raise the height of Shasta Dam on the McCloud River could have devastating implications for theWinnemem Wintu tribe. Though the river is federally protected from dams, the height increase, if left unmitigated by the Biden Administration, would flood 5,000 acres of nearby forest and riverside habitats. The Clovis City Council will appeal a court ruling that rejects the state's approval of Clovis' Housing Element. The city faced opposition from Central California Legal services, which argued that the city’s housing policies exclude low-income households. Clovis maintains that, in collaboration with the private sector, it will develop affordable housing. The court, meanwhile, expressed that state law requires the city to allocate sites for low-income housing, but those proposed for its Housing Element could also be designated for lower-density housing.

Sen. Nancy Skinner’s SB 330 – the so-called “Housing Crisis Act of 2019” – is one of the most sweeping housing reform bills enacted by the state in the last few years. Among other things, it essentially prohibits cities from reducing housing densities and placing moratoriums on most housing-related development applications.