Three environmental groups are suing Riverside County over a climate action plan and amendments to its general plan. Plaintiffs claim that, contrary to the plan's stated goals to combat climate chance and protect the environment, the plan actually creates increased traffic, air pollution and threats to wildlife. Plaintiffs include the Center for Biological Diversity, San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society, and the Sierra Club. The groups argue that the Board of Supervisors violated CEQA by certifying an inadequate environmental impact report. The county argues its plans are up to the state's standards and designed to assist California in meeting its GHG emission-reduction targets. According to the groups, Riverside County is not discouraging sprawl by increasing density in existing cities, not actively reducing pollution, and allows for developments near sensitive wildlife areas. A hearing is scheduled for Feb. 22. NFL Approves Rams' Move to Los Angeles After a 21-year wait, the National Football League has finally approved the relocation of a team to the Los Angeles area starting in the 2016 season. NFL owners voted, 30-2, to allow the St. Louis Rams to transfer to Los Angeles. They will temporarily play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and then move to a new stadium complex in Inglewood. The San Diego Chargers have a one-year option to join, but must decide by Jan. 15, 2017 or else the Oakland Raiders will get the year-long option. If they both choose to stay in their home markets they will each get $100 million for their own new stadiums. The proposed stadium in Inglewood will open in 2019 and cost almost $3 billion with no public funds. The 298-acre site will include entertainment, retail, housing, performing arts venue, and privately financed stadium with 70,240 seats. Study of Bay Area Carbon Footprint Released UC's CoolClimate Network, which includes researchers from UC Berkeley and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, recently released a ranking of census blocks in the nine-counties in the Bay Area according to carbon consumption. The per-household measurements are based on transportation use, food consumption, goods and services used, energy to heat or cool home, materials going into construction, electricity use and waste. The study is the first detailed carbon study of a major metropolitan area. "One of the things that really struck me the most was the wide variation within cities," Christopher Jones, program director of the CoolClimate Network, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Oakland, for example, has some of the highest and lowest carbon footprints in the entire Bay Area, all within the same city." The study found that Atherton has the largest per-household carbon footprint in the Bay Area, at 85.7 tons; Emeryville has the smallest, at 30.7 tons. Caltrans Issues Statewide Bikeway Guidelines Caltrans has issued a long-awaited "Class IV Bikeway Guidance" ( pdf ) document to assist planners and engineers in building protected bike lanes. In 2014 the Protected Bikeways Act mandated Caltrans create a category and guidance documents. The guidelines provide, for the first time, a statewide standard to help local planners design and implement bike infrastructure.  The document is written with a permissive rather than restrictive attitude to encourage the local jurisdictions to specialize to fit their communities. The guidance document are continuing protected intersections, loading zones and driveways. This document is designed to help engineers and planners build bike lanes for those commuters less comfortable with using the road alongside vehicle traffic. "We didn't want to dictate from a Caltrans statewide perspective," Kevin Herritt, chief of Caltrans' Office of Standards and Procedure, told Streetsblog . "The guidelines are intended to be flexible, so that all local jurisdictions can do what they need to do given their specific local circumstances." Coalition Proposes Region-wide Tax to Restore San Francisco Bay A coalition of Silicon Valley business leaders, Bay Area Council, and environmental groups such as Save the Bay are teaming up to create a new local tax for the Bay Area to vote on in the next election. This initiative would put a $12 tax on each parcel to grow a fund for bay restoration to protect against rising sea levels. If approved this program would raise $500 million over the next twenty years for levees and restoration of natural buffers such as marshes and wetlands. The tax poses complex issues in communities not adjacent to the Bay, such as Gilroy, Livermore, and Half Moon Bay that would still pay the tax. There is discussion of structuring it more like a benefits assessment; those that live closest to the potential danger should pay more. The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority voted Jan. 13 to place the measure on the June 7 ballot. Los Angles Landlords May Pass Some Seismic Retrofit Costs on to Tenants Under a plan recently approved by the Los Angeles City Council, property owners and tenants can split the costs of seismic retrofitting, with tenants having rent increases of less than $38 a month over a ten-year period. The plan clarifies an ambitious ordinance passed in October that requires around 15,000 buildings to be retrofitted, especially unstable wood-frame apartments and concrete buildings. The costs of retrofitting these types of buildings could cost between $130,000 to millions. With the cost-sharing discussion resolved, the question of implementation remains. Property owners have seven years to retrofit wooden apartments and twenty-five years for concrete. According to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety there are approximately 13,500 soft-story wooden buildings that need retrofitting. The city is continuing to search for financing options to assist landlords such as low-interest loans, permit fee waivers and tax breaks. Ojai Approves Total Ban on Short-Term Rentals Enacting what may be the strictest limits on short-term rentals in the state, the Ojai City Council voted, 5-0, to ban informal rentals from sites such as Airbnb and VRBO in all areas of the city including mixed-use and commercial zones. Councilmember Betsy Clapp told the Ventura County Star, "online business model circumvents and undermines community zoning laws" by allowing renters who do not enroll in schools, volunteer or contribute to the community. While some citizens said they rely on short-term rentals for financial support, the majority of the community was against this new home-based hotel system. The council also voted, 4-1, to subpoena Airbnb, VRBO, and others for records on existing vacation rentals in Ojay. The restrictions go into effect Feb. 1. Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Suit over Santa Ana Sucker Fish By refusing to hear a suit brought on by 21 Inland Empire water agencies, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively put to rest an ongoing dispute over the protection of the Santa Ana sucker fish, which has been listed as threatened since 2000. The species lives in a specific 2-3 mile stretch of the Santa Ana river in Riverside, with over 9,000 acres in the county designated as critical habitat. Plaintiffs claimed the designation was based on flawed science and threatens billions of dollars of future water capture and groundwater recharge projects. With the ruling, the agencies must develop plans to protect the species. McKeever to Step Down as SACOG CEO Mike McKeever has announced, that 2016 will be his last year as Chief Executive Officer of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. During McKeever's 12-year tenure as CEO, the organization has been recognized as an active participant in collaborative regional decision making. The work of SACOG and the region is highly regarded nationally for the visionary Blueprint framework, the Rural Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), several high performing Metropolitan Transportation Plans, and programming hundreds of millions of dollars for members and partners to construct transportation projects that increase transportation choice and mobility. Don Saylor, SACOG Board Chair for 2015 and Yolo County Supervisor, said in a statement, "Mr. McKeever is a tremendous asset to the Sacramento region. He has assembled a great team at SACOG and has been extremely effective at serving our diverse 31-member Board." A successor has not been announced. Transfer of Control over Ontario Airport Nears Completion Following an agreement over the sale of Ontario International Airport to the City of Ontario, the city is applying to the FAA take control of airport operations. Approval could come as early as July, thus substantially completing transfer of the airport from Los Angeles World Airports to the city. There are multiple payments being negotiated between the various cities, airports and agencies. Los Angeles World Airports will operate ONT during the transition phase and assist with the protection of workers positions and salaries. Upon transfer, Ontario will owe LAWA $120 million, to be paid for largely through $2 per-passenger fees. Redondo Beach Develops Plan for Waterfront The City of Redondo Beach is considering a public-private partnerships to redevelop its pier and other waterfront properties.  Infrastructure repairs to fix the pier, crumbling parking garages and waterfront cost around $108 million. CenterCal Properties and the city of Redondo Beach are working together on a $250 million project called Waterfront Redondo. The plan has 11 acres of public open space, improved beach and swim area, public market, 700-seat specialty theater, hotel, retail space, and wider boardwalk. Some residents have expressed concerns over restricted views, threats by exploding sea lion population and resistance to a mall by the sea. The proposal will go to the City Council in March for approval. Accessory Dwelling Units Catch on in Marin County The San Rafael City Council voted , 3-2, to approve "junior second units." Council members agreed that additional units need to be built in the city. However, two council members disagreed on the requirements for the new units, expressing concerns about overcrowding and excessive parking use. The new junior second units will be constructed without minimum lot size or additional parking spaces. Officials will monitor the program for two years to watch for overcrowding or other problems, which warrant revisions. The move is part of a trend in Marin County. Novato and Tiburon adopted ordinances earlier and Fairfax, Larkspur and Belvedere are moving towards adopting standards. San Jose Considers Approval of Apple Facility Even as Apple Computers constructs its new headquarters in Cupertino, the company has received endorsement from the San Jose planners for the construction of a new campus in North San Jose, near the airport. This 86-acre development would bring 16,000-20,000 Apple employees to the area. The development plan gives the campus 4.15 million square feet and 15 years to add buildings. Planners see the campus as an anchor for economic development in that part of the city.

With a significant increase in cap-and-trade funding for 2016, the Strategic Growth Council announced the expansion of the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program (SALC). SALC provides funds that compensate farmers and ranchers for creating conservation easements. It also assists local governments' plans to preserve agricultural lands, with an eye towards mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. Available funding in 2016 will amount to $40 million, a eightfold increase over the previous year. Funds will be made available through a competitive application process. Last year, SGC received $45 million worth of applications. The new funding level comes with new guidelines from SGC. Funding match thresholds have been reduced, particularly for projects in disadvantaged communities. Pre-applicaitons are due Feb. 16. Further information, including new guidelines, is available here .  DMV Issues Draft Regulations for Autonomous Vehicles Anticipating what could be one of the most significant urban trends of the coming decade, the Department of Motor Vehicles released a draft of preliminary regulations of autonomous vehicles ( pdf ). The regulations primarily focus on safety issues. Proposed regulations include the following: third-party safety certification; presence of liscenced operators capable of controlling vehiciles at all times; initial three-year deployment permits for manufacturers; privacy and cyber-security protection for vehicles that collect and relay data while driving. DMV initially intends to allow only autonomous passenger vehicles. Two upcoming workshops will be held to discuss the draft regulations and recieve input: Jan. 28 in Sacramento and Feb. 2 in Los Angeles.  Oakland, San Diego Stand Firm on Football Stadium Offers With NFL owners meeting in mid-January, Oakland and San Diego have issued what are apparantly final offers to keep their respective football teams. San Diego officials, including Mayor Kevin Faulconer, promised a $350 millino contribution towards a replacement for Qualcomm Stadium for the Chargers. The City of Oakland is being less generous towards the Raiders. Mayor Libby Schaff and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty reiterated their refusal to spend public money on a new stadium. They have, however, promised to give the Raiders a favorable deal on the long-term lease of 60 acres adjacent to O.co Coliseum if the Raiders choose to fund their own stadium.  Garcetti Taps Pasadena's Vince Bertoni to be New L.A. Planning Director Mayor Eric Garcetti today announced the nomination of Pasadena Planning Director Vince Bertoni as the new head of the Los Angeles Department of City Planning (LADCP). Bertoni comes to the department with more than 25 years of planning experience - including a previous stint at LADCP.  "Vince Bertoni's experience both here in Los Angeles and across the region will add tremendous value to our City's planning efforts," said Garcetti in a statement. "He is a professional who leads by collaborating and consensus-building - skills that will help him balance the diverse needs of our communities, and facilitate real progress in the ongoing conversation about development in this city."  Bertoni has served for five years as the City of Pasadena's Planning and Community Development Director. During that time, he successfully managed Pasadena's city planning program through a General Plan update, a comprehensive visioning process that happens just once every 20 years.  Before joining the City of Pasadena, Bertoni served as Deputy Planning Director in Los Angeles, where he oversaw the adoption of 16 historic preservation overlay zones, new guidelines for the Broadway Historic District, a bicycle master plan and a Hollywood community plan.  Los Angeles Goes After Nuisance Properties A new plan approved by the Los Angeles City Council would allow the city to take control of vacant nuisance properties from banks and put them under the control of a court-appointed overseer who would hire contractors to fix the houses for sale. Under the plan, proceeds from the sales, not taxpayer dollars, would pay for that work, including the fees of private attorneys who would handle the legal paperwork. "It offers an effective way to turn a property around quickly," City Attorney Mike Feuer told the LA Times. "This program costs nothing." Feuer's proposal now goes to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti for approval. If he signs off, the city attorney would be able to have outside firms start working on takeovers after 30 days. Mayors Form Homelessness Alliance Five West Coast mayors announced the creation of an alliance united in addressing the growing crisis of homelessness. The alliance, consisting of Portland Mayor Charlie Hales, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, was developed during the West Coast Mayors Summit addressing homelessness, housing, and climate action. It first plans to elevate the importance of homelessness and housing in their communities and among their federal delegations. It would be committed to data collection and sharing - getting the right data for the West Coast - and sharing of best practices. Bay Area Cities Win Problem-Solving Grants San Francisco and San Jose are two of 13 new beneficiaries of grants from former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's What Works Cities initiative, a program launched in April 2015 that provides grants to technical experts to help mid-sized urban governments solve local problems. The initiative, launched through New York-based Bloomberg Philanthropies, plans to expand to as many as 100 cities by 2017, investing a total of $42 million to support consulting and technical assistance for mid-sized cities. Its goal is to encourage cities to adopt the data-driven governing techniques that distinguished Bloomberg's administration in New York City. L.A. River Project Gets Key Backing from Army Corps The Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lt. Gen. Thomas Bostick, has signed off on the plan to restore the Los Angeles River, a major milestone in efforts to transform the river's aquatic ecosystem. This approval is a critical step toward moving the project forward to Congress for authorization and appropriation of funding.  The Chief's Report now goes to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) for administrative review and transmittal to Congress, expected in early 2016. Congress must authorize the project in a Water Resources Development Act and appropriate funds in order for the Corps and the City to begin construction.  The plan will restore approximately 719 acres by widening the river in key areas by terracing and restructuring channel banks to support vegetation, creating side channels and off-channel marsh, daylighting small streams, and removing invasive vegetation. Associated recreation features include trails, vista points, educational amenities, and pedestrian bridges. "We and our partners have put tremendous effort into developing and moving forward a plan that would improve the L.A. River ecosystem in a constrained funding environment," said Col. Gibbs. "Our number one priority of the plan is to restore the river's ecosystem while preserving the flood protection that is provided by the existing channel system."

More than four decades after a graduate student proposed adding a "green belt" of wildlife habitats, parks, and recreational areas in a rim circling the San Fernando Valley, Rep. Adam Schiff is pushing to add as much land as possible "Rim of the Valley Corridor" to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in the Los Angeles area. Backed by a broad coalition including the National Park Service, the designation would protect of the 1,000-square-mile area from future development and preserve puma and bobcat habitats, along with forests and fossil beds. "For us, it's a complete and utter enhancement," Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation president Kim Lamorie told the LA Times . "Our are always competing to get the National Park Service - to purchase land in and around our homeowners associations and rural villages.... Property values go up when you're surrounded by open space."  Group Proposes Complete Streets Alternative to 710 Freeway Tunnel An opposition group to an underground 710 freeway extension from Alhambra to South Pasadena presented its plan for an alternative to a tunnel proposed to close the 710 freeway gap through South Pasadena. Beyond the 710, a coalition of community organizations, environmental attorneys and five San Gabriel Valley cities, is advancing a plan that would expand bus service, improve surface streets, and develop more walkable communities to better address traffic congestion, pollution, and transportation needs of the area, all with a price tag for $875 million, much less than the $5.6 billion price tag of the tunnel, which is one of five alternatives analyzed in an environmental impact report released in March. "We are hoping to move beyond the old, tired 710 Freeway debate, which is wasting lots of time, money and resources," South Pasadena City Councilwoman Marina Khubesrian, vice chair of the Beyond the 710 coalition, told the  Los Angeles Times . Supporters of the estimated $5.6 billion tunnel, contend that the group is just trying to gum up an environmental review that is underway and undermine growing support for the tunnel project. Arcata Experiments with Zoning for Medical Marijuana  Believing that statewide marijuana legalization may be coming in 2016, the Arcata City Council voted unanimously for a proposal to create a new "Medical Marijuana Innovation Area," which would rezone three parcels of land to allow for the cultivation, processing, and wholesale of medical marijuana out in the open instead of in private homes. Isaiah O'Donnell, policy co-chairman for California Cannabis Voice Humboldt, estimated that there are about 100 indoor growers in the city that could legitimize their business in the innovation zone, but he expressed concern that a mega-cultivator could come in and monopolize the zone. "With Arcata being very small business-centric, I don't believe anybody should be able to come in and grow 50,000 square feet of cultivation," O'Donnell told the  Times-Standard .  Laguna Beach, Sacramento Propose Short-Term Rental Regulations Laguna Beach and Sacramento the latest cities to explore ways of regulating short-term rental services like Airbnb.  In Sacramento, City Council members say they are drafting a proposed ordinance backed by the city's planning department that would allow short-term rentals without a permit for up to 29 days and waive the requirement for an on-site manager. "We have this innovative new way for people to visit our city and for people to engage in the sharing economy," Sacramento City Councilman Steve Hansen told the Sacramento Bee . "We should be cautious of overshooting the mark with any kind of regulation." According to city estimates, Sacramento only has about 500 housing units used as short-term rentals, making it easier for lawmakers to take a breath before imposing restrictions, in contrast with coastal cities with high populations of tourists. Alternately, the Laguna Beach City Council voted unanimously to impose a 45-day moratorium on all new short-term rentals of 30 days or less as a temporary salve while city staff researches long-term solutions to what residents perceive as a growing quality-of-life issue. Residents have said that the high turnover of tenants has bred loud parties, the blocking of driveways by cars and increased trash on the streets. Additionally, city staff has said that many owners do not register their rentals with the city, avoiding the city's $275 transit occupancy tax.   Los Angeles Considers Long-Term Maintenance Plan for Sidewalks In an attempt to find a long-term plan for sidewalk upkeep after it makes a planned $1.4 billion in improvements, Los Angeles' top city budget office has recommended that the city transfer responsibility for fixing broken sidewalks in front of commercial businesses to property owners and make homeowners responsible for future upkeep. The report comes as the city has committed to spend $1.4 billion over the next three decades as part of a legal settlement with disability rights groups that had sued the city over its impassible sidewalks. Under the plan, businesses would have a year to voluntarily repair cracked sidewalks. If they did not comply, the city would make the repairs and charge the business. Residents, on the other hand, would receive a certificate following an inspection and city-funded improvements, and would be held responsible for all future damage to the sidewalks.  S.F. Mayor Proposes $500 Million for Affordable Housing San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee has proposed an ambitious new affordable housing plan to add 3,000 new units by 2030 in the Mission Bay, Transbay Terminal, and Hunters Point Shipyard-Candlestick Point neighborhoods. The plan would use the Redevelopment Property Tax Fund, established when the state dissolved redevelopment agencies, to tack on $500 million extra to Lee's previous plan to build $250 million worth of affordable housing throughout the city. The plan would authorize the issuance of bonds to build 1,800 affordable units by 2020, 660 units by 2025, and 540 units by 2030. Opposition Prompts Down-Scaling of Major San Diego Development Bowing to opposition from residents in the San Diego community of Carmel Valley, developer Kilroy Realty decided to scale back its massive mixed-use development known as One Paseo. Kilroy received City Council approval in February for a 1.1-million square foot version of the project with over 600 residences along with office and retail space, but a signature drive forced the previous version of the project to a vote in 2016 that would cost the city roughly $900,000. Observers are studying the fate of the project carefully as a potential precedent-setter for the development of denser projects in suburban San Diego. Kilroy said that the compromise would reduce the traffic caused by the project -- the major stickler for neighborhood opposition groups -- by half and would lower the heights of the tallest office towers from nine stories to seven stories. Kilroy will now present the compromised version to community groups for approval and eventually bring it back to the city council for another round of votes.  California Cites Score Highly in Fitness Ranking A new report ranks San Diego, the Bay Area, and Sacramento in the top five fittest among the 50 biggest metropolitan areas in the country. The ranking, called the American Fitness Index and released by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Anthem Foundation, measures health and community indicators including varieties of outdoor exercise options and rates of smoking, obesity, and diabetes. Those three cities ranked respectively third, fourth, and fifth; San Jose rounded out 10th place, Los Angeles got 23rd, and Riverside-San Bernardino came in at 34th. California's Carbon Use Beats Most Nations California has the second-least carbon-intensive developed economy in the world, according to a new study from public policy group Next 10. Having more electric cars than any other state or country, the most clean-technology investment, and a fast-growing fleet of renewable power plants, California's economy is only beaten by France in the study which measures emissions of greenhouse gases per dollar of economic activity. From 1990 through 2012, California's greenhouse gas emissions shrank by 25 percent per person while per capita gross domestic product rose 37 percent. That ratio could increase even further as Governor Jerry Brown seeks to expand California's use of renewable energy to 50 percent by 2030. Lawsuit Over Sacramento Arena Dismissed Without further comment the California Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit led by retired state Department of Transportation director Adriana Saltonstall alleging that the $477 million Sacramento Kings downtown arena project violated CEQA and would cause massive traffic and air pollution problems in the city. Officials breathed a sigh of relief at the decision, as they assumed that the case could delay the stadium's scheduled opening date of October 2016. The dismissal leaves only one hurdle for the construction of the new arena which has been fast-tracked through CEQA by AB-900. Three Sacramentans are suing the city for contributing a $255 million subsidy to the project, most of which will come about by borrowing against its downtown parking operations. Natural Resources Agency Releases Application for River Parkways Grants The California Natural Resources Agency announced the release of the guidelines and application for the California River Parkways (RP) grant program. Awards for this program will be made pursuant to the River Parkways Act of 2004. An estimated $7.6 million will be available for projects that involve natural creeks, streams and/or rivers, or channelized or culverted creeks, streams and/or rivers. Projects must serve at least two of the following purposes: recreation, habitat protection, flood management, conservation, conversion to river parkways.  The agency will award funds to "projects that produce multiple benefits which reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase water use efficiency, reduce risks from climate change impacts and demonstrate collaboration with local, state and community entities." The application period runs June 1 to Sept. 1.

Sacramento County voters may decide whether to increase the county sales tax by half-cent to fund major road and transit improvements. Proposed by the Sacramento Transportation Authority, the tax could raise $3.6 billion over 30 years to be spent across the county. Much of these types of projects were previously funded by gas tax, which has been diminishing in the last few years. Placer and Yolo counties are considering similar taxes. Cities would be allowed to spend their allocation as they chose, but many proposed project have been listed. These include freeway interchanges, bike overcrossings, Sacramento's downtown streetcar, Elk Grove's intermodal train station and road repairs and widenings. The authority board will vote April14 to begin collecting signatures for a November ballot. The tax will be in place 2017 to 2047, overlapping for a few years with the current sales tax increase that was voted on in 2004 and will expire in 2039. Los Angeles to Collect Developers' Park Fees Los Angeles may shore up is system by which new development contributes funds to parks. Apartment developers in Los Angeles have skipped paying park-building fees, also known as Quimby fee s, because of a technicality in the law. Quimby fees are charged on new homes on subdivided land while Finn fees are charged on housing units built on property that undergoes a zone change. The majority of the new rental developments do not require a zone change, and therefore no park fees are required. The planning commission has proposed that developers pay $5,000 for each apartment unit they build and $10,000 per unit fee on houses or condos built on subdivided land. These fees will be phased in over the next two years, and builders could receive credit for building parks on the properties. Chargers Propose Stadium Financing Plan The San Diego Chargers are proposing a 4 percent hotel tax increase to finance a new $1.8 billion stadium and convention center. Raising the tax from 12.5 to 16.5 percent will also allow $1.15 for publicly issued bonds for operations, tourism marketing and San Diego's general fund. Nearly $350 million would be the city's contribution to the football stadium, $600 million for the convention center and $200 million to purchase land. The remaining money for the stadium will be $350 million from the team and $300 million from the NFL. Now the team must begin collecting signatures to place it on the ballot for the November election. The complex would be owned and operated by the city, with the Chargers leasing the stadium for 30 years. The proposal is awaiting support from key leaders in the city such as Mayor Kevin Faulconer. Glendale Considers Freeway Cap Park The City Council of Glendale has agreed to dedicate funds to a study for a 4-5 acre park over a section of the 134 Freeway. The study, which will cost $300,000, will examine costs, scope of building and open bidding for firms to apply. In one such project in Dallas, much of the $57 million park was funded through public-private partnership. Glendale council members have expressed skepticism about the project's ability to attract such large investors. Polls have shown that residents are in favor of the park, which would include walking trails, playgrounds and a concert space. Phase One of Treasure Island Development Commences Construction of the first phase of the $6 billion Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island redevelopment has begun. The first phase will include demolition of 40 structures and construction of new roads, utilities, and parks. The phase will feature up to 500 hotel rooms, 2,100 residential units. Infrastructure work alone will cost around $155 million and take nearly three years, while housing construction is expected to begin within a year. The entire project will take 10-15 years and include 8,000 residential units, of which 25 percent will be affordable. The developers involved are Lennar Urban, Kenwood Investments, Stockbridge Capital Group and Wilson Meany. Bay Area Counties Among Least Affordable Rental Markets; Evictions Increasing Real estate information company RealtyTrac analyzed 456 counties in the U.S. and found that Marin, Santa Cruz and San Francisco counties are among the top five least affordable markets. In all three of these counties, the average earner spends around 100 percent of income on monthly mortgages, insurance and property taxes. Another study found a rapid increase in evictions in San Francisco. Between March 2015 and February 2016, there were 2,134 evictions. There are multiple reasons for evictions, which can include owner move-in, asbestos cleaning, remodeling and taking the apartment off rentals to sell. The city has begun tracking buyout agreements, where the tenant agrees to vacate the unit for an agreed upon sum from the landlord. Delta Tunnel Plan Hits Political Snag In the ongoing discussion over the plan to build two huge tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority has demanded that two members of the State Water Resources Control Board, Chair Felicia Marcus and member Tam Doduc, be disqualified from a hearing because, the group claims, they have already made up their minds on the issue. The $15.5 billion project will re-engineer the water in the Delta, repair the fragile ecosystem and create more reliable water deliveries to the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California. Marcus and Doduc advocated for more natural water flow through the Delta, which leaves less available water for the contractors in the south. The two followed up saying the earlier ruling "should not be considered a final determination� We have not prejudged this issue." The state DWP and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agencies that run the pumps currently, asked for two-month delay before hearings to resolve complaints before the lengthy hearings begin. While the two are supposedly not related, the tunnel project is facing criticism from both sides. Rail-to-Water Ballot Measure Postponed The proposed ballot measure to reallocate high-speed rail bonds to water projects has been postponed for two years. The sponsoring group, California Water Alliance, stated costs for obtaining signatures was too high and would begin collecting for the 2018 election. While this threat from potential election has subsided, there are numerous legal, technical and political challenges the project faces. Developer Pulls Out of 2,200-acre Project in Concord Catellus Development Corp. pulled its bid for a 2,200-acre community on the former Concord Naval Weapons Station in Concord. CEO Ted Antenucci wrote a statement to the city saying they had lost trust in the process and accused its competitor Lennar Urban of improper lobbying. City officials agreed to reimburse the $250,000 "good faith" deposit Catellus paid to be in the running. With Catellus leaving, Lennar will be the only firm left for the April 5 meeting to pick the master developer for the first phase of the project. San Jose Approves �Grace Period' for Affordable Housing Policy In 2010, the City of San Jose announced a policy to attack affordable housing: building 2,400 homes per year until 2022. Six years later, the city has not come close to reaching its goal. The law spent nearly two years in court being debated and all plans were placed on hold. The California Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of San Jose. City council voted, 10-1, to approve a "grace period" for housing projects that were approved before June 30. The policy requires developments of more than 20 for-sale units to set aside 15 percent for moderate-income, which is between $74-89,000 annually. State Launches Transportation Innovation Council Caltrans and FHWA have created a council to oversee development of innovations in the transportation sector called California State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC). STIC is intended to promote a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation system through pilot programs and other implementations. With aging infrastructure repairs are becomingly increasingly frequent and more costly; STIC is researching innovative new systems to drive economic growth and provide safer and more efficient transportation systems in the state. Tribes Clash over Proposed Madera Casino Three northern California tribes, led by the Chukchansi, are working with a congressman Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Oroville) to block a proposed Native American casino near Madera that is 40 miles from the sponsoring tribe's Rancheria and not on its ancestral homeland. The appeal is based on Proposition 48, backed by 60 percent of voters statewide in 2014, which forbids off-reservation gaming. According to Chukchansi tribal leader Claudia Gonzales, allowing the proposed casino off-reservation would provide a free-for-all including "farmlands, urban centers and even open lots in neighborhoods." Negotiations for a compact have begun between Gov. Jerry Brown and the North Fork tribe as congressional change seems unlikely during an election year.

The California High Speed Rail Authority won a court victory last week when Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny ruled farmers and other plaintiffs in Kings County had not presented enough evidence to support their claim that the state's high speed rail project had violated the terms of 2008's Proposition 1A. Kenny wrote, "there are still too many unknown variables" and therefore does not constitute sufficient grounds for the suit. The ruling implies that plaintiffs may reopen the case in the future if the project does not comply with requirements of the bond measure. The rail authority still must comply with the bond measure's requirements, including target travel times, ridership, headways, and financial self-sufficiency. State May Not Garnish Cities' Tax Funds in RDA Disputes, Court Rules The Third District Court of Appeals ruled , 3-0, that the state may not garnish tax money from cities refusing to surrender funds that the state claims it is owed in the wake of the 2012 dissolution of the state's redevelopment agencies. Of the 400 former redevelopment agencies statewide, nine cities have refused to return funds totaling $24 million to distribute to local taxing entities. The Legislature in 2012 authorized the withholding of sales and tax revenue and property taxes of those cities. The judges said a provision of the California Constitution, passed in 2010 by voters as Proposition 22, prohibits such action. "In passing Proposition 22, the people took away from the Legislature the authority to withhold sales and use tax revenue and property tax revenue from local governments," the justices wrote. Report Details Consequences of California Housing Shortage Bay Area think-tank Next 10 released a report predicting that California's housing shortage will impose serious economic consequences on the state. In the ten years between 2005 and 2015, only 21.5 permits were issued per 100 people in the state. The report finds that in urban areas, 45 percent of developers say costs, neighbor opposition or both are reasons they do not proceed with infill projects. Other challenges area CEQA, zoning and potential lawsuits, and Proposition 13 which limits property-tax increases could switch cities from building homes to retail projects. The study found that California has some of the highest rates of post-recession job growth in the nation but also lost 625,000 people to other states. Housing costs in California are the highest in the nation, approximately 35.7 percent more than the national average. "California has an employment boom with a housing problem," said Christopher Thornberg, co-author of the report. "The state continues to offer great employment opportunities for all kinds of workers. But housing affordability and supply represent a major problem." Anaheim Releases Proposed Streetcar Route The City of Anaheim released a route for its proposed streetcar. The route would connect the ARTIC transit center in Anaheim to Disneyland and the Convention Center. The project could cost approximately $298.7 million and $4.3 million to operate annually. The 3.2-mile route would have eight stops and carry 120 passengers along the 18-minute trip. But many are opposed citing increased costs and traffic as drivers idle behind the streetcars. The plan will be reviewed by the city council March 14. Disneyland Resort wants to construct its own transportation center for drop-offs and build a new 6,800 space parking structure. The city projects that 1.25 million annual passengers could ride the route by 2035, by which time the Platinum Triangle area is expected to have 25,000 residents, complementing Disneyland's 25 million annual visitors. Air District Ousts Executive Officer, Faces Unrelated Lawsuit The Natural Resources Defense Council and other environmental and community groups are suing South Coast Air Quality Management District for adopting what they consider weak smog regulations proposed by Western States Petroleum Association. California Air Resources Board and state lawmakers have asked the air board to reconsider. Oil industry groups have fought against stronger smog-reduction measures because of the steep cost of upgrading pollution control measures. Meanwhile, the board of the SCAQMD recently ousted longtime Executive Officer Barry Wallerstein. The ouster is generally seen as a pro-business move, prompted by the board's Republican members, State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon denounced the decision in a written statement: "Today's shameful action by SCAQMD is only the latest in a disturbing trend of dirty energy interests dismantling clean air rules that the public overwhelmingly supports." High Speed Rail to be Delayed Three Years A recently released revision of the business plan for California High Speed Rail indicates that the project will cost more and incur a three-year delay for the initial leg. CAHSR acknowledges the complications of crossing the mountains from Central Valley to Los Angeles, both geographically and financially. However, the entire price tag for the system has been cut by $4 billion to a total price tag of $64 billion. The authority needs funding from private investors, state and federal government. The initial segment from San Jose to Central Valley, costing $21-billion, will be operating by 2025; the authority hopes that that segment will persuade investors to put up money to complete the system. Ainsworth Named Interim Successor to Fester on Coastal Commission Senior Deputy Director Jack Ainsworth has been named interim chief of the California Coastal Commission. His appointment was approved, 10-1. Ainsworth has worked for the commission for 27 years and under Lester, the dismissed director, since October 2011. He most recently held the title of senior deputy director. It will take up to six months to name a new executive director.  Ainsworth told the commission he has not decided if he will apply to the position permanently. Meanwhile, activists have gathered 775 signatures to call for an ethics investigation into Lester's dismissal. Santa Monica Faces Slow-Growth Ballot Measure Slow-growth advocates in Santa Monica have introduced the latest in a series of initiatives and protests designed to discourage what they see as overbuilding in the city. The Land Use Voters Empowerment (LUVE), sponsored by the group Residocracy, would require public vote on large and medium-size developments in the city. It would amend the city's zoning code to require a vote on all projects over two stories and on any project that seeks a development agreement. A majority of City Council opposes the measure, as they said it would give developers added power and influence in their politics. Residocracy hopes the measure will slow development in an already congested city. At least 6,500 signatures are to put it on the November ballot. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) Online Tool Tracks Cap-and-Trade Expenditures Bay Area advocacy group TransForm has released a new interactive  map that tracks where California's cap-and-trade program dollars are being invested. The map tallies all the billions of dollars received through the program and their greenhouse gas reductions. The map tracks 412 projects, $1.5 billion in investment and over 3 million megatons of greenhouse gas reduction.  Over $150 million from the fund has been used to build affordable, transit-oriented development. The website also marks the funding areas such as transportation and sustainable communities, clean energy and energy efficiency, and natural resources and waste diversion. Natural Resources Agency Hears Proposals for Salton Sea Restoration In the long-running effort to restore the Salton Sea, a group of local leaders have formed a Long Range Plan Committee under the sponsorship of the California Natural Resources Agency. Last month, multiple presentations were heard to discuss potential solutions, covering topics such as geothermal technology, environmental management, increasing water in the sea and economic development. Michael Clinton Consulting LLC proposed a $46 billion plan for hydro-electric pumped storage, geothermal development in southwestern Salton Sea area, new water supply for Colorado River Basin, development for Cucupah Tribe, and deep-water port for Mexicali.  AGESS Inc proposed lagoon-floating wetlands and specialized plants, microalgae and brine shrimp to clean the water. American Research and Development proposed bringing water from the Pacific Ocean through tunnels and building islands to raise water levels to create a current, all while using private funds.

The Coalition to Preserve L.A. has announced it will postpone the Neighborhood Integrity Initiative, a proposed ballot initiative that would have deep ramifications or planning in Los Angeles, until March 2017. The coalition also revised the original 26-page initiative to eight pages. The coalition is concerned that the initiate would get lost among the 20 or so measures on the November citywide ballot. Campaign director Jill Stewart explained: " Our initiative is too important to be buried at the tail-end of this November's ballot, which is beginning to look like it will be." The group is particularly concerned about what it describes as "mega-projects" that do not conform to community plans are out of character with surrounding neighborhoods. The initiative would prohibit the City Council from approving general plan amendments for specific projects, commonly known as "spot zoning," for a two-year period and requires the city to update its General Plan. The new version removes some constraints on the general plan update process. The initiative requires 61,000 valid signatures to get on the ballot. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) L.A. Metro Seeks Ballot Measure to Fund $120 Billion in Projects The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority released a $120-plus billion spending plan for a potential sales tax initiative on the countywide ballot in November. The plan devotes funds to pedestrian and cycling projects, commuter rail, transit operations and programs, as well as money for local cities for their own projects. The measure is a follow-up to 2008's Measure R, which added a half-cent to countywide sales tax and has already funded numerous transportation projects. Among dozes of proposed projects large and small, a few major proposed public transit projects include accelerated development of an extension of the Purple Line subway to Westwood, a rail tunnel under the Sepulveda Pass, light-rail between Artesia and South Gate, 710 South improving congestion, an added lane on the 5 freeway in Santa Clarita, extensions to the Green Line to Torrance, extension of Eastside Gold Line to Whittier, and a transit hub at LAX.  Highway projects include expanded HOV connectors across the county, purchase of land for the proposed High Desert Corridor,  The measure would ask voters to increase countywide sales tax by half-cent for 40 years; it requires a two-thirds majority. Click here for the full staff report and list of proposed projects. San Francisco Moves Towards New Traffic Metrics San Francisco Planning Commission voted , 6-0, to adopt a resolution to proceed with vehicle miles traveled (VMT) metrics as provided by SB 372 for all CEQA determinations in the city. The move reduces the city's reliance on level-of-service (LOS) metrics that, according to SB 372, do not promote the state's environmental goals. In a statement, Director of Planning John Rahaim told the San Francisco Chronicle, "Vehicle miles traveled is a much smarter approach to identifying the direct environmental effects of car use. It will streamline CEQA review for projects that are designed to encourage public transit, promote pedestrian safety and help reduce the need for traveling long distances by car." The city is hoping this will promote policies and programs that encourage infill development and transportation projects. San Francisco is the first large city in California to adopt these new guidelines to measure traffic differently. (See prior CP&DR coverage .)  Group Sues Over Alleged Coastal Act Violations A Venic Beach-based eneighborhood group has filed a civil complaint lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles for destroying the community, violating California Constitution and the CA Coastal Act, and local land use protections, according to the suit. Venice Coalition to Preserve Unique Community Character (VC-PUCC) contends that the city planners have approved countless large construction projects that have, according to VC-PUCC, "destroyed character, density, and charm of Venice neighborhoods; blocked airflow and sunlight; destroyed vegetation; obstructed picturesque views; and eliminated affordable housing units in this fragile and unique coastal zone." The group claims it is most alarmed by the "Venice Sign Off" procedure that has allowed developers to construct without notifying neighbors or holding public hearings and the hundreds of illegal Coastal Act exemptions. The group is seeking an injunction that would prevent the city from approving additional exemptions to coastal-area zoning restrictions and prevent administrative sign-offs.   Huntington Beach Rejects Affordable Housing Plan The Huntington Beach City Council rejected a plan last week, on a 7-0 vote, to increase the city's supply of high-density and low-income housing. The vote, promoted by anti-development protests, comes even though the city is out of compliance with its Regional Housing Needs Assessment allocation. The Department of Housing and Community Development notified the city in June that it was 400 units below the low-income housing requirement by the state and therefore will have certain state funding withheld. In May, the City Council stopped plans for a 4,500-unit development and dropped the number to 2,100 total and lowered the low-and very-low income housing from 783 units to 123. The vote last week was on an alternative plan. The deadline for the city to present a viable RHNA plan is September.  Study Shows Synergy between Transit, Ride Hailing Services A recent study by the Transit Cooperative Research Program looked at traveling habits of 4,500 people in seven cities nationwide, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, and found people that use ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber are more likely to use public transportation. Of those that use the services, 50 percent say they use a train frequently, and 45 percent use buses. Communities are being transformed and people are owning fewer cars and choosing to use alternative modes of transportation. The study's backers say that the study confirms that ride sharing complements public transit. Emily Castor, Director of Transportation Policy for Lyft said in a statement, "Transit is the backbone of urban mobility�..these findings prove that Lyft and transit combined reduce the need for car ownership, which will lead to more livable, sustainable cities." Los Angeles May Pass Costs of Sidewalk Repair on to Property Owners In an effort to conform with a lawsuit agreement to fix the city's sidewalks, the Los Angeles City Council, two Los Angeles City Council committees have proposed a "fix and release" plan whereby the city could pay for initial repairs and gradually transfers responsibility to property owners if damage is related to street trees. City officials have blamed the state of its sidewalks on this old rule, as lack of repairs increased with worsened government funding. The proposal is part of a $1.3 billion effort to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.. The new plan has met with protests over fears that costs might be passed on to cash-strapped residents. Debate over responsibility for sidewalk repair centers on a city law that requires the city to pay for damage related to street trees; state law stipulates that landlords are responsible.  Developer Must Pay $1 Million for Habitat Degredation Bay Area developer Wildlife Management has pleaded guilty to a criminal violation of the Endangered Species Act and must pay $1 million to conservation funds and preserve 107 acres of land for $3 million. The company polluted a pond that supported the threatened California tiger salamander and forged documents to hide their actions. After sediment runoff from a construction site in Dublin entered a pond, Tong submitted forged documents in March 2012 stating they had purchased $3.2 million in credits from the Ohlone Preserve Conservation Bank to offset the pollution. James Tong, principal of Wildlife Management, must spend four months in home detention and perform one-hundred hours of community service.  Oakland Approves Controversial High Rise Ending a particularly bitter development battle in Oakland, the City Council voted, 6-1, last week to approve a controversial high-rise project with UrbanCore to be built on surplus city land. The 360-unit project, including one-third affordable units, is expected to generate $45 million in property tax and $21 million in business tax revenue. Chanting the slogan, "No segregated housing on public land," protestors claim it is another "luxury development that includes a token amount of affordable housing in a segregated, separate building." Coast Range Conservancy Proposed State Senator Lois Wolk (D-Davis) and Assembly-member Bill Dodd (D-Napa) introduced SB 1396 to establish a state conservancy to protect, preserve and restore the Northern Inner Coast Range by creating the Inner Coast Range Conservancy. The ten existing conservancies coordinate project implementation for state allocations, bond funds and other grant opportunities. Lake County Supervisor Jim Steele said: "A state conservancy for our region can provide fairness and equity in our region in providing critical and necessary outside funding for important projects such as for Clear Lake's water quality and ecosystem." The bill will be heard in committee in early April.

Charles Lester, former Executive Director of the California Coastal Commission was  dismissed  from his role after nearly five years Feb. 10. The 7-5 vote took place behind closed doors after seven hours of public testimony, the majority of which supported Lester. Supporters of Lester say  pro-development commissioners were hoping to oust him. Lester defended himself by saying he and his staff preserved the coastal resources and public access with rising sea levels, growing populations and increased pressure from developers. However, one of the commissioners who spoke against Lester, Dayna Bochco, complained of the lack of communication on important projects. As commission Chair Steve Kinsey explained to Los Angeles Times, "the decision revolved around leadership and not around an issue of greater flexibility for development." Senior Deputy Director Jack Ainsworth will lead the commission staff until the commission selects a new executive director. LAO Report Calls for More Private Development Legislative Analyst's Office released the latest in a series of  reports  addressing California's worsening housing crisis. The report, "Perspectives on Helping Low-Income Californians Afford Housing," suggests that facilitating more private, market-rate housing development in the state's coastal urban communities would help make housing more affordable for low-income Californians. Existing affordable housing programs assist only a small proportion of low-income Californians. Most low-income Californians receive little or no assistance. Expanding affordable housing programs to help these households likely would be extremely challenging and prohibitively expensive, according to the report. The report recommends that the state focus on programs directed at specialized housing needs-such as homeless individuals and families or persons with significant physical and mental health challenges. The report notes some key findings: 1) California's averaged rents increased more than did rents in places with more home building; 2) areas with low home production had more displacement of low-income than did places with robust private development; and 3) places with inclusionary housing policies had no less displacement than those places without it. The report follows last year's  California's High Housing Costs: Causes and Consequences , which discusses the housing shortage and need for increasing homes in coastal urban communities. Obama Budget Includes Infrastructure Earmarks for California President Obama's 2017 federal budget addresses infrastructure projects and other projects related to sustainability and climate change in California. Sacramento could receive $75 million for a proposed 3.3-mile rail line from West Sacramento to Old Sacramento, downtown depot, Kings arena and the state capitol to name a few key stops. To receive the funding, Sacramento must come up with an equal amount in local funding such as tax increases for property owners near the proposed route. Another project possibly receiving funds is $32 million for Sacramento's Natomas levees. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority could receive $375 million for two subway extensions and a connector through downtown LA. Orange County Transportation Authority hopes to use the $125 million for the 4.1-mile streetcar project in Santa Ana. L.A. City, County Pledge Funds and Cooperation on Homelessness Los Angeles County has the largest chronic homeless population in the country, and the city and county are teaming up together after declaring it reaching emergency proportions. The city has proposed $100 million this year and nearly $2 billion over the next decade for a city homeless coordinator, housing, public restrooms and showers, and providing affordable housing. The county has approved an additional $150 million over two years to help these nearly 44,000 individuals. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the New York Times, "This is the highest priority that we have, to make sure that nobody is living on the streets and nobody is without a home." The mayor says voters will be asked to approve additional funding, and some revenue will come from shifting existing funds. Survey: Demise of Redevelopment's Impact on Affordable Housing Developers The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco released results of a survey  of Affordable Housing Developers on the state of affordable housing in the wake of the 2012 elimination of redevelopment agencies. The survey was designed to "learn how they are faring following RDA dissolution; how their development pipelines have been affected by the loss of RDA funds; and how new legislation, local regulation, or funding strategies have impacted affordable housing development over the past three years." The responses are from 71 development organizations across the state. The report says 83 percent of respondents must pursue more funding sources than they did under RDA, 74 percent have projects that have been postponed or jeopardized, 80 percent of the projects have been negatively impacted by rising cost of lands and 61 percent  have had to reduce staff because of funding reductions. Only 26 percent say their jurisdictions have developed post-RDA regulatory reforms for affordable housing. Court Deals Setback to L.A. Metro Subway Alignment through Beverly Hills District Judge George Wu ruled that the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority failed to property consider environmental studies for a proposed subway tunnel under Beverly Hills High School. Metro originally had a route under Santa Monica Boulevard in Century City, but realized it was in earthquake faults and therefore relocated the alignment. Activists in Beverly Hills have decried the new alignment, citing a range of safety concerns and accusing Metro of a "bait and switch." Beverly Hills listed nine reasons were Metro's EIS failed to meet NEPA requirements. These issues include air quality and public health, methane gas and oil wells, seismic faults, and public land usage to name a few. This section is expected to begin construction soon and be opened in 2026. Judge Wu's ruling is preliminary, and both parties must respond and return to court March 14 for a finalization of the ruling. Kings County Files Suit against High Speed Rail A lawsuit recently filed by Kings County and two Central Valley farmers against the California High Speed Rail Authority argues that the California bullet train violates state law because it is not following restricted placed under the $9 billion bond act that voters approved in 2008. They are explicitly arguing the project is not financially viable, will operate slower than promised ad has changed its design. The lawsuit hopes to halt funding for construction and land acquisition, and a ruling will be issued within ninety days. The lawyers for the Rail Authority say it is a disagreement of the expert opinions, and that the shared railway in the bay area will cut funding by $30 billion.  Novato to Add Station to New Commuter Rail System The Novato City Council voted to move forward with development of a third train  station  downtown to be served by the forthcoming SMART commuter rail service. The station would cost an additional $2.4 million. The mayor Pat Eklund and member Pam Drew opposed, while three approved of the additional station. The two opposed are worried about financing the additional project, but as Mayor Pro Tem Athas said "the benefits far outweigh the expense in the long run." The council voted against the city staff's recommendation. The SMART board of directors will meet next month to discuss integrating the downtown station into the current plan.

Gov. Jerry Brown's " May revise " (pdf) of the $122 billion 2017 state budget includes significant provisions meant to address homelessness and promote the production of housing. It calls for a $2 billion bond, supported by Prop 63, to proving up to 14,000 units of housing for mentally ill homeless people, plus support for the CalWORKS jobs program. The budget seeks to speed the production of housing by compelling localities to speed the ministerial approval of developments that meet certain requirements for providing affordable units. The revise reiterates Brown's support for bills such as Assembly Bill 2501, which would strengthen the state's density bonus law, and several bills promoting accessory dwelling units. Brown said that the state should not expect to solve its housing crisis purely through the development of subsidized housing. The League of California Cities opposes certain elements of the revise's housing plan for reducing local control over land use decisions.   Coastal Commission Chair May Recuse Himself from Controversial Vote California Coastal Commission Chair Steve Kinsey is considering whether he should recuse himself from voting on the controversial Banning Ranch project in Newport Beach because of two unreported private meetings with project representatives. Kinsey's possible breach of protocol could risk civil lawsuits and decisions being overturned were he to vote on the project. Kinsey's two private meetings involved site tours in which he challenged staff's decision of the area as environmentally sensitive habitat. Kinsey did not acknowledge his failure to complete the ex-parte notification until Los Angeles Times contacted him; he says he will now address the issue. In other Coastal Commission news, commission voted , 6-5, to endorse a bill that would ban ex-parte communications and private meetings between commissioners and developers, lobbyists, environmentalists and other parties. The is designed to improve transparency and restore public's confidence in the commission. The five commissioners that opposed the endorsement say banning ex-parte communications would limit the about of information that is heard on a specific project or publics ability to learn more about a development by contacting a commissioner directly.  Another bill by Assembly members Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) would require lobbyists to disclose their clients and register with the state before discussing with commissioners. The commission voted, 8-3, to endorse that bill. Santa Monica Wins A Round in Airport Fight In an unpublished ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the City of Santa Monica has won a round against the Federal Aviation Administration in its attempt to close the Santa Monica Airport. The Ninth Circuit overturned a trial judge's ruling that the 12-year statute of limitations on Santa Monica's legal challenge had expired under the federal "Quiet Title Act". Title to the property has been in dispute, with the federal government arguing that the land should revert to the feds if it ever ceases use as an airport. The Ninth Circuit's ruling keeps the case alive and remands it to federal district court in Los Angeles.  Prop. 84 Park Spending May Have Short-Changed Disadvantaged Communities Ten years ago in 2006, California voters approved Proposition 84, which directed $5.4 billion to parks, protect natural resources and improve state's water quality and supply. UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability released a report showing where the funds have gone and the inefficiencies of the initiative. Author Jon Christensen said some groups have received less of their fair share of the program. The report focuses on $2 billion spent on 2,174 projects that were to have local community benefits. The report found that 45 percent of Prop 84 funds went to disadvantaged communities, but it cautions that many of these communities are rural and therefore have low population densities. This led to marked disparities: Residents in rural areas within a half-mile walking distance of projects saw $7,475 per capita in spending in their neighborhoods, while residents in urban areas saw $209 in per capita spending. The report found that 56 percent of the funding overall was spent in areas that already had more park acres for each resident, while 44 percent was spent in park-poor areas. One Prop 84 program, the Statewide Parks Act, was successful in creating parks for disadvantaged urban communities with little green space. TKTK Candidate Questions Legality of San Diego Climate Plan According to some  analyses , San Diego's Climate Action Plan, adopted in December, may not be legally enforceable. The city committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions in half over the next 20 years and can be sued by citizens if it does not meet those goals. However, Mara Elliott, a candidate for city attorney,  says  it is fiction and the existing language needs to be changed. The plan will not be analyzed for weaknesses in language and other vulnerabilities to make a clear message to the public about the enforceability. The Climate Action Plan is tied to the General Plan, which is enforceable. Elliott argues it will not be enforceable until laws are adopted related to the plan; however, many other lawyers disagree. While everyone agrees the end goal of reduction by a certain year is enforceable, Elliott argues there needs to be specific implementation policies included. S.F. Sues University over Housing Conversions San Francisco City Attorney Denis Herrera is suing Academy of Art University for illegally converting many buildings in its a real estate empire. This dispute has been ongoing for over a decade, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied against the for-profit university. Academy of Art President Elisa Stephens purchased 22 buildings which it converted to university buildings without proper city authorization; many of these buildings house students but should be part of the city's affordable housing supply. The university spent $8 million and nine years on environmental impact reports and lawyer for the school calls this lawsuit "completely premature and unnecessary." The university offered as solutions: building own housing in the future, putting money into city's affordable-housing fund and converting existing buildings into affordable housing. Los Angeles Approves New Soccer Stadium The Los Angeles City Council voted, 12-0, to approve plans for a $250 million stadium complex for a Major League Soccer team on the site of the to-be-demolished Memorial Sports Arena in Exposition Park. The development will include 22,000 seats, 100,000 square-feet for restaurants, retail outlets, conference center, sports museum and 143,000 square-feet open space. The Sports Arena will be demolished this summer and the new stadium will open by 2018. This arena will create 1,800 permanent jobs, $129 million in economic activity and $2.5 million in local tax revenue annually. Costa Mesa Rejects Affordable Housing Proposal Amid controversy over the City of Costa Mesa's provision of affordable housing, a $20 million bond measure for affordable housing lost on a 3-2 vote. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Righeimer wrote the proposal to place a property tax on residents to generate funds for housing. He estimated that it would cost property owners $9.42 per $100,000 assessed value of their property over 20 - 30 years. The three other council members who voted against the plan say there was no specific plan  for developing affordable housing and constituted an additional tax. Los Angeles Turns to Crowdsourcing for Clean Streets Los Angeles is launching a $9.1 million initiative called Clean Streets to rank every street on its cleanliness. Initial research finds that 61 percent of streets were clean, 35 percent somewhat tidy and 4 percent were flat-out dirty. The 4 percent that received a "3" is equivalent to 376 miles. Unclear streets generally correspond with low-income  Other cities with similar street-rating systems are San Francisco, Philadelphia and New York. Los Angeles' is unique because it covers 22,000 miles; Bureau of Sanitation workers drove down every block in the city. To track conditions a tool called CleanStat was developed to implement new efforts cheaply and efficiently. Mayor Eric Garcetti said that the system is designed to encourage citizen participation: "it's really about hyper-accountability. Any business owner or resident can log on and check it out, then say to their council member: �Why the heck is our street a 3? I want it to be a 1.'" Court Rules for Cadiz's Mojave Desert Groundwater Transfer Plans A ruling by California's Fourth District Court of Appeal in Santa Ana gives Cadiz, Inc. the right to transfer ancient groundwater from Mojave Desert to parts of Orange County. Many years in the making, the Cadiz Water Project is a partnership with Santa Margarita Water District and other Southern California water agencies. Center for Biological Diversity was challenging the project saying CEQA was incomplete and second case dealing with San Bernardino County's approval of the project. While this was a victory for Cadiz, now they must fight for an 1875 railway right-of-way to build the 43-mile pipeline. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in October rejected Cadiz's proposal, which the company is now trying to fight. L.A. Grants Clemency to Some �Bootleg' Apartments Los Angeles City Council tentatively approved so-called bootleg apartments in exchange for a 55-year period of affordable housing on affected properties. Bootleg apartments can be lofts divided into multiple units or storage spaces converted to tiny studios. This new law would ease L.A.'s housing shortage and make landlords bring their buildings up to code. There are multiple caveats to this: it can only be apartment buildings, had to have existed before December 10, 2015 and requirement of parking spaces could be waived. Every year 400 to 500 illegal apartments are removed following inspections because of the high costs (up to $20,000) to put the unit up to code. L.A. Businesses Fed Up with Traffic According to a recent survey conducted by the Los Angeles County Business Federation conducted a survey , local employers listed transportation as their second business concern, topped only by taxes and fees. Long commutes and traffic result in disruptions in productivity, goods movement and recruiting and retaining employees. Additionally, transportation problems will affect future job growth as 44 percent of employers ranked "traffic congestion" as a major reason that businesses and jobs leave the county. Across the county, more employers noted transportation-related public infrastructure as needing more attention: for instance roads and streets increased from 52 to 57 percent from last year and sidewalks and bike paths went up 4 percent to 29 percent. EIR Released for Burbank Airport Terminal Airport officials released a 3,700-page draft EIR for a new terminal at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. The three options include a 355,000 or 232,000 square-foot terminal and third option is keeping the current terminal. The current airport is not in compliance with Federal Aviation Administration standards, needs to meet seismic-safety regulations and has asbestos in the walls. The plan is to build in the northeast section of the airfield but the southwest corner is being considered as an alternative. For all options, the consultant RS&H says there will be air quality and other environmental impacts. Tensions Rise over Proposed Gaming Compact in Madera County The North Fork Mono Indians have been trying to build a casino near Madera for years. California voters rejected the compact for the North Fork trip in 2014, but the Department of the Interior is looking into a new gaming compact, under which North Fork would not have to contribute for seven years until the casino is making profit. Groups that backed Proposition 48, Stand Up for California and other tribes, have sued. The Revenue Sharing Trust Fund asks gaming tribes to contribute 2 percent of their revenue from slots to distribute to non-gaming tribes. The North Fork Rancheria and Station Casinos will build a complex with 2,000 slot machines, 40 table games and a hotel.

California's $68-billion high speed rail is facing setbacks in its construction throughout the proposed route from San Francisco to Los Angeles.  Local elected officials and homeowners groups in suburban Santa Clarita as well as blue-collar San Fernando, Pacoima, and other communities are demanding the state abandon a proposed route that would use above-ground tracks and tunnels through the mountains between Palmdale and San Fernando, instead insisting that only underground routes should be considered. They expressed their concerns at a recent meeting of the HSR board. San Fernando officials said that the proposed train would cut their city in half with 20-foot-high walls and could destroy dozens of businesses and a police station at a cost of $1.3 million per year and 850 jobs. Additionally, an analysis by the rail authority shows that within a half-mile of the track, there could be noise and vibration affecting about 20,000 residences, 25 parks, 47 schools, 48 churches and nine hotels, as well as archaeological sites and wetlands. Also, in a settlement with the city of Bakersfield over the environmental impact of the train, the rail authority will cut eight miles of track from the first construction of a 130-mile section through the Central Valley and will review its proposed route through the city. EPA Releases New Environmental Risk Database A new tool released by the EPA highlighting the low-income, minority communities that face the greatest health risks from pollution, with some stark standouts in the Los Angeles area. The map tool, known as EJSCREEN , allows residents and policymakers nationwide  to look up how their level of environmental risk compares to the rest of the nation. With measurements based on census block groups averaging about 1,400 residents, the EPA found that many communities in southeast Los Angeles County, the Inland Empire and the San Joaquin Valley are among the most at-risk in the nation. Environmental justice groups, which for decades have battled the concentration of landfills, refineries, rail yards and other polluting facilities in poor communities of color, said they would use the map to press for more emissions-cutting projects and environmental enforcement in the most affected areas. Major Sacramento Housing Development Approved; Seeks More Units Downtown The Sacramento Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve the Sacramento Commons Project, a proposal to replace 1960s-era low-rise apartments with high-rise and mid-rise condominiums in a section of downtown known for its lush canopy of trees and pedestrian-oriented streets. Though the Sacramento Preservation Commission recently nominated parts of the project area to the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources and recommended denial of the project, the proposal maintained the support of the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality District and the Sacramento Regional Transit for its proximity to an RT station, and it was also backed by labor unions, hotel and restaurant workers, and the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, which represents property owners. "We need an infusion of market-rate housing downtown, and we need it at increased density," commission member Todd Kaufman said at the Planning Commission meeting. Meanwhile, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson launched a new housing initiative known as "Think Downtown" to market the city's downtown area as the region's "in" place to live and to develop new housing. The announcement follows Johnson's plan to build 10,000 housing units in the central city in the next 10 years, with a mix of 6,000 market rate units, 2,500 affordable units, and 1,500 units for people in more dire need of housing. Sacramento's downtown region has already rebounded from a virtual cession of development during the recession, with developers currently building or finishing projects like the 16 Powerhouse Project, the Warehouse Artists Lofts, and Township 9. Los Angeles Consideres Plan to Legalize �Bootlegged' Apartments Los Angeles landlords and tenant advocates have become unusual bedfellows in an attempt to legitimize the city's "bootlegged" apartments, wherein a landlord rents out a space usually carved out from a permitted apartment for an unlicensed lease. In many cases, the main barriers to legalizing these units are not construction or safety problems but city codes that mandate a minimum number of parking spots and limit the number of units on a lot. These problems have eliminated more than 1,700 apartments and exacerbated LA's housing crisis, officials say.Planning associate Matt Glesne told the Los Angeles Times that the existing process to seek relief from zoning requirements is "not cheap and not quick," costing landlords upward of $10,000, taking six to nine months, and forcing many landlords to simply shutter the unit. Under the new proposal, landlords would have limited time to seek to legalize existing bootlegged units, and would have to undergo a review process yet to be hashed out.  Threatened Salmon Prompt New Water Policy in Sonoma County In an effort to protect the state's highly endangered coho salmon populations, a new proposal would force around 13,000 landowners in 113 square miles of watersheds in Sonoma County to report their use of water from both surface sources and wells. Covering four tributaries of the Russian River, the new rules, if approved, would require all residential and commercial property owners, including wineries and vineyards, to use "enhanced conservation measures" and impose penalties of up to $500 per day to landowners who do not provide water use information. Piggybacking on last fall's unprecedented statewide move to regulate groundwater as well as surface water, Sonoma County officials are now also working on a local groundwater management plan likely to include well monitoring within the county. Orange County Accused of Mismanaging $1.7B Worth of Property An Orange County Grand Jury issued a report lambasting county officials for failing to keep adequate records of over $1.7 billion in unused or underutilized property that it must manage. The jury found that there are 2,300 real estate properties that must be managed by the county, but that the county has only partially complete or updated databases of its real estate holdings, and that the information is not consistent. "With the potential for future real estate decisions being based on unavailable or inaccurate data that could lead to less-than-desirable stewardship of (the) county's tax dollars, the grand jury believes that comprehensive and compatible real estate data information is necessary," the grand jury wrote in its report. AG Seeks to Depublish Decision on Tiered Water Rates; Riverside Sues Over Water Cuts The office of the state attorney general has asked the state Supreme Court to depublish a ruling by the 4th District Court of Appeals making it illegal for water agencies to use tiered rate structures to curb water use throughout the state. The court had found the tiered rate system -- wherein water guzzlers were charged higher rates for their use -- unconstitutional because the city of San Juan Capistrano charged more for water than it cost the city to provide the service in violation of Prop. 218. At least two-thirds of California water agencies now use some type of tiered-rate structure. If the state Supreme Court decides to depublish the appellate court ruling, that ruling could not be cited as authoritative in any other trial court or appellate court decisions, Proposition 218 expert Kelly Salt told the Los Angeles Times . In other drought news, t he city of Riverside has sued the state over a directive to cut water use 28 percent within the city as mandated throughout the state. Arguing that it has its own independently-owned, treated groundwater, Heather Raymond, a spokeswoman for Riverside Public Utilities, told the LA Times that Riverside's use has "zero effect on the state water supply" and that the city should be eligible for inclusion in a 4 percent conservation tier set up for localities with independent supplies of surface water. But, as Michale Lauffer, chief counsel for the State Water Resources Control Board, told the  Los Angeles Times , "Groundwater for many areas is the savings account available during times of drought, and the limited, 4% reduction tier is not available for communities who are relying on that savings account to weather the drought." Sacramento to Overhaul Housing Projects The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency is seeking to overhaul two public housing projects whose poverty-stricken residents have a long history of disconnect and disenfranchisement from the rest of Sacramento. The housing agency's plan is to replace the rows of antiquated barracks-like brick buildings in the Alder Grove and Marina Vista housing projects and temporarily relocate residents in order to construct a mixed-use neighborhood with both market-rate and affordable housing units.SHRA is looking at replacing the 751 current units with either 1,200 units or 1,500 units. The new community would build higher-density, five-story buildings with detached single-family residences at the south end of the neighborhood to help blend with the existing Land Park neighborhood. To realize the redevelopment, local housing officials hope that the federal department of Housing and Urban Development will give Sacramento up to $30 million through its Choice Communities Initiative grant program. However, the financing gap remains large, possibly totaling more than $70 million.  Pomo Tribe's Pot Farm Must Conform to Local Laws The Pinoleville Pomo Nation has scaled back plans to create a medical marijuana farm near Ukiah in an effort to clarify laws governing the tribe's jurisdiction. The tribe's initial plan, bolstered by similar projects proposed throughout the nation as tribes explore new ways to generate income, called for a $10 million pot-growing operation in multiple greenhouses spanning 110,000 square feet of the tribe's rancheria. However, the land is not held in federal trust, which would exempt it from local regulations, and the local sheriff contends that the tribe is limited to the 25-plants-per-parcel required for the rest of the county. "We're just staying within the law," tribe business board leader Mike Canales told the Press Democrat, indicating that the tribe would stay within the 25 plant-per-parcel limit for now. OPR to Host California Climate Action Conference  Cal Poly and the Governor's Office of Planning & Research have announced the second C alifornia Climate Action Planning Conference , to be held August 13 & 14 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The program will cover topics including greenhouse gas emission targets beyond 2020, learning from climate action plan updates, recent court rulings and state policy, public outreach and education, regional collaboratives for climate and sustainability, challenges and solutions for the agriculture sector, public health and climate change, and climate adaptation strategies.

A report by the Los Angeles Times indicates that transit ridership in the Los Angeles area has steadily declined since the Great Recession. Ridership on Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus and rail lines dropped 10 percent from 2006 to 2015, to 453 million boardings. Other agencies experienced similar drops Metro has spent over $9 billion on construction of new light rail and subway, more frequent bus times, changing routes, but the ridership has not increased. Orange County bus ridership fell 30 percent in the last seven years. The shift could be because of gas prices, fare increases, changes in job markets, locations of ridership, law that allows illegal immigrants to apply for drivers license, increase in rides by companies like Lyft and Uber, among many others. Metro plans to spend $12 billion over the next decade for new rail lines and three extensions. SANDAG Considers Sales Tax Initiative The San Diego Association of Governments is gathering citizen input  through phone conferences, meetings and online surveys to gauge support for a proposed half-cent countywide sales tax measure . Possible projects, which are all included in the agency's recently adopted Long Range Transportation Plan, range from walkable communities, highway improvements, surface rail, bike lanes and more. SANDAG is seeking public input in order to tailor the ballot measure according to voters' preferences. The proposed sales tax would remain in place for 35 years. Oakland to Allow Transit Oriented Accessory Dwelling Units The City Council of Oakland will now allow construction of secondary housing units or backyard cottages without dedicated parking if the lot is within half a mile of a bus or BART station and relaxing height and setback requirements. As Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a press release, "This will also help preserve the diversity of our communities by keeping renters and owners in the same neighborhoods, while creating income opportunities for homeowners who also feel the pressure our region's high cost of living." Berkeley passed similar rules last year; however it banned the use of these new units for short-term rentals such as Airbnb. Gilroy Revokes Approval of 4,000-Home Development In response to a lawsuit recently filed by the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission, the City of Gilroy has pulled the application to develop Rancho Los Olivos, a 4,000-home project on 721-acres bordering south Gilroy. The $3 billion project has faced two lawsuits and over 2,000 complaints. The land is not inside Gilroy's city limits, and must be annexed first with approval from LAFCO. The project has been shelved until the 2040 General Plan has been completed.  Study: Airbnb Profits Create �Full Time' Hosts in San Francisco A study by Pennsylvania State University shows that profits from Airbnb are prompting landlords to short-term rent instead of long-term. San Francisco is one of the most profitable markets for Airbnb landlords, with 300 "full-time" hosts making a total of $44 million, which is 22 percent of the Airbnb profit across the entire city. Studies estimate that San Francisco has lost between 10 and 12,000 units, which hurts the already suffering housing economy in the city. Airbnb calls the Penn State study flawed as many hosts list their units available for the entire year, but rent out for much fewer days. Fresno Approves Novel Rules for Tiny Homes The City of Fresno has, according to city officials, become the first city in the nation to officially accommodate the emerging trend of tiny houses. The city recently updated its building code to allow landlords to park tiny homes on existing lots as secondary dwellings. These eco-conscious homes can provide homes for caregivers living in the backyard or as rental units for extra income. Fresno's new rules require that tiny houses, which are generally around 300 square feet, to be on wheels. "This is an important step forward for the tiny house movement because it sets a precedent for other jurisdictions nationwide," says Amy Turnbull, one of the directors of the American Tiny House Association, told the Fresno Bee. "This ordinance sends a clear message: we need to adapt our codes to accommodate new housing models and we need to do it quickly and decisively." Sierra Club Files Suit to Block The Edge's Malibu Homes The Sierra Club has filed a lawsuit to block development of five homes by U2 guitarist The Edge in Malibu. The homes were recently approved by the Coastal Commission after a long debate.  The Sierra Club contends that the project's full impacts were not assessed in accordance with CEQA and that the EIR must consider alternatives with no homes or a single home. Evans first applied in 2011 and was denied, he then sued along with three other Malibu property owners saying it was an unconstitutional taking without compensation. A compromise was made with a scaled-down version and a farther set back from the ridgeline. The opponents of the project want the area to remain open space. L.A. Launches Comprehensive Transportation App The City of Los Angeles, in collaboration with Xerox, has launched an app that helps commuters choose travel routes while also taking concerns for health and environmental impact into account. The Go LA app provides detailed information on every available mode of getting around the Los Angeles region. Go LA aggregates and calculates the time, cost, carbon footprint, and health benefits from walking, biking, driving your own car, parking, taking public transit, or using transportation network companies. The details provided include length of trip, price, number of calories burned, and how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. As the app learns more about its user's individual preferences, it will eventually recommend and highlight personalized commuting options.  High Speed Rail May Switch First Segment In a reversal of plans announced in 2012, the California High Speed Rail Authority announced that its initial operational segment may be from San Jose to Bakersfield. The first segment was originally to be from Bakersfield to Los Angeles. Crossing the San Gabriel and Tehachapi Mountains is a complicated and expensive segment of tunnels and aerial structures. In a hearing Jan. 27 HSR Chairman Dan Richard said, "It may take us a little longer than we said to do this" but did not elaborate. A business plan update is expected in the next few weeks that will show reductions in cost.  L.A. Abandon's Ambitious Olympic Village Proposal Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced that UCLA will serve as the Olympic Village for the city's 2024 Olympics bid. A projected estimated to cost $1 billion to $2 billion had been proposed for the Piggyback Yard property owned by Union Pacific Railroad, near the L.A. River. Backers hoped that Piggyback Yard site could be converted to much-needed residential housing following the Games. It also would have been a centerpiece of the city's plans to revitalize the L.A. River. (See prior CP&DR coverage .)   Sacramento Considers Upgrades to Downtown Public Spaces Sacramento officials announced plans to rebuild two public spaces adjacent to the capitol building, Capitol Mall and Crocker Park. City Councilman Steve Hansen hopes to turn the Mall into an event and festival space, will bring the topic to the attention of the City Manager to discuss with the City Council in March. Crocker Museum has plans to turn Crocker Park into Sacramento's own "Central Park" with sculpture gardens, art-oriented children's playground, performance area and potentially a parking garage underground. With the new $507 million arena under construction, plans for 10,000 more housing units downtown and others, city officials are calling for a revitalization of the downtown public space.  Group Says San Luis Obispo Can't Handle Student Population A group of San Luis Obispo residents are asking Cal Poly SLO to cap its student body in order to return the city to a "well-maintained family community" instead of the "alcohol-consuming venue for large numbers of students" it has become, according to a petition circulated by the country. In 2015, 7,377 of the university's 20,049 students lived on campus. The group claims that the city cannot absorb so many students living off campus. The petition calls for the university to reduce enrollment to 18,000 in 2017 and 20,800 in 2035, compared to the 25,000 in the master plan. Cal Poly President Armstrong said enrollment would remain steady around 21,000 for the next few years, with 65 percent of students housed on campus. The city council has not yet weighed in on the petition.

Having failed in their bid to relocate to Los Angeles, the San Diego Chargers will pursue a new stadium and convention center in downtown San Diego. The proposal flouts Mayor Kevin Faulconer's proposal for the team to remain in Mission Valley in a replacement for Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers' project will go before voters, and free the Qualcomm center for UC San Diego and San Diego State University. The Chargers' project may receive public funds from a voter-approved TOT increase that can receive tax money from hotels. The Chargers will receive $100 million grant and $200 million loan from the NFL for not sharing the Inglewood stadium that will be occupied by the relocating Los Angeles Rams. There seems to be voter reluctance on grand expenditures, but the team hopes the center can bring economic activity year round such as Comic Con, Super bowls and other large events. The Chargers have indicated that they may pursue the "Tuolumne Tactic" to avoid CEQA review by proposing a ballot initiative for voter approval; this would permit the City Council to approve CEQA exemptions even before a popular vote takes place. Group Seeks to Divert Rail Money to Water California Water Alliance, a coalition from California's agriculture industry is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to use the High Speed Rail bond money for new water projects.  The proponents of the initiative want to reallocate the existing $8 billion and include the $2.7 billion approved for water storage by voters. With half these funds the backers hope to raise Shasta Dam, create new reservoirs and water storage systems throughout the state. Additionally they want to change the constitution that domestic water use and irrigation are first two highest priorities ahead of environmental conservation. As Jim Earp, member of California Transportation Commissions points out to the Los Angeles Times, "They have basically a deeply flawed measure. They couldn't resist overreaching. They couldn't resist the temptation to rewrite water laws to benefit corporate farmers who are going to underwrite the campaign." The farmers behind the efforts have $2 million set aside for signature gathering. OCTA to Reorganize Bus Service Orange County Transportation Authority announced a major overhaul of its bus system. OCTA planners have recommended reallocating resources from low to higher demand areas. Very little bus service in South Orange County will be reduced and routes in Santa Ana and the system's central core will be improved. Comments came from disabled residents who worried of shrinking Access same-day taxi program and increased cost; they was assured the hours will be extended and the transfer will be free for 18 months. New service improvements will go into effect in June, and service reductions implemented in October. OCTA had only 47 million boardings during 2015, the lowest since 1997. With the changes to the original proposal, percentage of riders without service went down to 2 percent. Mission Bay Alliance Appeals Warriors' Office Space Allocation In another complication for the approved Warriors' arena in Mission Bay, the Mission Bay Alliance is appealing the San Francisco Planning Commission's approval of the project's office space allocation. The group, which has already filed a suit to stop the arena, claims that the city ignored the requirements of Proposition M � a voter-sponsored slow-growth initiative that created an annual limit on high-rise development  -  when it approved more than 600,000 square feet of office space for the two office towers located within the arena complex. "This is just the latest example of the City overlooking clear violations of the law in order to jam through an ill-conceived sports arena," said Bruce Spaulding of the Mission Bay Alliance in a statement. Light Rail to Santa Monica Opens May 20 Connecting downtown Los Angeles with Santa Monica, the Expo Line light rail will open May 20. The 6.6-mile extension cost $1.5 billion and will follow closely to the 10-freeway before ending at Fourth Street and Colorado Avenue, a short half-mile to the Pacific Ocean. The 15-mile trip from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica will take 46 minutes and trains will run every 12 minutes. This is Metro's second ribbon-cutting in three months, the first was an 11.5-mile extension of the Gold line from Pasadena east to Azusa Pacific University. The two extensions were funded through a half-cent sales tax increase by Measure R voted on by residents in 2008. Four of the seven new stations have no parking, and Metro is partnering with ride-share provider Lyft to track potential customers. See prior CP&DR coverage .  Caltrans Issues Survey on 2018 State Rail Plan Caltrans is gathering input for the California State Rail Plan for the next 20 years. The plan will address improved rail and community connections and "have positive effects on mobility, environmental health and economic vitality," according to Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. The Rail Plan will be completed in 2018 and will provide long-term strategy for intercity and commuter rail operators, freight railroads, and communities to plan for the future. The Plan will include a vision for integrating the high-speed rail, prioritize funding, and meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction mandates. A public survey is available on the website through March 4.  Los Angeles Councilmember Faces Recall Vote over Development Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian is facing a recall petition over alleged favoritism he has shown to development interests over community requests. Krekorian represents North Hollywood, Valley Village and Studio City. The petition to oust the Krekorian has five sponsors who argue he supported zone changes and exemptions for projects that conflicted with city rules, opposed efforts to designate historic monuments, and failed to respond to concerns about dangerous demolitions. Krekorian told the LA Times,  "there will always be a few disaffected and unhappy individuals, but I'll continue to work hard every day to represent the interests and the values of the people of the 2nd District."  To win the recall, 15 percent of the district, or in this case 18,000 residents, must sign the petition. Ventura Rejects Growth Cap The Ventura City Council voted , 0-6, against a controversial proposal called the Residential Allocation Plan, which would have limited the number of developments the city could approve in coming years.  It would have allowed approval of up to 1,050 units in a three-year period, with no more than 450 in any single year. The program would have ranked housing proposals by existing city goals, such as housing type, near existing infrastructure and providing transportation. The program was rejected 5-0, by the Planning Commission in November. While the City Council has rejected the cap in the RAP, members have said that they will look closely at design guidelines, zoning and the General Plan. Mobility Plan Would Put Downtown San Diego on Road Diet The San Diego City Council is considering a Downtown Mobility Plan that would introduce a new network of 9.3 miles of protected bike lanes, 5.5 miles of pedestrian greenways, curb bulb-outs, road diets, and more. The city estimates the plan will cost just under $64 million. Funding is not a significant barrier as local sales tax pays for active transportation projects and the regional planning agency sets aside funds to encourage biking and walking. The public has until March 11 t o give comments; the City Council will vote in May. Legislation Would Prevent Trademarking of State Parks Assemblymember Ken Cooley has introduced legislation to block concessionaires from trademarking names of California State Park lands. Last month, a privately held company Delaware North, which had run concessions in Yosemite National Park, claimed the trademarks for Curry Village, Badger Pass, the Ahwahnee Hotel . National Park Service is planning to change the names of these assets rather than pay royalties to Delaware North. Cooley's bill is designed to prevent any such trademarking. Billionaire Seeks $30 Million to Open Property for Coastal Access Vinod Khosla, billionaire venture capitalist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, is asking the state to pay $30 million as well as costs for road repairs, annual operations and maintenance to provide public access to Martins Beach. Khosla bought property above the beach as well as another parcel, for $32.5 million in 2008 . Khosla has refused to allow access across a 49-acre parcel, including the road, beach and coastal cliffs citing high cost of maintenance and liability. The Friends of Martins Beach, Surfrider Foundation and Khosla have been suing for almost six years. California Senate passed legislation in 2014 ordering State Lands Commission to negotiate with Khosla for a year, or the beach would be seized by eminent domain. The year ended in December and no agreement has been reached. SPUR Calls for Second Transbay Tube The urban thinktank San Francisco Planning and Research issued a white paper recommending the development of a second Transbay Tube to expand capacity of the regional rail transit network. The paper suggests that the combination of the Bay Bridge plus the current tube connecting Oakland and San Francisco is nearing its capacity, with no increases since 1974. The White Paper lists multiple alignment possibilities and station locations. The authors argue the Bay Area lacks a modern regional transit system that can withstand earthquakes, increased populations, and growing interest in public transit over driving. The paper calls for regional to incorporate a second tube into regional plans currently being drafted.

A deal between the cities of Los Angeles and Ontario ends a  dispute over the decline of LA/Ontario International Airport. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Ontario Mayor pro tem Alan Wapner announced the signing of a Settlement Agreement Term Sheet which will lead to the transfer of ownership of ONT to the Ontario International Airport Authority subject to approvals. The City of Ontario will pay Los Angeles World Airports $190 million over 10 years and will assume all debts of the struggling airport. ONT has been drawing only around 4.5 million annual passengers as compared to its capacity of 10 million. In a joint statement issued at a news conference at ONT, Garcetti and Wapner said the Settlement Term Sheet adheres to the premise that Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) will be reimbursed to the extent needed to make them whole regarding investments they have made in ONT, while providing job protection to the airport's current employees. Along form settlement agreement consistent with the initial term sheet will be prepared within 60-days.  A formal approval process is expected to begin in October 2015, with the entire process, including FAA approval, expected to be completed within one year. Ontario has long claimed that local control will enable it to promote more flights and make the airport a greater economic force in the Inland Empire.  Alameda County Explores Sale of Stadium Complex Public officials in Alameda County have expressed interest in selling to the City of Oakland their stake of the Coliseum complex, which houses three professional sports teams and is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Citing a yearly loss of money along with confusing negotiations to keep the three teams in the East Bay, County Supervisor Nate Miley said that it has been too difficult to negotiate a deal with the city, the county, three sports teams, and other entities. "So let's just get out of this and let the city negotiate whatever deals it wants," Miley told S.F. Gate . "Because, frankly, Oakland is going to benefit much more from this than the county." One major issue going forward will be how the city and county work out the $11 million of yearly debt that they have carried since the Coliseum was overhauled in the mid-1990s to lure back the Raiders from Los Angeles. Fresno Sales Tax Could Fund HSR Facility; Bakersfield Explores New Route The Fresno County Council of Governments informally  gave  the green light for $750,000 from a Measure C transportation sales tax to buy a site that could be used as an industrial maintenance facility for the high-speed rail, producing 1,500 jobs for the region. The move comes as Fresno sees potential competition from Kern County, which also had been working on proposals to build a maintenance facility. The Fresno COG years ago approved $25 million in money from Measure C for the rail authority on the condition that it selected the Fresno site over any other competing sites.  In Bakersfield the HSRA has  presented  an alternative, shorter alignment that would affect fewer properties and cost taxpayers less money than the original proposal. The city agreed to drop its lawsuit against the California High-Speed Rail Authority in exchange for an agreement to coordinate with city officials on a new route besides the older, hybrid route that would impact 526 structures, including 231 residences. However, Shafter City Manager Scott Hurlbert said he is concerned the alternative alignment would hurt the city's bid for a maintenance facility that would serve the rail project and give the region 1,500 jobs. San Diego Bikeshare Posts Disappointing Numbers San Diego community leaders are raising concerns about the city's new bike-share program as an underwhelming number of people have used the service and as community leaders complain that the owners have cherry-picked bike stations to raking in tourist dollars rather than to create a viable commuter network. Critics say DecoBike, the company that operates the program, has felt pressure to generate revenue because, unlike virtually all of the other 800 cities across the globe with bike-sharing networks, San Diego chose not to subsidize its program. "The city and DecoBike haven't really been that public with where they intend to place the bike stations, what the process is and what the timeline is," Gretchen Newsom, president of the Ocean Beach Town Council, told the L.A. Times . Decobike, the company that operates the program, nevertheless said that revenue so far has been on par with industry standards, and that momentum will continue to build as the company increases the number of stations from the current 85 to a planned 180. Tensions Rise on Monterey Planning Commission Planning commissioners in Monterey made pleas to stay on the city's Council-appointed commission following an email from Mayor Clyde Roberson hinting that two of the members should step down from their posts after their terms end. Roberson and Vice Mayor Alan Haffa sent emails to two commissioners, David Stocker in his ninth term, and Paul Davis in his seventh term, telling them that they felt "eight consecutive years on the Planning Commission is a good number," according to the Monterey Herald . Believing this email to be a call to step down, Davis said that he would like to continue on in the role, citing long-term planning projects in the works. Other commissioners who have been on the Planning Commission for as long as Davis and Stocker did not receive similar emails from the mayor, though the council could replace any of them at its discretion. Court Rules in Favor of Desalination Plant  A Superior Court judge ruled against conservation group San Diego Coastkeeper in a suit in which Coastkeeper said that the San Diego County Water Authority's climate action plan and supplemental environmental report did not focus enough on conservation or sufficiently account for environmental impacts. Specifically, the group targeted the development of the Carlsbad Desalination Plant, set to open in November and currently being developed by Poseidon Water, a private company. Judge Gregory Pollack ruled that "substantial evidence exists to support (the agency's) actions" on each of the issues in dispute, including a proposed desalination plant on Camp Pendleton. Apple to Push into San Jose Apple, Inc bought a 40-acre parcel of land in North San Jose, shelling out $138.2 million in cash to Connecticut-based Five Mile Capital Partners for land that it could develop into an office and research campus that could fit up to 15,000-workers, according to public records. The move is just one of Apple's major land-grabs in recent years, as it leased 318,000 square feet of space in Santa Clara along with a 290,000-square-foot building adjacent to the new 40-acre parcel, and as it constructs a new headquarters in Cupertino. "It's mind-boggling what Apple is doing," Terry Bell, a senior vice president with Colliers International, told the Contra Costa Times . "Nothing surprises me any more with Apple's growth. It's tough to get your arms around the scope of Apple's appetite to expand." Disney Land Purchases May Herald Expansion of Resort Walt Disney Co. stirred up speculation of an expansion as it recently bought three large parcels of land totaling about 14.7 acres near its Anaheim resort. Records show that the Walt Disney Co. bought the Carousel Inn and Suites in March, and last year the company purchased two large office buildings, all in Anaheim with a total value of about $60 million. The move comes as Disney officials committed to the city of Anaheim that they will invest at least $1 billion in the park by 2024 under an agreement that ensures the city will not impose an entertainment tax on the resort for the next 30 years. Following the acquisition, speculation stirred that Disney was planning to free up land on the properties for a future park expansion involving Disney's Star Wars or Marvel superhero characters, to which Disney bought rights in 2009 and in 2012, respectively.