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CP&DR Vol. 36 No. 8 August 2021

Judge Caps UC Berkeley Enrollment over Environmental Impact of Adding Students In an unusual California Environmental Quality Act suit, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Brad Seligman ruled that the University of California at Berkeley must keep next year's enrollment at the same limit as last year's and cannot move forward with a $126 million project to build more classrooms and housing for professors. Despite surging applications across the UC system, UC Berkeley's 2022-23 enrollment will have a 42,237 capacity because the judge found that the university's analysis of the environmental impact of an increasing student body was inadequate and incorrect. Neighborhood residents who sued the school in 2019 because they thought that the development would increase noise and crowds in the neighborhood are celebrating the decision. Meanwhile, the university has stressed that it needs to develop more housing for faculty and plans to fulfill the judge's requirements for its Upper Hearst development in the next six to eight months. Concord Identifies Potential Development Group for Naval Base The Concord City Council voted , 3-2, to give Seeno Companies, Discovery Builders Inc., Lewis Group of Companies, and California Capital Investment Group an opportunity to become the developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station. Officials took particular interest in the Discovery/Seeno group after the council heard pitches from all three developers and public commentary. Seeno Companies, however, has a turbulent history of real estate development in the Easy Bay that includes numerous lawsuits against local cities, agencies, and environmental groups as well as a federal mortgage fraud investigation. The ambitious plan for the station includes 13,000 housing units and millions of square feet of office and commercial buildings, but the Navy will have to remove toxic pollutants before handing the land to the city for development. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Feds Recognize California HCD for Block Grant Program The US Department of Housing and Urban Development celebrated the California HCD for effectively using federal funding from the Community Development Block Grant to assist low- and moderate-income residents. The CDBG Program provides funding primarily intended to develop safe and sufficient housing and living environments and extend economic opportunities, but its flexibility allows states to use the money to renovate public facilities, utilities, streets, and more while centering renewable energy. California's HCD was recognized as the top in the United States and pins part of its success on the organized separation of its Division of Financial Assistance into two sections that distribute and monitor both state and federal funding. San Francisco Pares Down Market Street Plan San Francisco continues to cut out some of its original goals for transforming Market Street largely due to obstacles produced by the pandemic and a more general failure on the part of city officials to logistically execute their plan. "Better Market Street," approved in October 19, originally aimed to upgrade street and sidewalk infrastructure, improve transit, and implement safety measures for cyclists and pedestrians. Thus far, officials have dropped plans to construct an elevated bikeway and improve transit and utility structures for an 800-foot stretch of the street. Additionally, private cars continue to disregard the car-free mandate intended to prioritize cyclists. Moving forward, city officials still disagree over whether their improvements should be street-level or more comprehensive underground upgrades. San Diego County Updates Housing, Safety Elements of General Plan To address its countywide housing shortage, the San Diego Board of Supervisors approved several amendments to the housing and safety elements of its general plan and incorporated an environmental justice component. The amendments also include plans to address wildfires and other climate disasters. In its updated general plan, San Diego plans to adhere to quotas set by the Department of Housing and Community Development largely by promoting housing construction in transit-oriented areas, which would also minimize traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and sprawl. In its environmental justice component, the county hopes to reduce pollution, provide access to healthy food and safe and sanitary homes, and propel public participation. CP&DR Coverage: Housing Appeals in Bay Area The Association of Bay Area Governments  received 28 appeals from 24 cities and three counties (including two appeals from Sonoma County). According to data compiled by the Campaign for Fair Housing Elements, a coalition of YIMBY groups, the jurisdictions' RHNA numbers collectively amount to 65,935 units, and the appeals collectively ask for a reduction of 24,735 units. The appeals ask ABAG to reduce their numbers anywhere from 20% to, in the case of Sausalito, 83%. The majority of cities that are appealing are relatively small and heavily suburban. Almost all of the appeals claim that ABAG somehow miscalculated the appropriate number of units based on its methodology and jurisdictions' respective existing conditions.  Quick Hits & Updates A statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that the majority of residents are worried about climate change and environmental hazards, with 63% expressing concern about the increasing severity of wildfires and drought. Concerns were shared across party lines, with a significant portion of the population expressing interest in clean energy sources. The EPA will take greater action to reduce air pollution in Kern County , an area burdened with extreme smog due to substantial oil production. The Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal government for failing to help the county meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards and is demanding greater investment in clean energy. A study from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy determined that low income communities and communities of color experience hotter days than wealthier and predominantly white communities in Southern California. The study discusses how various factors, including urban forestry and development patterns, allow low-income communities to reach temperatures that are 7 degrees hotter than wealthy ones. The Bakersfield City Council voted unanimously to allocate $5 million of the city's Public Safety and Vital Services Measure N fund to a new Affordable Housing Trust Fund as part of its larger effort to address rising construction costs and rental and housing prices. The funding could generate eight annual affordable housing projects compared to the four projects that received funding over the past few years. Part of the $5 million would be put toward renovating existing buildings, transforming hotels into affordable housing units, and funding accessory dwelling units. While the trust fund is symbolic of a greater momentum toward preventing homelessness and displacement in Bakersfield, community advocates have expressed concerns that the plan for the trust fund is too vague. The Southern California Rental Housing Association, a landlord group based in San Diego County, was unsuccessful in its lawsuit against the county's eviction ban, maintaining that the ban violates the U.S. Constitution. San Diego's law currently does not allow homeowners to return to properties inhabited by a tenant, which Judge M. James Lorenz preserved because the law is short-term. The Office of Planning and Research released a draft technical advisory that recommends ways in which the CEQA can more effectively review and approve sustainable transportation projects. Bus rapid transit, light rail service, and bus-only lane projects as well as those that center riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians are among those that qualify for CEQA exemption. The state is investigating Alameda County to determine if officials followed the Surplus Lands Act when they sold part of the Coliseum to the Oakland A's. The state's HCD asserted that the county never defined the site as "surplus land" or "exempt surplus land," and the county will have to prove otherwise in less than 60 days or face legal consequences. The 80-mile high speed rail leg from Bakersfield to Palmdale is taking a big step forward after the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board of Directors approved the plan's Final Environmental Impact Report, allowing for preconstruction work as the project receives more funding. Thus far, almost 300 miles of the proposed 500-mile journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles/Anaheim have been approved. Lincoln Property Company Vice President Clay Duvall announced in a letter addressed to Oceanside officials that the company will no longer pursue construction of an Amazon package distribution center at their 28-acre Oceanside industrial park site. While Duvall gave no explanation for their change of plans, Senior Planner Rob Dmohowski cited Oceanside City Council's reversal of the Planning Commission's approval. San Diego Superior Court Judge Katherine Bacal dismissed all but two claims in a lawsuit that suggests San Diego city and county officials discriminated against unhoused people with disabilities when combatting the spread of COVID-19. The two arguments that can move forward include an accusation that officials broke a state code that prohibits discrimination and a demand for a judicial declaration that officials acted improperly.

“Since when was environmental protection focused on promoting and expanding parking in protected wilderness monuments?”

If Andrew Thomas was a betting man, he would likely bet against himself. The head of planning for the City of Alameda, Thomas recently filed an appeal with the Association of Bay Area Governments to ask for a reduction the city's Regional Housing Needs Allocation. According to Thomas, though, there's nothing wrong with the city's allocation--it was calculated accurately and assigned fairly.

Last week, CP&DR rank a link to a brief news item reporting that an Orange County judge ruled in favor of Huntington Beach on a controversial Housing Accountability Act case. To our surprise, this turned out to be one of the most-visited items on our web site in recent weeks – and it’s the latest in a long-running saga about fights over housing in Huntington Beach. So this week, we thought we’d take a deeper dive into the Huntington Beach case, which seems likely to become a pivotal appellate court case on the Housing Accountability Act. What the story shows is a developer – and a nonprofit legal advocacy group – trying to hold the city’s feet to the fire on the specifics of the Housing Accountability Act, while a local judge instead provided considerable deference to the city’s action and the city’s reliance on a traffic expert. The key to the city’s success may have been a fire expert who concluded that the project does not meet the city fire department’s standard for fire truck access.

Sierra Club Sues Warehouse-Heavy Moreno Valley over General Plan The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against Moreno Valley, maintaining that the city's 2021 General Plan Update violates CEQA because it fails to consider current conditions regarding population size, existing warehouse projects, and environmental concerns. The group notes that the city council is using estimates from the 2006 General Plan, which will allow developers to use inaccurate information that could further traffic and air pollution and put residents at risk to environmental harm. The suit cites the city's relatively recent growth in warehouses, and specifically calls out environmental impacts of the forthcoming 40 million square foot World Logistics Center. Currently, the American Lung Association has given Riverside County an F in air quality, and hundreds of thousands of residents in the county have respiratory illnesses. Moreno Valley's interim city attorney disagrees with the group's claims and maintains that the city has attempted to reach out to the community for commentary multiple times. (See related CP&DR coverage .) California Cities Lack "Tree Equity" Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Jose were included on American Forests' list of 20 large-scale cities that could benefit significantly from expanding urban forestry. These five cities demonstrated low Tree Equity Scores, which analyzes equitable distribution of tree cover, so they could have a lot to gain from planting trees, including job creation and carbon absorption. Planting more trees will also reduce the "urban heat island effect," which puts communities at risk to extreme temperatures. Currently, vegetation is lacking mostly in communities of color and low-income communities; those with 90% or more residents living in poverty have 41% less tree canopy than wealthier neighborhoods. American Forests suggests that communities with a low TES demonstrate an opportunity to significantly end patterns of economic and climate crises. UC Berkeley Study Analyzes Urban Segregation Segregation in the United States has increased over the past three years, according to a study from UC Berkeley’s Othering and Belonging Institute concerning the relationship between racial residential segregation and unequal health, education, and life outcomes. The Pacific region was rated the third most-segregated region, out of nine, and the Los Angeles area rated the sixth most segregated metro area. The study mentions the impact of decades of segregation and discriminatory practices of redlining that have handed resources and space to white communities. In communities of color, access to better schools, jobs, hospitals, grocery stores, and parks is limited, and police brutality is intensified. Over 200 metropolitan regions nationwide saw considerable increases in segregation, with Santa Rosa-Petaluma coming in 20th, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranking 37th, Vallejo-Fairfield ranking 70th, and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont coming in 163rd. Studies Suggest Californians Are Not Fleeing State While California made headlines for losing a congressional seat due to its first recorded population decrease, multiple studies from the University of California suggest that residents are not fleeing the state. A recent study from UC San Diego of more than 3,000 residents determined that only 23% were seriously thinking of leaving, while 26% had given some thought to it. Both of these figures were slightly down from their 2019 equivalents. San Diego and Orange County residents were the least interested in leaving, while 37% of residents outside the Bay Area were particularly interested in moving elsewhere. Previous UC studies have come to the same conclusion that most residents do not have intentions of leaving the state. CP&DR Coverage: Fulton Parses Census Numbers of Race Last week’s 2020 Census release , which gives us data at the municipal level, does show that Blacks are leaving cities in the metropolitan core are relocating to cities on the periphery. But the question of who’s replacing those Black residents in the core remains hard to answer – in large part because the Hispanic population is growing much faster than the white population in these areas and because of the dramatic increase in people identifying themselves as multiracial on the Census forms. Quick Hits & Updates A group of self-identified "green activists" is opposing the 350-acre Aramis Renewable Energy Project, the largest proposed solar plant in the Bay Area that would supply carbon-free electricity to 25,000 homes annually. The project, designed by ranchers, farmers, and environmentalists, will likely still move forward, but the group still plans to sue on the grounds that the project would destroy open space and ecosystems. As part of Mayor Darrell Steinberg's "Comprehensive Siting Plan to Address Homelessnees" in Sacramento, city council unanimously approved 20 sites that will be dedicated to homeless shelters, tiny homes, and sanctioned tent encampments that can accommodate 2,209 people at one time. Councilmembers hoped that approving the 20 at one time, none of which are in the city's wealthier neighborhoods, would make it easier to avoid individual neighborhood opposition. Zoning and investment in Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, one of the state's most successful pedestrian malls, may undergo a significant transformation to allow for housing and hotel development along the stretch. Part of the Third Street Promenade Stabilization and Economic Vitality Plan also includes expanding outdoor dining on sidewalks and rooftops as well as a "town square" for large gatherings in order to bring more sales tax revenue to the city lost during the pandemic. Environmentalists plan to file a lawsuit against Menlo Park developer Laguna Sequoia Land Company's proposal to dredge a part of a 21.9-acre San Francisco Bay tidal lagoon in Redwood City and use the fill as a base for a 350-unit apartment complex. Though the developer still has to obtain building permits, advocacy groups are prepared to fight against the plan that could destroy an ecosystem and put apartment residents at risk to sea level rise. Lead emissions from airplanes flying near East San Jose's Reid Hillview neighborhood is putting thousands of children at risk to permanent developmental issues, according to a study commissioned by the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors. Because airplanes flying out Reid-Hillview frequently rely on leaded fuel, children living within a half-mile of the airport, mostly in low-income neighborhoods, exhibited much higher levels of lead in their blood than did those who live outside of the radius. Mountain View City Council is fighting a lawsuit against the decision to ban RV residents from parking on narrow streets brought by the ACLU despite extensive advocacy from homelessness support groups. While RV and other oversized vehicle dwellers have relied on street parking due to the Bay Area's affordable housing crisis, the city plans to put up its first "no parking" signs later this month, which will exclude these residents from parking on 444 of the city's 525 streets. California led all of the states in receiving LEED Multifamily Certifications in 2020, with 14 communities collecting certifications at the LEED Platinum level and 27 at the Gold level. One featured project was an affordable, 153-unit community-owned project in Indio that is occupied only by farmworkers. Researchers at UC Irvine have determined that climate change is endangering plants in Southern California's portion of the Sonoran Desert, including Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. From 1984 to 2017, temperatures increased by 3 degrees, and vegetation diminished by 1% annually. New research from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs professor Adam Millard-Ball sheds light on the housing, schools, parks, and other infrastructure that we lose out on because planning prioritizes wide streets. Millard-Ball found that, in 20 of the country's most populous countries, the median 50-foot-wide residential street took space away from building more housing to address the country's affordable housing crisis. Research from UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation suggests that off-site construction could be critical in increasing affordable housing availability in Los Angeles County. The report expresses that, to fully realize the potential of off-site construction, policy makers must provide cross-stakeholder education, improve permitting processes, obtain funding, adjust zoning requirements, and advance economic development benefits. Rule over the Queen Mary has returned to Long Beach to better maintain the decaying, 87-year-old ship and floating hotel, which, without quick restoration, is at risk of capsizing. Not only does the Queen Mary require $23 million for immediate repairs, but a 2017 study suggests that essential flood-prevention upgrades come with a $289 million price tag. California's state budget will apportion $18.9 million to restore the 150-year-old Pigeon Point Lighthouse that stands over the San Mateo County coast. Currently, the lighthouse is in danger of collapsing, and officials hope that the funding will soon allow visitors to explore inside the landmark. A new report from the Manhattan Institute clarifies just how wide the gap is between job and housing availability in the Bay Area. From 2009 to 2019, every new home permitted paired with more than three jobs created, with the San Francisco/Oakland/Hayward area experiencing the most extreme gap. Los Angeles County received the Award for Excellence in Sustainability for its 2019 OurCounty Sustainability Plan, which prioritizes environmental justice in its approach. The American Planning Association honored the community-based program for its comprehensive and multifaceted goals, which include fast-approaching renewable energy and urban forestry deadlines as well as housing, clean water, and waste regulations.

A Los Angeles judge has upheld the City of Los Angeles’s transit-oriented communities (TOC) guidelines, saying they do not conflict with the 2016 ballot measure that created the TOC program. The Fix The City organization, whose members include longtime homeowner activists that have sought to limit growth, challenged the way the TOC guidelines were applied to two development projects – a 120-unit apartment complex at Santa Monica and Beverly Glen boulecards near Century City and a 46-unit apartment building near the intersection of Olympic and San Vicente Boulevards in the Cathay Circle neighborhood. But Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff ruled against Fix The City, saying the guidelines – promulgated in 2017 after the passage of Measure JJJ – in fact conform to the actual ballot measure. Measure JJJ was adopted in 2016 with strong support from labor leaders in Los Angeles. It subjects general plan amendments to two requirements: First, that qualified and trained construction workers be used on the project; and, two, that projects with 10 or more units comply with an affordable housing requirement. JJJ also created a “transit-oriented communities affordable housing overlay” establishing a TOC affordable housing incentive program. JJJ directed the city’s planning director, Vince Bertoni, to prepare program guidelines for the TOC affordable housing incentive program. The TOC option would be available only within a half-mile of major transit lines. The TOC guidelines adopted the following year created a four-tiered structure for incentive awards and permitted ministerial approval for projects seeking only increases in density and decreases in parking. Projects seeking additional incentives required discretionary approval. According to a recent UCLA paper, the TOC has program has been a “major driver” of affordable housing in Los Angeles since the guidelines were adopted.

The predominant gentrification narrative in the last few years, especially in the Bay Areas, has been that affluent whites are crowding out longtime Black residents in older neighborhoods that are now viewed as desirable. Last week’s 2020 Census release, which gives us data at the municipal level, does show that Blacks are leaving cities in the metropolitan core are relocating to cities on the periphery. But the question of who’s replacing those Black residents in the core remains hard to answer – in large part because the Hispanic population is growing much faster than the white population in these areas and because of the dramatic increase in people identifying themselves as multiracial on the Census forms. For starters, the Black population is dropping slightly. The Census numbers released the other day revealed that the Black population dropped by about 44,000, or 2%, between 2010 and 2020. This is consistent with recent trends. The Black population has been stagnant for 30 years, hovering at a little over 2 million people. (During this time, the state’s population has grown from 29 million to 39 million.) And many cities in the metropolitan core with large Black populations are seeing significant declines in Black residents. Los Angeles – by far the largest city in the state – saw the largest net decrease in Black residents, at about 27,000. But the next four cities in are all cities that historically had large black populations: Oakland, Compton, Inglewood, and Richmond. And many historically Black cities that did not have a large decrease in raw numbers saw a significant percentage decrease. In East Palo Alto, for example, the Black population dropped by almost 30%. (Interestingly, San Francisco – often viewed as a place where Blacks are being crowded out completely – experienced a relatively minor drop in the Black population. About 45,000 residents of San Francisco are Black – a drop of only 1,000 in the last decade.) Cities With The Biggest Loss In Black Population, 2010-2020

Huntington Beach Ruling Could Weaken Housing Affordability Act A 48-unit, zoning-compliant housing development in Huntington Beach may not move forward after a trial judge blocked the proposal because the Housing Accountability Act supposedly does not protect the project. The judge called the complex, which would include affordable housing, into question due to "health and safety" concerns, which arose just before the vote. In a statement released on August 11, the California Renters Legal Advocacy and Education Fund contended that the judge's move exemplifies cities' frequent avoidance of laws that are intended to expand housing availability. The organization intends to appeal the ruling on the grounds that the judge approved the city's illegitimate findings, which are out of compliance with state law. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Los Angeles Strives for 25,000 Permanent Units for Homeless Los Angeles City Council approved a plan that would build 25,000 units to house the city's homeless population by 2025. The proposal, presented by councilman Kevin de León, intends to construct both permanent and transitional housing by transforming old hotels, apartment buildings, and modular units into new housing. de León hopes that 25,000 units will accommodate a significant number of the (likely underestimated) 29,000 residents living on the streets or in cars. The proposal remains somewhat vague, and the rest of city council is asking de León for more specifics on how to construct the 25,000 units and what it will cost before moving forward. Report Links Housing Shortage and Wildfire Risk SPUR, Greenbelt Alliance, and California YIMBY released six principles essential to combatting two significant threats to California residents: wildfire risk and the housing crisis. The six approaches operate under the relationship between the threat of increasingly devastating wildfires and the housing shortage that forces residents to move farther away from transit and jobs and causes them to drive more and escalate greenhouse gas emissions. Their approach includes determining development plans based on the level of fire risk, establishing plans for how towns and cities at high risk should tackle development and minimize fire danger, improving existing infrastructure, and ensuring that utility planning and insurance regulation policies consider fire risk. Study: Commercial Conversion Bill Could Yield 2 Million Units A new study from UrbanFootprint that analyzes the potential of SB 6, a bill designed to address the statewide housing crisis by converting commercial properties into residential units, determines that the bill could generate 2 million new homes and increase net tax revenues for cities. Under the bill, 374,000 acres of land, or 0.6% of California’s land area, could qualify for redevelopment. Not all 2 million market-feasible units would be developed, and construction would be concentrated in dense, coastal cities. In addition to its analysis, the report recommends that legislators reject redevelopment in areas at high risk to climate disasters and rather prioritize housing in existing urban areas. It also recommends that policymakers set higher minimum densities to accommodate more significant housing development. CP&DR Coverage: HCD Director on "Prohousing" Designation Unveiled earlier this month, HCD’s “Prohousing” program is meant to identify jurisdictions that voluntarily take steps to increase their housing stock and to reward those jurisdictions with favorable treatment in the allocation of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of annual grants (see prior CP&DR commentary). CP&DR ’s Josh Stephens spoke with HCD Director Gustavo Velasquez about whether the program really can turn jurisdictions that are anti-housing into pro-housing communities. Quick Hits & Updates The American Public Transportation Association named the Sacramento Regional Transit District the best transit system of 2021 with annual ridership between 4 and 20 million. SacRT officials credited the program's lower fares, increased ridership, fare-free ridership for students, and the smaRT ride program for its success. San Francisco and Los Angeles were named third and ninth, respectively, among the top 10 most expensive cities to build across the globe in a 2021 international construction market survey from Turner & Townsend. Worldwide, many respondents noted the pressure put on labor and supply chains due to the pandemic, though some have called attention to North America's high incomes for construction workers, which averages $104.90 hourly in San Francisco. In an effort to expand affordable housing units, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board approved several new rules that will allow more homeowners of parcels of all sizes to build ADUs and incentivizes ADU construction near transits and town centers and at affordable rates. The units cannot be rented for more than 30 days in order to ensure that housing is dedicated to local workers. (See related CP&DR coverage .) For the first time ever, Encinitas' state-required housing plan was submitted and approved on time, but concerns from city Planning Commission members and the state HCD department remain. Some city officials find that the current plan will benefit developers and fall through on providing sufficient affordable housing to residents, and the state has asserted that the city must prove that it will accommodate more high-density housing projects. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Oakland A's will be able to avoid lengthy lawsuits after a state appeals court ruled that their plan will have to go through a full environmental impact review, but any legal challenges must be resolved by within 270 days due to AB734. While getting the A's and the city to agree in the first place has been an extensive process, many believe that the judge's decision is dangerous because the A's have long been attempting to avoid rules. Santa Monica Developer New Urban West hopes to create a down payment fund to provide home-ownership assistance to teachers but can only do so if its Carmel Mountain project, The Trails, is developed. New Urban West says that their plan is dependent on The Trails' approval because sales from the 1,200-unit project would pay for the fund. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Single family zoning is making it extremely difficult for the Bay Area to keep up with the demand for housing, according to findings by a pair of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. The researchers found that the area constructed under 25,000 units annually over the last 3 years, while it would need to build double that amount to keep up with its population growth. The approved budgets for the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach include strong commitments to waterfront development and infrastructure upgrades. The Port of Los Angeles will spend a significant portion of its $1.7 billion budget on encouraging visitor attraction to Wilmington and San Pedro waterfront projects, while over half of the Port of Long Beach’s $622.4 million budget will be dedicated toward improving terminals and roads. To simplify the facilitation of its cannabis expansion ordinance, San Diego County will complete a full environmental impact report. The Board of Supervisors voted to approve the two-year process, which officials believe will grow the cannabis industry more quickly by minimizing costs and permit requirements and therefore reducing legal challenges. Caltrans will, for the time being, not be able to sell a South Pasadena property to Friendship Baptist Church after a judge blocked the sale because the local church’s plan would not give tenants an opportunity to purchase their units. The church planned to redevelop the 12-unit building into affordable housing under the Roberti Act, a bill that requires Caltrans to sell its many properties to connect the Long Beach and Foothill Freeways. People for Housing Orange County, a section of the YIMBY Action Network, is circulating a petition in response to a lawsuit filed by the Orange County Council of Governments over disagreements about city housing allocations determined by the HCD. The petition insists that the figure determined by the HCD, 1.34 million homes in Southern California by 2029, is correct and necessary for preventing displacement and homelessness. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Environmental group California Coastkeeper filed a lawsuit against Sonoma County over concerns that the county is too careless with allowing groundwater drilling, which could harm Russian River stream flows. The group demands that county officials approve new requirements for analyzing the impact of extraction on the Russian River at a time when drought conditions are extreme, and well drilling is more frequent.

City of Sacramento Pursues Ambitions Homelessness Plan Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced the 20 locations that he plans to designate for homeless shelters, tiny homes, and sanctioned tent encampments. Steinberg proposed the sites in one plan so that, when city council votes on the "Master Siting Plan to Address Homelessness" on August 10, it will be harder to single out and block individual sites. Expressing that Sacramento is experiencing an "emergency," Steinberg hopes that the sites, which could house up to 2,209 people at a time, will open in just a few months. Steinberg also hopes that his plan will move over 9,000 people into permanent housing annually. Many of the sites are publicly-owned and have previously been proposed by council members, and none of them are in the city's wealthier neighborhoods of East Sacramento, Land Park, or North Natomas. Attorney General Targets Environmental Impacts of Fontana Warehouse Development Attorney General Rob Bonta is challenging the City of Fontana's approval to build a 205,000 square-foot warehouse development in one of California's most polluted neighborhoods. Bonta maintains that the city's environmental review was inadequate considering the project's potential to further pollute the area, which is populated by many low-income residents and located next to a public high school and within a mile of 20 other warehouses. The Slover and Oleander Warehouse Project would yield about 114 daily truck trips and 272 daily passenger car trips, and one quarter of the space would be dedicated toward cold storage, which requires highly-polluting trucks. Bonta maintains that, without proper analysis or mitigation efforts, the warehouse project could make local residents and workers even more at risk to toxic microscopic particles that may cause severe respiratory issues. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Newsom Appoints New Strategic Growth Council Director Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his appointment of Lynn von Koch-Liebert as Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council. von Koch-Liebert, a Democrat, has been Deputy Secretary of Housing and Consumer Services at the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency since 2017. She held multiple positions at DynCorp International LLC, including Vice President of Business Development Operations, Vice President of Business Development, Staff Director, and Director of Business and Operations for the Criminal Justice Program Support Contract. She was also a Graduate Fellow at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Pakistan Afghanistan Coordination Cell in 2010 and held multiple positions at the United Nations Office for Project Services in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Jerusalem, including Communications and Reporting Officer from 2006 to 2009. She succeeds Louise Bedsworth, who stepped down in April after nearly three years as SGC’s Executive Director and nearly a decade in state service. Audit Prompts San Diego to Get More Aggressive on Climate Change The City San Diego will take a more comprehensive and direct approach to tackling climate change after an audit put pressure on the city for providing vague and inadequate goals for a safer and more sustainable future. Going forward, city officials will thoroughly examine individual projects in terms of effectiveness, cost, funding sources, and shortcomings, and city departments associated with climate issues will have to submit an annual workplan that details their proposals. San Diego will also require departments to collaborate on their projects. In its approach to confronting climate change, San Diego wants to prioritize energy efficiency, cleaner energy, alternative transportation initiatives, recycling efforts, and climate resiliency. City officials hope that the new action plan will result in a more coordinated and effective approach to tackling the climate crisis. Land Use Policies Prompt Campaign to Recall Huntington Beach Council Members Save Surf City, a conservative group based in Huntington Beach, is attempting to recall every council member but one with the justification that the six council members, including Mayor Kim Carr, do not represent the interests of Huntington Beach residents and acted dangerously in their decision to hand over local zoning control to the state. Now that all members are aware of the the recall intent, they will have to draft a maximum 200-word response, and the recall petition will be published locally for signature collection. The Save Surf City website, which does not name any organizers or backers, criticizes the officials for “failure to protect the interests of the citizens of Huntington Beach and damaging the city charter by surrendering local zoning control to the state.” (See related CP&DR coverage .) CP&DR Coverage: Fulton on HCD's "Prohousing" Designation The Newsom administration recently made a big deal out of announcing its new  “prohousing” policy  – a process by which some jurisdictions will be designated as “prohousing” and receive bonus points for three housing grant programs administered by the state. The prohousing thing emerged as a result of AB 101 in 2019 – a housing trailer bill that got so little attention that we at CP&DR didn’t even report on it at the time. The bill instructed the Department of Housing & Community Development to designate some jurisdictions as prohousing and give them the bonus points in some state grant programs. CP&DR Publisher Bill Fulton considers the potential impact of this novel policy. Quick Hits & Updates Civil Rights Attorney Stephen Yagman filed a lawsuit concerning parking restrictions in the City of Los Angeles, maintaining that they put those living in recreational vehicles at risk. Yagman asks for $1 million in punitive damages each from Mayor Eric Garcetti, City Council members, and other city officials, some of which would remove signs that ban overnight parking. New research from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs professor Adam Millard-Ball sheds light on the housing, schools, parks, and other infrastructure that cities lose out on because planning prioritizes wide streets. Millard-Ball found that, in 20 of the country's most populous countries, the median 50-foot-wide residential street took space away from building more housing to address the country's affordable housing crisis. Under the 2021-2029 Housing Element, Palm Springs will have to plan for 2,557 new units over the next 8 years to accommodate its growing population, which could more than double in the next decades. Some of the required housing would come from pre-approved developments, while much of the rest would come from accessory dwelling units. Placer County passed an ordinance that would place a moratorium on new short-term rentals that are popular in the county's Tahoe Basin in order to prevent further housing loss, which second home ownership has propelled, for locals. Over the past year, the typical home value in South Lake Tahoe increased by 41%, and the county issued 400 to 500 new permits in 2021, which can still be renewed under the ordinance. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Civic Center Plaza's landlord filed an unlawful detainer lawsuit against the City of San Diego to make it easier to evict tenants who have not payed their rent or lease agreements. The move follows City Attorney Mara Elliott's attempt to void the city's 2015 Civid Center Plaza deal. A group of ranchers, farmers, and environmentalists filed a lawsuit to stop a proposal to build the largest solar plant in the Bay Area that would power 25,000 homes annually because they believe it will destroy the rural landscape. Despite their efforts, the proposal will likely move forward for construction by mid-2022 with plans to protect the region's open space and ecosystem. The Office of Planning and Research released a draft technical advisory that recommends ways in which the CEQA can more effectively review and approve sustainable transportation projects. Bus rapid transit, light rail service, and bus-only lane projects as well as those that center riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians are among those that qualify for CEQA exemption. A statewide survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that the majority of residents are worried about climate change and environmental hazards, with 63% expressing concern about the increasing severity of wildfires and drought. Concerns were shared across party lines, with a significant portion of the population expressing interest in clean energy sources. San Diego is the next city to consider making outdoor dining areas popularized during the pandemic a permanent addition to the city's streetscape through its "Spaces as Places" initiative. In exchange, restaurants would pay the city a fee to expand outdoor dining in low-income neighborhoods and widen sidewalks, plant more trees, and make other improvements to further engage walkers and cyclists. Placer County adopted an ordinance that would place a moratorium on new short-term rentals that are popular in the county's Tahoe Basin in order to prevent further housing loss, which second home ownership has propelled, for locals. Over the past year, the typical home value in South Lake Tahoe increased by 41%, and the county issued 400 to 500 new permits in 2021, which can still be renewed under the ordinance.

The Newsom administration recently made a big deal out of announcing its new “prohousing” policy – a process by which some jurisdictions will be designated as “prohousing” and receive bonus points for three housing grant programs administered by the state. But will the prohousing designation really make a difference?

Cal Supremes Won’t Review SB 35 Case