Gov. Jerry Brown announced a $5.2 billion transportation package that would raise gas taxes and place a sliding charge linked to a vehicle’s value on drivers. The state is short an estimated $3.5 billion in annual maintenance and repair needs, on top of the $12 billion backlog according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Most of the funds raised would go to pay for state and local road maintenance and repairs, as well as public transit and goods-movement projects. The gas tax, the base excise tax of 18 cents—an amount dating back to 1994—would increase to 30 cents on November 1st. The deal also calls for the Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2018 that would prohibit spending the new revenues on anything but transportation. Environmental groups have come out against the governor’s proposal because of a provision that would give the trucking industry a break on future antipollution rules. Because of the increase in gas tax, the California Trucking Association won a provision that prevents clean-air agencies from imposing new pollution reduction requirements on existing trucks until the vehicles are 18 years old or have 800,000 miles. The Brown administration counters that the bill includes more than $8 billion in the first 10 years to improve the environment with expanded mass transit, bike and pedestrian facilities. The legislature has until April 6 to approve the package; it appears that the package will require support from every Democratic legislator. Report Examines Relationship between Infill Development and Displacement Researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Los Angeles released a report (pdf), “Developing a New Methodology for Analyzing Potential Displacement” that seeks to evaluate the potential negative social equity impacts that result from Senate Bill 375, which promotes infill. Senate Bill 375 caused more regions across the state to pursue compact, transit-oriented development (TOD) as a strategy to achieve GHG emission reductions through their sustainable communities strategy. The report examines the relationship between fixed-rail transit neighborhoods, TOD, and displacement in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area and the effectiveness of anti-displacement strategies. The results found that TOD can destabilize surrounding neighborhood as housing costs tend to increase, demographic composition of the area changes, and results in the loss of low-income households. This study shows a significant and positive correlation between TOD and gentrification, particularly in downtown areas and core cities. Report Outlines Measures Needed to Significantly Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions A report from the Southern California Association of Governments and UC Berkeley researchers entitled “Right Type, Right Place” found that to meet the new 2030 climate change goals, the state will need billions of dollars in new funding for housing and transportation improvements. Californians will need to cut their driving by 1.6 miles per day, which can be accomplished through telecommuting, carpooling, biking or taking public transit to work once a month. To make the drastic reductions in GHG emissions to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, regional agencies need funds and ability to make policy changes that could include tolls and other charges for people driving in congested areas. The UC Berkeley study found that residents living in already developed neighborhoods would drive about 18 fewer miles every weekday than those living outside the communities. This means San Francisco would increase density by 30 percent, for example, but smaller cities would need to grow as well. The report was commissioned by Next 10, with research conducted by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation and the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at UC Berkeley. It calls for more building of new housing on infill properties, with more multi-family housing than the business-as-usual plan. The study says the “target” scenario would boost annual economic growth by more than $800 million over the business-as-usual approach and result in the equivalent of taking 378,000 cars off the road. Los Angeles Considers Two Subway Extensions The Los Angeles Metro Board of Directors approved voted to move forward with the “Link US” Union Station run-through tracks that are estimated to cost $2.75 billion. The project will add new loop tracks to extend Union Station’s existing stub-end tracks, leading to decreased delays and increased station capacity. This will also allow the station to be compatible with plans for high-speed rail. The board also initiated a possible extension of the Red Line subway south beneath Vermont Avenue to 125th Street in West Athens. The board reviewed preliminary plans for a rapid bus route. However, Mayor Garcetti suggested that a rapid bus system might not be ideal for the busy thoroughfare, and a Red Line extension south would be more viable. Metro staff will evaluate the subway option and report back to the board in July. Raiders to Move to Las Vegas; Oakland May Sue After years of negotiations and failed attempts to renovate – with minimum public funding – the Oakland Coliseum, NFL owners voted , 31-1, to allow the Raiders to move to Las Vegas. This will be the team’s third move in 35 years. The team will remain in the Coliseum for the next two seasons, and potentially a third. In Las Vegas there are plans to build a $1.9 billion stadium on 63-acre site near the Strip and the Raiders would need to agree to a 30-year lease with the Stadium Authority. The Raiders have secured a $650 million loan from Bank of America and plan to contribute $500 million from personal seat license sales, naming rights and a $200 million loan from the NFL through its stadium upgrade program. Raiders officials claim that a rent increase, to $3.5 million annually from $900,000 annually cemented their decision to move the team. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the city may consider legal action against the Raiders, founded on the idea that the team did not negotiate in good faith. Climate Change Threatens Up To 67 Percent of S. California Beaches A study from the U.S. Geological Survey predicts that, “with limited human intervention,” 31 to 67 percent of Southern California beaches could be completely eroded by 2100 with sea level rises of 3 to 6.5 feet. According to the study, complete erosion means the beaches would recede up to either cliffs or existing structures along the shore. While the sand and beaches are seen as summertime destinations for residents and tourists alike, the sand also serves as a protective barrier for the man-made structures onshore. The necessary steps to protect the beaches are “massive and costly” according to USGS geologist and study coauthor Patrick Barnard. These steps include increasing the rate sand is added to replenish existing beaches, which costs Malibu’s Broad Beach $31 million to add 2,000 truckloads. State Loses Nearly 30,000 Affordable Rentals in Past 20 Years The California Housing Partnership released its annual housing assessment (pdf) and found 28,152 affordable rental homes were lost in the state in the past 20 years, including 14,559 that had HUD Section 8 subsidies. These HUD-assisted affordable rental homes were lost between 1995 to 2016. Another 31,988 affordable rental homes are at risk of conversion over the next five years. These conversions occur when owners decide to opt out of their HUD rental assistance contracts. Many of the renters receiving Section 8-assisted housing, approximately 83 percent, are Extremely Low Income renters earning 30 percent or less of the Area Median Income and are also elderly and/or disabled. Los Angeles County lost the most rent-assisted homes, 3,882, with San Diego County second, 1,908 homes, Santa Clara with 1,623 and Sacramento County losing 1,480 rent assisted homes between 1995 to 2016. Quick Hits & Updates Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) appointed Michael Flad of Burbank to the Strategic Growth Council . Flad is the City Manager of South Gate and has previously served in the same position at Burbank and as Assistant City Manager of Ukiah. Flad fills a seat on the council reserved for members of the public with a background in land use planning, local government, resource protection and management or community development or revitalization. In a unanimous decision , the California Supreme Court ruled that Newport Beach officials failed to adequately review a large proposed development on the coastal Banning Ranch oil field before approving it. The justices decided that the city “suppressed” information about environmentally sensitive habitat on the property. The City Manager Dave Kiff defended the city’s review noting the EIR was more than 600 pages and contained a detailed analysis of issues involving wetlands, protected species and critical habitat. Spokesman for the companies involved, Sam Singer, said the ruling would delay the project for a year or two but would not kill it. A 5.4-mile extension of BART ’s East Bay line opened last week, extending to Warm Springs/ South Fremont. The BART station is located in the new Fremont Innovation District, which includes a plan to bring more than 20,000 jobs and 3,000 housing units. Construction on the extension started in 2009 and was supposed to open in 2014, but after a series of problems the opening date was pushed back. The extension came in at $790 million, almost $100 million under budget. Only Los Angeles and Paris remain in the running for the 2024 summer Olympic Games ; the other two finalists, Rome and Budapest, dropped out of the race because of concerns about cost overruns. A new report from the Legislative Analyst’s Office suggests that the city’s plan for a fiscally responsible event will keep the risks of major financial losses relatively low.  The Los Angeles City Planning Commission and the Board of Airport Commissioners approved a $5.5 billion plan designed to reduce auto traffic and congestion at LAX . The Landside Access Modernization Program includes construction of a Consolidated Rent-A-Car Center that will combine more than 20 car rental offices and a 2.25-mile Automated People Mover. Responding to a study about the  hazards of development near freeways, two Los Angeles council members are calling for the city to prepare “strategies to address the hazard of freeway pollution affecting residents of new and existing structures.” These strategies could include buffer zones and barriers, air filtration requirements, and regulations on building design. More than 1.2 million people in Southern California reportedly live within 500 feet of a freeway and suffer from higher rates of certain health problems.  Three weeks ago, voters in Redondo Beach voted to stop the $400 million redevelopment of the city’s waterfront and this week the project developers filed a lawsuit to block the measure from taking effect. Redondo WaterFront LLC, a subsidiary of CenterCal Properties, is hoping to invalidate the voter-approved Measure C, which passed with 57.1 percent of the votes. The lawsuit alleges the initiative was “illegal, unconstitutional and invalid” and therefore cannot be enforced. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously, 5-0, to look into creating a legal defense program and providing financial assistance to help residents avoid eviction . This came a day after a report form research and analysis firm Axiometrics found Los Angeles County’s average rent was $2,271, up 2.5 percent form a year earlier. In Los Angeles County, 56,354 eviction actions were filed last year. Los Angeles City Council is debating the size of “ granny flats ” that the city will permit. While councilmembers want to adopt the state’s maximum size of 1,200 square feet, others think the maximum should be halved for the city. A proposed ordinance codifies the 1,200 square foot maximum, bans the units from hillsides and includes moveable “tiny homes” that are typically less than 500 square feet. A new report from rental site Abodo finds that 41.5 percent of LA metro millennials still live with their parents. This places LA fourth on a list of metro areas with millennials, age 18-34, living at home. Inland Empire ranked second, with 44.5 percent of millennials at home. The unemployment rate for millennials living at home is 8.7 percent in LA Metro area, which is significantly lower than the 10.1 percent national average.

CP&DR Vol. 32 No. 3 March 2017

Gov. Jerry Brown made appointments to fill three vacant positions on the California Coastal Commission. Ryan Sundberg, a member of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors since 2010, replaces Martha McClure, who was forced to leave when she was not reelected to the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors. Donne Brownsey, from Fort Bragg, replaces Wendy Mitchell, who resigned last year. Earlier this month, San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin was appointed to fill the seat of former Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey, who stepped down when he was not reelected as supervisor. Brown selected Coastal Commissioner Effie Turnbull Sanders to be the panel’s environmental justice representative, a position that was created by the State legislation last year. The bill requires a commissioner to live in and work with communities that are disproportionately burdened by pollution and other environmental problems. Phase 1 of Salton Sea Management Plan Released The California Natural Resources Agency has released the first phrase of a long-awaited management plan to halt the degradation of the Salton Sea. Under the Salton Sea Management Program Phase 1 10-Year Plan, the first projects are to restore areas where migrating birds once proliferated and to control toxic dust storms that arise from the permitter of the lake. Costing $383 million, the phase includes building a series of ponds and water-transfer systems across about 29,000 acres that would cover up stretches of dusty lakebed. The sea has been shrinking for years and is considered to be nearly “dead" ecologically. Last year, the legislature approved $80.5 million for Salton Sea projects. Critics of the plan worry about how the it will be funded, as much of the funding has to be approved by the legislature, and whether the state can be held accountable if it fails on its commitments to protect public health and habitat. Various options are being studied, such as building a “perimeter lake” that would stretch 60 miles along the lake’s west shore, importing water from the Sea of Cortez or brackish groundwater from elsewhere. The Salton Sea is one of the most important wetlands along the Pacific Flyway and supports nearly 90 percent of the migratory route’s American white pelicans and eared grebes. While this first phase is recognized as providing temporary solutions, it is a first step in the right direction. US DOT Maps Statewide Noise Hotpots The U.S. Department of Transportation released maps describing  transportation-related noise that found that the nosiest parts of California are around airports and freeways. While this comes as no surprise, the landing and takeoff zones around LAX are particularly bad. Similar noise spikes are found near San Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, San Jose and Long Beach. The USDOT said relatively few Americans are exposed to high levels of noise from transportation. The study found more than 97 percent of the U.S. population has the potential to be exposed to noise from airports and freeways at levels below 50 decibels or “roughly comparable to the noise level of a humming refrigerator” according to the USDOT statement. Less than 0.01 percent of the population could potentially experience noise levels of 80 decibels or more, equivalent to the noise level of a garbage disposal. San Francisco Pushes Back against Mandate to Conserve River Water San Francisco officials have released a counter-proposal to address a state mandate to increase amount of water flowing in rivers. The proposal calls for forfeiting city water supplies on the Tuolumne River only when deemed necessary to protect salmon and steelhead. It also calls for rehabilitating parts of the 149-mile river for the benefit of wildlife. The goal of the State’s Bay Delta Plan is to give a boost to the freshwater-deprived Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and San Francisco Bay by bringing rivers closer to their natural state. The state’s plan calls for 30 to 50 percent of the water that naturally flows to remain in the rivers; the rivers currently run at around 20 percent or less. San Francisco officials worry that further cuts to their water supply would lead to rations and 120,000 lost jobs a year. The city’s proposal calls for the city and other water agencies to invest millions more to improve salmon and steelhead habitat through projects such as enhancing gravel beds where fish spawn, removing predators like striped bass, and restoring native vegetation along the river. Report Card Issued on L.A. Sustainability Plan Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti released the second annual progress report on his Sustainable City “pLAn," which shows early achievement of more than two-thirds of 2017 goals under the first comprehensive environmental plan in City history. Garcetti introduced the plan in 2015 to guide Los Angeles toward an environmentally healthy, economically prosperous, and equitable future for a city expected to grow by 500,000 residents over the next 20 years. Of the pLAn’s 2017 goals, over 90 percent are on track to be completed this year.Major accomplishments since the release of the pLAn include creating more than 20,000 green jobs; achieving a record 20 percent reduction in water use per capita; installing enough solar in the last year to power over 12,000 homes, and leading American cities with 225MW of total installed solar power. Bill Would Put Tighter Controls on SANDAG Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez released details that would attempt to reform the San Diego Association of Governments in part by granting more power to San Diego’s mayor. AB 805 would create an audit committee and hire an independent auditor to prevent another budgeting scandal, change voting structure to make votes proportional to their population, and make San Diego’s mayor the permanent chair of the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and mayor of Chula Vista vice-chair. Gonzalez said: “It’s a staff-driven organization that thinks it purpose is to build roads. I think a regional agency should do more than that.” Her bill would also make it possible for MTS and the North County Transit District to levy their own transit-only taxes, as these areas are more willing to vote for new taxes than the county as a whole. Report Prescribes Ways to Reduce Bay Area Commuting The Federal Transit Administration Sandbox Program released a white paper on “Fair Value Commuting” that looks at reducing Bay Area commuting by 25 percent. The research states that the challenge of traffic congestion and climate changes depend on the reducing of demand for single-occupant vehicle travel. Shifting commute mode choices will lower per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMTs), which reduce congestion and GHG emissions. Fair Valuable Commuting (FVC) includes Enterprise Commute Trip Reduction, Mobility Aggregation, Revenue neutral workplace parking feebate, new commute options, and systemic obstacles. These are a combination of employers assisting employee commuting, smartphone apps, charging fees for SOV commutes, GIS analysis, and better public transportation options. Within the next two years FVC will become a viable, scalable solution. Los Angeles Ordinance to Rein in Oversize Homes After an aching citywide debate, Los Angeles City Council approved , 12-0, an ordinance that further limits the size of so-called “McMansions.” The council approved an update to the city’s Baseline Mansionization Ordinance that applies to single-family homes on lots less than 7,500 square feet. Such properties are currently allowed to have floor areas that are 50 percent of the lot size, but under the amendment are reduced to 45 percent. The amendment creates incentives for building detached garages or placing them in the rear of the home. The council also passed new limits on homes built on hillsides with the Baseline Hillside Ordinance that will put an end to giant boxy homes that tower over neighbors. Long Beach Considers Ways to Save Queen Mary The Queen Mary ocean liner, purchased by the City of Long Beach a half-century ago, is “approaching the point of no return.” According to experts, the vessel is in danger of irreparable flooding and corrosion. Repairs to the ship could cost between $235 and $289 million and would take five years to complete. Urban Commons, the real estate firm that operates the Queen Mary, submitted plans for a $250 million entertainment complex to Long Beach officials. The plans include more dining, shopping, concerts and zip-lining near the historic cruise ship. Urban Commons says renovating the 65 acres of waterfront land flanking the ship could help pay for the repairs required over the next five years. Quick Hits & Updates The San Francisco Planning Commission unanimously endorsed the Mission Action Plan 2020 that lays out plans to preserve the culture of the Mission District, where housing costs have risen rapidly and many long-time residents have been displaced. The plan is intended to slow or reverse the spread of gentrification over the next three years. It calls for 2,400 permanent, new affordable housing units by 2020. As of January, only 900 such homes were in the various stages of development. The plan will move to the Board of Supervisors next. XpressWest , the company planning to build a high-speed train linking Las Vegas and Palmdale, found the rail would attract 11 million round-trip riders by 2035. The report found the line would generate about $1 billion in annual revenue by 2035, based on $115 round-trip tickets, based on an estimated 3 million passengers who would take round-trip rides when the first segment is completed in 2021. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) El Monte City Council voted unanimously to adopt “Vision Zero”, a new initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2027. The plan directs city staff to look at changes to infrastructure to improve safety, discuss safety improvement possibilities with the local school districts, and the creation of a “Vision Zero” advisory committee made up of representatives from the schools and city transportation, planning and police departments. In 2014, a total of 696 people were killed or injured due to motor vehicle collisions in the city. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Coastal Commission approved a cease and desist order and administrative penalty for the property owners of La Costanara restaurant in Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County. The owners, A&G LLC, must remove much of their unpermitted construction, improve public access to Montara State Beach, and pay a half-million-dollar penalty. The Lake Elsinore Planning Commission recommended , 5-0, that the City Council approve the Alberhill Villages Specific Plan. However, the City Council called for a special election to allow voters to decide the future of the area. The plan includes more than 8,000 houses and apartments as well as parks, schools, offices and retail complexes that would be built over 35 years on about 1,400 acres on the northwest side of town. The Irvine City Council unanimously approved the building of a temporary 12,000-seat amphitheater adjacent to the Orange County Great Park . The amphitheater will open in late summer and remain for the next three years. The amphitheater will be built on private property owned by FivePoint. Live Nation will design and build the development and parking. Live Nation would hold around 35 concerts per year, primarily between June and October. A new report from the Center for Economic Forecasting and Development at UC Riverside’s School of Business found that rents in Inland Empire are rising fast or faster than in Los Angeles and Orange Counties and have much lower vacancy rates. Only 2.4 percent of rental units in the Inland Empire were vacant compared to 3.3 percent in LA County and 3.2 percent in OC. The low vacancy rates are a result of not enough apartments and single-family homes being built. A bill sponsored by by Assemblymen David Chiu (D-San Francisco) and Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), AB 1506, would repeal the Costa-Hawkins Act , the 1978 law that governs certain types of rent control.  Gov. Jerry Brown wants lawmakers to extend the cap-and-trade program , although the price of permits sold for less than $14. However, the Legislative Analyst’s Office says if the state pushes forward with its tougher climate goals the price of allowances could rise to over $50 per permit. This could increase the price per gallon of gasoline by 45 cents. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a $6.2 billion cut that would, according to analysis in the San Diego Union-Tribune, cut rental assistance to roughly 25,000 San Diego County families with more than $242 million in Section 8 funds. The proposed budget keeps rental assistance at the same levels but cuts funding to build more subsidized housing units and eliminates down payment assistance projects for first-time buyers. Storied home of 1960s protests,  People’s Park near UC Berkeley is being considered for development of student housing. The university is 6,900 beds short of the 15,600 it needs to meet goals to house half of its undergraduates and a quarter of its graduate students. The 2.8-acre park could potentially house 200-350 in a residence hall. The park currently is home to dozens of homeless people; the university hopes to work with the city to help them. Sacramento County supervisors approved a series of proposals to create programs and services for the homeless . These include a full-service shelter, a new rehousing program, redesigning the family emergency shelter network, and supporting long-standing job training and transitional housing programs. The set of proposals would cost $5.58 million in new spending for the next fiscal year and $8.3 million in new spending annually. New research from UC Riverside shows that the Newport-Inglewood fault may be more dangerous as new evidence shows past major earthquakes on the fault cause sections of Seal Beach to fall 1.5 to 3 feet in seconds. The fault runs under some of the region’s most densely populated areas from Westside of LA to Orange County coast. The City of Pasadena has identified 34 locations for bike-share kiosks around the city for a pilot program that is expected to launch this summer. the locations were chosen according to criteria such as population density and a crowdsourcing effort to identify attractive locations. The city council approved the locations, 5-3.  ATTOM Data Solutions  released  its third annual Environmental Hazards Housing Risk Index , which shows that 17.3 million single-family homes and condos nationwide, with a combined value of $4.9 trillion, are in area with high or very high risk for at least one environmental hazard. The hazards analyzed are Superfund sites, brownfields, polluters, or poor air quality. The 17.3 million homes represent 25 percent of the 8,642 zip codes analyzed. Of the 10 highest Total Environmental Hazard Index values, four were located in California: San Bernardino, Santa Fe Springs, Fresno, and Mira Loma.  Engineering firm Fluor has submitted an unsolicited proposal to Metro that would accelerate conversion of Los Angeles's Orange Line busway to light rail. Metro’s Office of Extraordinary innovation is beginning Phase 1 review of the potential public-private partnership on its financial and technical merit. The light rail conversion is not scheduled to break ground until 2051, but Fluor’s proposal may accelerate the timeline. According to a UC Irvine study, Orange County could save $42 million a year in health care, law enforcement and other expenses by placing chronically homeless people into housing. While the full study will be released in May, key findings include it would be cheaper to invest in “housing first” approach to get homeless people off the street than to continue to pay for a revolving door of emergency and interim services.

The U.S. Supreme Court’s newest justice, Neil Gorsuch, is an outdoorsman from Denver who has spent a decade on the 10 th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. He clearly has an affinity for the outdoors and feels some sense of connection to conservationists. But he’s also a reliable judicial conservative who has made strong statements opposing the overreach of government agencies and he has often limited the participation of environmental groups in litigation.

Typically, the allocation of half of any pot of state funding to a single city would probably generate cries of favoritism. That’s even if it could get out of the legislature. That’s not the case, though, when the money is dedicated to disadvantaged communities and the city is Fresno.

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and California EPA announced the release of the California Communities Environmental Health Screening Tool: CalEnviroScreen 3.0. The new screening methodology can help identify communities that are disproportionately burdened by multiple sources of pollution. CalEnviroScreen ranks each of the state’s 8,000 census tracts using data on 20 indicators related to pollution, environmental quality, and socioeconomic and public health conditions. The goal of the updated tool is to help implement a variety of state programs aimed at reducing pollution and providing healthier environment in the State’s most disadvantaged communities. Major changes include more recent data for indicators, two new indicators that reflect health and socioeconomic vulnerability to pollution, improvements in the way some indicators are calculated, additional information on pollution along the California-Mexico border, removal of “children and elderly” age indicator, and change in overall scoring methodology. Trump Budget Threatens California Transit Projects Several California transit projects are threatened with cuts in funding according to the Trump administration budget unveiled last week. Projects include Bay Area Caltrain electrification, Los Angeles Downtown Streetcar, Los Angeles Purple Line Phase 3 Subway, Orange County Streetcar, Sacramento Streetcar, San Bernardino Redlands Rail, San Francisco Transbay Rail Corridor, San Jose BART to San Jose, San Jose El Camino Real BRT, and San Rafael SMART Extension to Larkspur. Sacramento-area transportation officials hope to persuade Congress and the administration to maintain spending for transit and road projects when a final federal budget is approved later this year. The Trump budget proposes a 13 percent cut in transportation spending overall, including funding for roads. However, Sacramento Regional Transit chief Henry Li told the Sacramento Bee that he “suspects the Trump administration’s planned but not-yet-unveiled trillion-dollar infrastructure package may include some way to allow projects like the proposed airport light rail line to compete for funding, but probably only if the local agency is innovative in bringing some private funding into the mix.” Los Angeles City Planning Announces Incentives for Transit-Oriented Housing The Los Angeles Department of City Planning  released guidelines for its Transit Oriented Communities and Affordable Housing Incentive Program. Mandated by Measure JJJ, an inclusionary housing measure passed in November, the program is designed to promote the development of housing within a half-mile radius of major transit stops. The guidelines  grant exemption from certain code restrictions in exchange for providing on-site affordable housing provided that the meet certain criteria, including the provision of affordable housing. The program is tiered so that developments closest to transit stops receive the greatest increases in density, among other potential incentives. The program offers the option of an in-lieu fee for developments that do not include on-site affordable units. The guidelines are adopted at the discretion of the Planning Department — without City Council approval — and a project’s eligibility for incentives will be determined by the Planning Department and will not need further approval. The program will apply to nearly 100 light rail and busway stops in the city.  San Diego Landlords Face Gap in Section 8 Subsidies A report from NBC 7 Investigates has found that the amount a Section 8 landlord can charge for rent in San Diego has increased, but the amount provided to tenants has not changed since 2009. According to San Diego Housing Commission records, over 15,000 residents in the city rely on government assistance to help pay rent. Last year, HUD increased the new federal rental rates called “Fair Market Rents,” these are calculated using Census Bureau data and can change every year. According to San Diego Housing Commission, it has approved 1,982 rent increases for Section 8 households since the new standards were released in October. Report Details High-Value Environmental Lands in Western States The Nature Conservancy released its Terrestrial Resilience and Regional Connectivity report. The report and its accompanying maps describe 355,000 square miles of key landscapes in the west that are most likely to sustain native species amid climate change. The maps are designed to help governments and nonprofit groups identity high-priority lands for conservation. They cover areas of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Nevada, California and Utah. The data was collected from soil maps, vegetation maps, species distribution, moisture, elevation and location of roads, power lines, cities and towns.  Report Summarizes $3.4 Billion in Cap-and-Trade Spending The California Air Resources Board and California Department of Finance release a report that tracks the progress of the cap-and-trade auction proceeds. The California Climate Investments are awarded and implemented more than $500 million in new funding last year and doubled the number of projects statewide. To date, $3.4 billion has been divided by the Legislature to 12 state agencies that have distributed $1.2 billion to projects. These projects include the port of Los Angeles as the world’s first shipping terminal to generate all its energy needs from renewable resources, ultra-clean locomotives for Metrolink, 82-unit affordable housing development in MacArthur Park neighborhood in LA, as well as grants to farmers for more water-efficient irrigation technology. Additionally, fifty percent of the $1.2 billion is providing benefits to disadvantaged communities such as installing solar panels, replacing polluting vehicles, and planting 1,000 trees in San Bernardino County. Cap-and-Trade Auction Again Yields Disappointing Results Continuing a trend over the past few months, California’s Cap-and-Trade February auction made significantly less than was expected. According to initial results , just 16.5 percent of the 74.8 million metric tons of emission allowances were sold at the floor prices of $13.57 per ton. Almost all the February proceeds went to California’s utilities or the Canadian province of Quebec, which offers emission allowances through California. This means the state will see only $8.2 million, rather than the nearly $600 million it was hoping for. This may stall Gov. Jerry Brown’s 2017-18 budget plan to spend $2.2 billion on climate-related programs, including $800 million on the high-speed rail. Quick Hits & Updates Ten days after the LA County election, Measure H climbed to 69.24 percent approval, putting it over the necessary two-thirds threshold. The measure will raise the sales tax a quarter-percent to fund homeless programs across the county. The County Registrar-Recorder was counting the last 55,000 absentee ballots, which led to the big finish. The sales tax rate will increase to 9.5 percent in July and is expected to raise $3.5 billion over a decade. Following adoption of a program to accelerate the city’s long-term planning processes, the Los Angeles City Council  approved , 10-0, an increase in developer fees to help pay for a pending ordinance requiring the city to update its community plans every six years. Updating every six years would cost an estimated $12.55 million annually. The vote would increase the General Plan Maintenance Surcharge from 2 to 7 percent, which city officials say would raise up to $5 million per year. The surcharge is placed on developers for any permit, plan check, license or application. The 116-year old, 298- foot Angels Flight funicular in downtown Los Angeles will reopen to the public by Labor Day, according to LA Mayor Eric Garcetti. The "world’s shortest railway" descends from Bunker Hill to the Historic Core, but was shut down after a derailment in 2013. San Francisco Supervisor Aaron Peskin was appointed to the California Coastal Commission to fill former Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey’s seat. He is currently president of the Great Basin Land & Water, a nonprofit organization focused on protecting water quality in the Truckee River. He is also a member of the SF Bay Conservation and Development Commission. California’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources found dozen of pages of violations for the Newport Banning Ranch oil field that developers want to turn into a hotel and housing development. The state directed the field operators, West Newport Oil Co. and Armstrong Petroleum Corp. to correct the problems by March 31. The violations include piles of rusted, abandoned equipment, wellhead and pipeline leaks, small chemical spills, and discarded equipment. The California Supreme Court ruled unanimously that more evidence must be presented to overturn an endangered species listing . In the case, forest landowners filed a petition to remove a subset of coho salmon arguing the listing was wrong because the fish were not native to the area and were introduced through hatcheries. To have a species delisted, new evidence to challenge the original listing decision must be shown. Two construction firms helping to build high-speed rail structures in the Central Valley are seeking an additional $300 million meaning the easiest, most predictable section of the system jumps to $3.6 billion above current estimates. The letters from the firms argue the contracts do not cover the full scope of work and the state’s management of the project is causing delays. The Department of Finance approved the High Speed Rail Authority’s request to spend $2.6 billion on work in the Central Valley. The decision allows the state treasurer’s office to sell a portion of the nearly $10 billion in bonds voters approved in 2008 for a bullet train. However, the first 29-mile segment of track isn’t expected to be completed until at least August 2019. The Los Angeles City Council is considering an Affordable Housing Linkage Fee (AHLF) that would tax certain types of new residential and commercial construction to generate a fund for new affordable housing as well as refurbishing existing stock. The plan was approved by the City Planning Commission and is now heading to the City Council. The linkage fee is $5 per square foot of new office, hotel, retail, and warehouse projects and $12 per square foot for new residential construction. This fee is expected to generate between $75-$92 million each year.  Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters) has proposed a constitutional amendment that would lower the margin needed for local governments to pass a ta x hike or bond measure  from a two-thirds supermajority to 55%. Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) has proposed a similar constitutional amendment to lower the threshold for passing, but only for transportation projects. Caltrain officials are scrambling to put together a plan to make up for the $647 million in electrification money they may lose because of changes in Washington. Caltrain officials are talking to tech bosses from the Silicon Valley Leadership Group to lobby the administration and Congress when they head to Washington to talk to the Trump administration.  The Oakland Raiders announced Bank of America will replace Goldman Sachs in paying $1.9 billion for the 65,000-seat Las Vegas Stadium. March 26-29th the 32 owners will be voting on the relocation proposal and 24 owners must approve. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf presented a plan to keep the Raiders in Oakland through the creation of “one of America’s premier mixed-use sporting venues." A survey conducted for the City of Santa Monica found 72 percent used their personal vehicle for majority of their tasks. Only 4.7 percent used bicycles, 18 percent walked, and 3 precent or 11 trips were light rail or subway. This data comes even though the city has spent significant amounts of money and resources to encourage residents to shift smaller trips to non-vehicles to easy congestion and pollution. Tulare City Council voted, 4-0, to change the city’s general plan zoning from low density residential to community commercial as well as a CUP to include a 75-foot freeway sign. The change will allow construction of a large hotel, however residents are concerned about the compatibility with homes, a school, park and fire station.  The Mountain View City Council unanimously approved Google’s new canopied campus in North Bayshore and will begin building this year. The Charleston East project is 595,000 square feet and includes walking trails, a public park and plaza, and ground-floor retail. The company didn’t receive any pushback at the public hearing and instead residents praised the company’s community contributions from education initiatives to local environmental work.  Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance that would remove the exemption that owner-occupied buildings containing three or fewer housing units now enjoy from the county’s fair housing ordinance. Marin landlords who live in the buildings they rent may soon have to conform to a county ordinance prohibiting them from discriminating against people using Section 8 housing vouchers and other third-party housing subsidies.  Palo Alto City Council voted , 6-2, to make some zoning changes to encourage construction of accessory dwelling units. The changes also eliminate lot size requirements so these units can be built anywhere. Also allows the conversion of existing structures, such as garages, or bedrooms with a kitchenette. The council asked city staff to devise incentives for residents to build such units, especially if the units are for low-to-moderate income residents. The High Speed Rail Authority board criticized the state’s Republican House delegation for the delay of a grant that would have benefited California’s bullet train project. The State’s 14 Republican congressmembers asked Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to withhold a $647 million grant, and the FTA said it would defer any action on the grant which would help pay for the $2-billion electrification of Caltrain. Democrats argue the grant was separate from the bullet train and was meant only to help Caltrain.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti signed an executive directive that has banned City Planning Commissions from meeting or communicating privately with real estate developers whose plans they are vetting. Executive Directive 19 is designed to help help L.A. build the transportation infrastructure and affordable housing that voters funded through Measure M and Proposition HHH last fall. The directive reforms the city’s planning process by directing the Department of City Planning to develop a specific program and timeline for updating all 35 of the City’s Community Plans — a process that will take place within six years. The directive also bans certain types of ex parte communications between developers and government officials. The directive was partially inspired by the debate over Measure S, which was defeated two days prior to the signing of the directive. Yes on S campaign director Jill Stewart said the ban was too limited and that “backroom meetings” could happen before a developer formally files an application. LAO Report Underscores Shortage of Housing Approvals The Legislative Analysis Office released a report, “Do Communities Adequately Plan for Housing?” contending in no uncertain terms that California cities are not planning for or approving enough housing to meet the state’s population demands. The report finds that many communities- particularly coastal- limit construction of new homes, which has driven up costs. Communities’ decisions about housing can limit home building such as their long-term land use plans and implementations through zoning or creating onerous processes for approval of new housing developments. The LAO looked at relationships between overall general plans, housing elements, and Regional Housing Needs Allocations, finding that housing elements fall short of their goals by having zoning rules out of sync with the types of projects developers would like to construct. Changing this mindset of coastal communities to allow more home development will be difficult. The report echo a series of reports published by the department of Housing and Community Development last year that were also critical of cities’ housing production.  Fresno to Become More Pedestrian-Friendly The Fresno City Council unanimously adopted  a plan to improve and expand the city’s network of sidewalks, trails and bicycle lanes, and paths. The new Active Transportation Plan envisions the expansion of the city’s 491 miles of bike lanes to nearly 1,440 miles. The plan also sets forth a strategy to identify areas that have no sidewalks, and other improvements for pedestrians. A newly created rubric assigns points to projects based on the following criteria: access and equity (20 points), connectivity (30 points), traffic control, mode shift, and user comfort (35 points), and feasibly and engineering considerations (15 points). The plan is divided into near-term priorities to be built over the next 5-10 years and long-term needs over the next 30-50 years. To qualify for transportation grants from the state and Fresno County’s Measure C, an adopted plan is required. Analysis Reveals Concentration of Housing Near Freeways in L.A. A Los Angeles Times analysis of U.S. Census data, building permits, and other government records show that thousands of new homes have been approved within 1,000 feet of a freeway even though they advise developers that this distance poses health concerns, including cancer risks. In 2015, the city issued building permits for 4,300 homes near freeways. More than 1.2 million people live in high-pollution zones within 500 feet of a Southern California freeway. One City Councilmember, José Huizar, who lives several hundred feet from I-5, wants to establish buffer zones for limiting development around freeways. Others, including Mayor Eric Garcetti, are wary of any prohibitions on housing development, since buffer zones could end up covering 10 percent of the city’s residentially zoned land.  Fontana Updates 30-Year-Old Plan for Warehousing  The Fontana City Council approved , 5-0, the Westgate Specific Plan which includes 946 acres in North Fontana near the 15 and 210 freeways slated for development by Intex Corp. The broad plan was approved for the area, but the developer must take each project to the city for separate project-by-project discussion and approval. The plan allows 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space and 3,751 residential units for 15,000 residents. It replaces a 1996 plan that called for 4 million square feet of warehouses and is intended to provide a more “balanced” mix of development. However, major criticisms revolve around affordable housing, particularly for seniors. AHSC Guidelines Available for Comment The Strategic Growth Council (SGC) is accepting public comments on the 2016-17 Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program Guidelines . The Air Resources Board is also receiving comments on the AHSC GHG Quantification Methodology for FY 2016-17. The final program guidelines and accompanying GHG quantification methodology are expected to be considered for adoption at the June 1 SGC meeting. AHSC staff will hold workshops on this draft in early April.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s idea of by-right approval of certain affordable housing projects may have gone by the wayside, but the Legislature is teeing up a whole range of possible policy changes that would create more carrots and sticks to local governments in California to allow affordable housing – including one by Assemblymember Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, creating a state board that could override local decisions in certain circumstances. (Bloom has introduced 11 housing bills altogether.) At the core of the debate is the role that local governments play in creating or preventing housing. “The League of California Cities would say, ‘We don’t produce housing so don’t hold us accountable’,” said Marina Wiant of the California Housing Coalition at the recent Housing California conference in Sacramento. “But what we’re talking about in terms of enforcement is mostly, whether a site is actually developable or whether they are denying projects that otherwise meet the criteria. There’s no question that 2017 is shaping up as the year of housing in Sacramento. By far the two most bills getting the most attention in Sacramento are part of Senate Pro Tem Kevin Deleon’s “infrastructure package”: SB 2 (Atkins), which would create a $300 million permanent source of funding for affordable housing by creating a $75 recording fee on real estate transactions, and SB 3 (Bell), a $3 billion housing bond that would go on the 2018 ballot. Brown is receptive to the first bill but hostile to the second because it would affect the state general fun. But there are more than 100 bills on housing floating around Sacramento right now and a lot of them would either induce or pressure local governments to allow more housing generally and affordable housing in particular. Several bills would seek to overturn or mitigate the effect of recent court decisions. Here’s a rundown by topic: Tightening Up Housing Element Site Lists  The list of sites contained in every local government’s Housing Element is supposed do be one of the keys to increasing housing supply. But state officials are concerned that the housing element lists aren’t “real” and include many sites that aren’t really in play or won’t become available anytime soon. Both Senator Nancy Skinner of Berkeley and Assemblymember Evan Low of Campbell have bills in the hopper that would try to tighten up the lists. “How do we make sure the housing element process from start to finish is a real process and not a paper one,” commented Brian Augusta of California Rural Legal Assistance at the Housing California conference. “Are these real sites? Are they capable of being developed?” SB 469 , Skinner’s bill, would simply prohibit a local government’s list of sites from providing less housing than is called for in the housing element. It would also require written findings if a local government approves a project below the capacity called for in the housing element. AB 1397 , Low’s bill, would require parcels on the site list to have sufficient infrastructure or be included in a mandatory plan to develop that infrastructure within three years. Streamlining Infill Permit Processing SB 35 (Weiner) is the big by-right bill. The bill would require by-right approval of multifamily and accessory dwelling projects in urban infill locations if the jurisdiction is falling far short of its regional housing targets. However, the bill requires the project to be built with prevailing wage – a condition that might discourage developers from pursuing such projects. AB 73 (Chiu) would allow “zoning incentive payments” from the state to local governments that create “housing sustainability districts” that permit residential development by right. The districts would have to meet a variety of criteria, including a minimum of eight units per acre for single-family development and 20 units per year for mult-family development as well as exemption from any moratoria imposed in the city. Payment to cities in exchange for housing production has been successful in the past . SB 540 (Roth) would similarly create “workforce housing opportunity zones” that would form the basis of a specific plan that would have environmental work done up-front and then permit residential development by-right. AB 30 (Caballero) would specifically authorize local governments to create an infill specific plan that would become an overlay zone with by-right development, but only in “underperforming” infill locations. State Override of Local Affordable Housing Denials Undoubtedly the most controversial of the housing bills will be AB 1585 (Bloom), which would adopt Massachusetts’s “Chapter 40B” system of permitting state overrides of local decisions on affordable housing. The Bloom bill would create an “affordable housing zoning board” in every local jurisdiction (with planning commissioners serving ex-officio) and a housing appeals board at HCD that would rule on appeals when affordable projects are denied. The affordable housing zoning board would be alternative process that developers could choose to move through rather than the conventional project approval process. Inclusionary Housing Two bills would codify the ability of local governments to adopt inclusionary housing ordinances requiring residential developers to set aside a certain percentage of their units for affordable housing. The issue has been contentious ever since 2009, when a court struck down Los Angeles’s inclusionary ordinance. In 2013, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed an override, saying he wanted to see how a supsequent California Supreme Court ruling was decided. In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of inclusionary housing . AB 1505 (Bloom) is the favored vehicle at the moment, though SB 277 (Bradford) also deals with the same topic. Workaround Around the Tuolomne Tactic Finally, one bill would create a workaround around the so-called Tuolomne Tactice, the practice of adopting a voter initiative prior to an actual vote in order to end-run the California Environmental Quality Act review process. The California Supreme Court approved the tactic in 2015, thus allowing developers to slipstream between election officials’ option of approving an initiative and court rulings saying initiatives are exempt from CEQA. AB 890 is sponsored by Assemblymember Jose Medina, whose district includes Moreno Valley. Moreno Valley used the Tuolomne Tactic to approve a 40-million-square-foot logistics district.

Now that federal government seems likely to pull the plug on the federal Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule (AFFR), California is considering several counterveiling steps, including a state law backstopping the rule. The AFFR rule – guideance for which was issued by the Department of Housing & Urban Development the day before the Obama Administration ended -- requires many recipients of federal public housing funds to formally assess whether their actions promote fair housing. Though the rulemaking predates the opinion, the AFFR rule will inevitably be used to implement the need to focus on “high opportunity” – i.e., affluent – areas, as called for by the U.S. Supreme Court in Texas Department Of Housing And Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., 576 U.S. __ (2015) .  New HUD Secretary Ben Carson appears likely to try to unwind the rule – it was the only housing issue he ever commented on prior to his appointment – and a pair of Republican bills in Congress would repeal the rule and, further, prohibit the federal government from collecting data on housing segregation. California is prepared to strike back, however. AB 686, introduced by Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, D-Los Angeles, would require agencies to “affirmatively further fair housing” in all of their activities – including land-use planning and permitting decisions.” “Affirmatively furthering fair housing” is defined in the bill as “taking meaningful actions, in addition to combating discrimination, that overcome patterns of segregation, promote fair housing choice, and foster inclusive communities free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity-based characteristics protected by this part; and that transform racially and ethnically concentrated areas of poverty into areas of opportunity, while protecting existing residents from displacement.” Furthermore, at the recent Housing California conference in Sacramento, state officials indicated that they will continue to work to implement the federal rule and also find stronger ways to promote affordable housing in “high opportunity” areas. “We are beginning to crank away and think about where our investment is going and what more we should be doing,” said Ben Metcalf, director of the California Department of Housing & Community Development. Both the Inclusive Communities ruling and the federal AFFR rule have focused national attention on the question of how affordable housing might be more evenly distributed across all neighborhoods, not concentrated only in low-income neighborhoods. In part this policy directionis the result of research showing that poor children growing up in “high opportunity” areas are likely to do better in life. Although the issue has generally been partisan, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed, some Democrats have struggled with the issue. Many affordable housing developers and their funders have noted that their projects often stabilize housing for families in poor neighborhoods and some Democrats, such as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, have expressed similar views to Carson in saying that poor children shouldn’t have to move to affluent neighborhoods to succeed. The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee is also working on how to work “opportunity” into its formula for low-income housing tax credits. But TCAC has pulled back on a proposed incentive-based rule to provide more points in high opportunity areas to “think about how we might want to approach this in the future,” said Mark Stivers, TCAC’s staff director. “We are oversubscribed two-to-one,” Stivers said at the Housing California conference. “But we are probably not funding ones that are in higher opportunity areas that ones we are funding.” Dating back to the era with Phil Angelides was state treasurer, TCAC allocates points for proximity to transit, groceries, health services, and other services. “But we have not focused on quality,” Stivers said. “Being close to a school isn’t the same as being close to a high-quality school, and the state has no determiner of what a high-quality school is.” Sources: Ben Metcalf, HCD Director, (916) 263-7400 Mark Stivers, TCAC Director, (916) 654-6340 Assemblymember Miguel Santiago, https://a53.asmdc.org/

Los Angeles’s Measure S, which was overwhelmingly rejected , was a monumental ballot measure in an otherwise quiet election statewide March 7. In fact, there were more measures on local ballots in Los Angeles County than there were in the rest of the state combined. This is in contrast with a bumper crop of land use measures, plus a raft of marijuana-related measures, that appeared on November 2016 ballots.

Voters in the City of Los Angeles resoundingly rejected a ballot measure that would have radically reshaped the city’s approach to planning and influenced the city’s urban fabric for generations.

Board members of the San Diego Association of Governments are calling for an independent investigation into the agency’s flawed forecasting  of revenue projections from a tax increase that it sponsored on the November ballot to pay for transportation investments. The agency reportedly over-estimated revenues — by $4 billion out of an estimated total of $18 billion —possibly to make the tax more appealing to voters. When the over-estimation was discovered, it was reportedly withheld from board members. “None of us are suggesting the result of such an examination is a foregone conclusion — it may indeed exonerate SANDAG — but for the public to be well-served an impartial and thorough examination must be conducted,” wrote Poway Mayor Steve Vaus and six other board members, according to Voice of San Diego. Legislators Seek to Shore Up Environmental Protections Responding to expected weakening of federal environmental law under President Trump, members of the California legislature are moving to incorporate existing federal protections into state law. Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon introduced legislation that would enshrine federal rules on air quality, water protection, endangered species into California law. He is promoting a related bill that would require the federal government to give the state first dibs on any federal lands that it wishes to sell to private developers. Roughly half of California’s land is owned by the federal government, including national parks and rural land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The bills’ other authors include Sens. Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park), Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) and Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara).  PPIC Survey Shows Mixed Support for Road Investments In a recent statewide survey by the Public Policy Institue of California, 61 percent of Californians say that spending more money on the maintenance of roads, highways, and bridges is very important for California’s future quality of life and economic vitality. At the same time, a majority of Californians (54%) oppose the governor’s proposal to do so. His transportation funding plan would provide $43 billion of additional spending for state and local transportation projects, with money coming from a new $65 vehicle fee and an increase in gasoline and diesel taxes. Republicans are overwhelmingly opposed to the governor’s proposal and independents are divided. Among Democrats, a slight majority (53%) favor the plan while 42% oppose it. Among Californians who oppose the governor’s proposal, 64% say that the wiser use of existing funds is the best way to significantly improve the quality of the state’s roads. Only 30% say that both wiser use of existing funds and more state funding is needed. North Coast Tribal Site to be Protected An important Native American site on a remote stretch of the North Coast will be protected under a plan announced by the Save the Redwoods League. The plan pertains to 870 acres that includes what is considered the “creation site” of the Kashia people, a tribe that now numbers roughly 1,000, 100 miles north of San Francisco at Stewarts Point. The plan places a permanent conservation easement on the land, preventing development and ensuring that the Kashia have access to the site in perpetuity. The land is undeveloped but currently used for grazing.  Parties Spar Over Accordable Housing Legislation in S.F. A coalition of affordable housing and tenants organizations in San Francisco has voiced opposition to State Sen. Scott Weiner’s SB 35, a bill designed to require local jurisdictions to facilitate the development of more housing and encourage cities to meet the requirements of their respective Regional Housing Needs Assessments. The opponents claim that Weiner’s bill would give too much freedom to developers and would result in an excess of market-rate development at a time when affordable housing is needed. The coalition claims that streamlining “approvals equates to a monetary value conferred to developers, by cutting capital-risk and development timelines” but does not necessarily make housing more affordable. Meanwhile, Supervisors Ahsha Safai and London Breed have introduced an ordinance designed to make the city’s rent-controlled units more available to middle-income earners. It would allocate units according to income tiers to ensure that they do not go only to low-income earners. Berkeley Promotes ‘Micro-Housing’ for Homeless Berkeley City Council approved unanimously the “Step Up Housing” initiative co-sponsored by three council members to encourage “supportive housing” for homeless and very low-income people with city help. In December, the council endorsed a proposal from Mayor Jesse Arreguin and councilman Kriss Worthington to explore supportive housing for homeless, disabled, and veterans in the city and allowing tiny homes to be displayed for a week to a month. The report refers to 160-square-foot MicroPAD (Prefabricated Affordable Dwelling) produced by Panoramic Interests in San Francisco. The approved proposal identifies city-owned parcels for assisted-living modular micro-unit buildings, amends the permitting and approvals process to easy creation of below-market housing, starts a competitive bidding process for development of up to 100 units, arranges for management and operation of the buildings by a non-profit, and establishes need-based criteria for eligibility. While the legislation now is simply about “100 units of housing in an expedite manner” it is assumed to be aimed at microhomes. The two sites being bid on by developers are both parking lots. Stockton Promotes Non-Residential Developments The Stockton City Council adopted an incentive program for non-residential developments. The new program is part of an effort by local officials to generate additional revenue and more jobs. The new incentives will allow non-residential facilities to defer payment on public facilities fees that go towards city projects such as street improvements, fire and police stations, and water and wastewater connections. To qualify for the program, developers must be facing gees that exceed $20,000. The fee deferrals will be extended until a certificate of occupancy is issued to the developer and will last up to a maximum of two years from the issuance of the first building permit. Quick Hits & Updates The California Air Resources Board is hosting  workshops on updates to Senate Bill 375 regional passenger vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets for California's Metropolitan Planning Organizations. The workshops will be held in Los Angeles March 7, Sacramento March 9 (also webcast), and Fresno March 14.  The California Natural Resources Agency’s  Urban Greening Grant Program has released its application and guidelines and is hosting eight of technical assistance workshops around the state between March 13 and March 28. Each workshop will include a formal presentation and breakout sessions designed to provide help and guidance in preparing grant applications. Bay Area Rapid Transit reports that ridership was down 5.2 percent in December and 4 percent in January, foretelling a budget deficit for the year of $15 million to $25 million. The board is considering ways to cut costs and increase revenues, possibly by increasing base fares. Los Angeles Metro's Expo Line Phase 2 Light Rail, a 6.6-mile-long project with seven stations has received recognition for sustainable performance from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure (ISI). The project earned the Envision rating system’s highest award level—Platinum. It is the first Metro project that is Envision-verified. This week the Coastal Commission will consider a plan to restore a group of cottages at Crystal Cove in Orange County. The cottages, which predate the Coastal Act by decades, fell under public control in 1979, and are considered historic.  Los Angeles Metro has released four alternatives for “run-through” tracks at Union Station. The tracks would enable Amtrak, Metrolink, and future high-speed rail service to provide continuous service to points both north and south of Los Angeles.  The City of Glendale is considering options for a streetcar line, funded by a $200,000 planning grant from the Southern California Association of Governments. The proposed route would run diagonally through Burbank and then run north-south along Glendale’s Brand Boulevard.  The Los Angeles Conservancy has awarded Survey LA its Chairmans Award for 2017, the organization’s highest honor. Conducted by the L.A. Department of City Planing, Survey LA is a multi-year project to analyze and catalog the city’s historic resources. It has analyzed over 800,000 parcels and is believed to be the largest such effort of its kind in U.S. history.  Responding to changing commuting patterns in the Sacramento region, Sacramento Regional Transit is considering a wholesale redesign of its bus system. A new design would serve employment centers such as Rancho Cordova and Folsom and have less emphasis on downtown Sacramento. A study will begin this summer.  Facing a threat that the federal government may withhold a promised $647 million to electrify the Caltrain corridor, Caltrain officials have extended the contracts of contractors set to work on the project. Though funding is still uncertain, the extension prevents the automatic termination of the contracts.  An investment group has submitted a roughly $1.3 billion proposal that would keep the Raiders in Oakland to the NFL. Details of the proposal have not been released but it reportedly calls for a combination of public and private funds to renovate the Oakland Coliseum.  San Francisco supervisors rejected , 9-1, an appeal filed against a plan to manage roughly 1,000 acres of natural areas in the city. the vote means that the plan, which calls for strategic removal of up to 18,000 trees, can go forward. the appeal had been filed by the San Francisco Forest Alliance, which felt that the plan went too far.  The Clear Lake City Council unanimously adopted an update to the city’s general plan that is designed to guide development through 2040. the plan is designed to accommodate population growth of 1.4 percent annually and the development of over 600,000 square feet of retail in the city of 15,000.