Moreno Valley Megadevelopment Raises Environmental Concerns  The World Logistics Center , a lightening rod warehouse project that would cover an area equal to about 700 football fields in Moreno Valley, is once again under fire following the release--and certification--of its environmental impact report. The Moreno Valley City Council green-lit the developer's plan to buy carbon offset credits under California's cap-and-trade program that would net zero greenhouse gases. In actuality, only 11 percent of the greenhouse gas will be mitigated locally. The other 89 percent of air pollution attributed to the project is being reduced elsewhere in the world. Supporters of the project hope for jobs. Opponents say the negative environmental and health impacts would far outweigh its benefits. The offset scheme was denounced by the California Air Resources Board and the state Attorney General as "environmentally irresponsible and legally flawed." The proposed project is expected to produce 70,000 new trips a day, 14,000 of them by diesel truck, and 400,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. (See prior CP&DR coverage .) Density Bonuses Go Underused Across California  Fewer than half of California jurisdictions have reported making use of density bonuses from 2015 through 2017, despite more than three-quarters having adopted local density bonus ordinances. A new Terner City analysis looks at the financial feasibility of proposed legislation that would ostensibly make density bonuses more attractive to cities. One of the proposed ideas--Senate Bill 1085--would reform California's existing density bonus law to increase the incentives for Very Low Income housing, as well as create a new Middle Income bonus category. In the Assembly, Bill 2345 proposed to increase the bonus density permitted by state law based on a variation of the law currently used in San Diego. The center's pro forma results indicate that proposed density increases to the law under SB 1085 would not improve financial feasibility. Using a pro forma model, the study's authors found that proposed density bonuses are slightly less attractive than the existing law, and offer less value to developers. But developers may take advantage of perks that can prove just as valuable as additional units. For example, developers may request up to three regulatory concessions such as setbacks, or reduced parking requirements, among others. The study's authors conclude these incremental improvements are a step in the right direction for legislation that prioritizes affordability while recognizing the need for offsets to achieve financial feasibility. Legislative Analyst’s Office Foresees Huge Property Losses to Sea Level Rise A new report by the California Legislative Analyst's Office warns that a litany of climate change effects pose imminent threat to the state. "Other statewide challenges continue to approach on the horizon," the report stated. "Among these are the impending impacts of climate change, including the hazards that rising seas pose to California's coast. Sea level rise of 3 to 6 feet by the end of the century will wash away up to two-thirds of Southern California's beaches, and submerge $8 billion to $10 billion worth of property by 2050. Increasingly severe storms, exceptionally high "King Tides" and El Nino events could raise sea level even higher during certain periods. The rising seas could damage both public infrastructure and private property, threaten human lives and natural resources, contaminate drinking water, and expose raw sewage and underground contaminants. The report urges state lawmakers and local communities to start planning for sea level rise now: "The state and its coastal communities cannot afford to defer all preparation efforts until economic conditions have fully rebounded from the recent crisis... essential near-term preparation activities--such as planning, establishing relationships and forums for regional coordination, and sharing information--with relatively minor upfront investments." . Quick Hits & Updates  Enrollment growth alone does not warrant creating a new California State University campus, according to a new study ordered by the state legislature. The study examined how much it would cost to build a 24th CSU campus for about 7,800 students in one of five evaluated locations. The report projects a system-wide increase of approximately 43,800 full-time students over the next 15 years. The City of Sacramento recently became the first city in California to approve a Ministerial Approval of Infill Housing process in addition to adopting new Citywide Infill Housing Design Standards. The expedited approval process will be available beginning in late August for housing and mixed-use projects between two and 200 housing units. A Berkeley Terner Center analysis indicates that nearly six million parcels would be eligible for a ministerial lot split per the language in SB 1120. The widespread application of SB 1120 has the potential to result in significant amounts of new housing. If just 5 percent of the parcels in Terner's analysis created new two-unit structures as a result of SB 1120, that would result in 597,706 new homes.d The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has agreed to pay $30,000 toward a study for Glydways, an on-demand pod system that could shuttle workers from public transit stops like Caltrain, BART, or the ferries to job centers. Glydways is proposing building a track network on which electronic, autonomous vehicles can operate continuously, solving the so-called "last mile" problem for commuters. Gov. Gavin Newsom made a personal plea to billionaire Warren Buffet to expedite the Klamath River dam removal. Buffet controls Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiary PacifiCorp, which holds the license for the Klamath River project. In a letter, Newsom says the dams' construction threatens the river's role as a vital part of the surrounding community's culture and sustenance. A four-block stretch of San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood will be remodeled to make room for pedestrians, a temporary project intended to allow for more physical distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. The initiative will create an additional 5 to 8 feet of walking space protected from traffic with concrete barriers or parked cars. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation is heading up the effort. Issuance of housing permits in Southern California housing permits is at an 8-year low as coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the economy. Federal statistics show steep drops in planning in Los Angeles and Orange counties and statewide in the second quarter. More modest drops occurred in Riverside and San Bernadino counties during the April-to June period. Builders filed 7,505 permits in the four counties during the quarter, down 27 percent in a year and slowest three-month period since the end of 2012. Amid public pressure, San Jose's General Plan review committee postponed a vote on "opportunity housing," an initiative to build more homes in single-family neighborhoods. There was little public outreach as the vote was only meant to determine whether city leaders would study the issue further, rather than on a specific proposal.  An innovative joint powers agency known as the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency officially launched this July with the mission of providing housing to workers who otherwise could not afford to live where they work.The agency's first program, a partnership with Landing Locals, will connect member agency employees with second homeowners for long-term leasing opportunities. Marking the end of 35 years of development battles, escrow closed on the last of three properties in a deal to purchase 937 acres in Coyote Valley , aruably the largest parcel of open space in San Jose. Under the $937 million deal reached in November 2019, San Jose will retain ownership of 296 acres, and the rest will go eventually to the open space authority. Posideon, a proposed desalination plant in Huntington Beach , hit a roadblock in obtaining major permits after several members of the Regional Water Control Board indicated they were dissatisfied with the proposed mitigation for marine life that would die as a result of the plant's intake pipes. The $1 billion project may face additional pushback from the Coastal Commission even if it succeeds in obtaining approval from the regional board. Allenco Energy, a drill site operator, is facing criminal charges for allegedly flouting a state order and failing to properly abandon wells. The "charges show that we won't allow Allenco to continue allegedly defying the law and disregarding its neighbors when it comes to environmental safety and health protections," Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said in an announcement. For decades, Sausalito banned new development in the 225-acre Marinship district. But with the Black Lives Matter movement forcing cities to confront historic racial, social, and economic inequality, Sausalito officials are weighing whether Marinship could allow low-income or senior housing. Sausalito has just 38 units of affordable senior housing, but an unusually large (37 percent) senior population. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to address a 28 percent uptick in traffic deaths across the county from 2013 to 2017. The "Vision Zero" program focuses on system fixes and reduced vehicle speeds in unincorporated areas of the county as the most effective way to reduce deaths. Before a full rollout, the county will conduct a pilot program at high-collision corridors. (See prior CP&DR commentary .)

Caltrain Seeks to Stay Solvent via Ballot Measure  Officials have reached a deal to throw Caltrain a lifeline amid plunging ridership. The deal allows a ballot measure on a 1/8-cent sales tax increase to held fund Caltrain to be placed on the November ballot in three counties--San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. If approved by a two-thirds majority of voters in all three counties, the tax measure would generate an estimated $108 million per year for Caltrain. Without the funding, officials predict that the railroad might have to cut its service, or even temporarily shut down. Still, multiple governing groups balked at a new tax, and only agreed to approve the measure after Caltrain pledged to distance itself from San Mateo County's transportation agency, SamTrans, by acting more like an independent entity than it has in the past. Anti-Development Group Sues Los Angeles over Dubious Approvals  AIDS Healthcare Foundation is suing the city of Los Angeles to stop real estate developments vetted under Councilman Huizar, who was recently indicted by federal prosecutors for pay-to-play schemes involving real estate developers. In its lawsuit, AHF argues that the city should pause projects reviewed by Huizar or Englander, another former councilman who accepted bribes from developers. Although AHF mentioned four projects tied to the federal case, the lawsuit leaves the door open to blocking other projects, saying that "it is highly likely that the approvals of other real estate projects are similarly tainted," and calling for a "top-to-bottom review" of whether committee decisions were corrupted. Whether the city can legally stop these projects could depend on a long list of factors, including how far developers are in the building process and what kind of approvals they have obtained. Freight Mobility Plan Seeks to Upgrade Statewide Transportation Network California Department of Transportation has released its California Freight Mobility Plan 2020. The plan's scope addresses immediate and long-term policies, strategies, and investments necessary to support the good transporting network via truck, train, ship, airplane, automobile, bicycle, foot, or robot. Officials said the effort incorporates emerging technologies, such as e-commerce, 3-D printing and autonomous vehicles that could change how industries interact with freight networks. Caltrans said the plan's seven overarching goals are economic prosperity through increased system efficiency, productivity, and workforce production; environmental stewardship; healthier communities by mitigating the negative impacts of the freight system; increased safety among workers and infrastructure resiliency; asset management; connectivity and accessibility; and multimodal mobility through improved network efficiency and travel time reliability. San Diego Missed Housing Targets by 50% San Diego fell far short of its housing production targets, according to the city's newly released 2020 Housing Inventory Report . The city missed building targets by nearly 50 percent. Despite the housing shortfall, the report isn't all bad news. Data trends in the report show that new housing initiatives might be working. New construction starts, which are measured by the number of building permits issued, saw the second-highest number between 2010 and 2019, with permits for 5,221 units. Affordable housing production doubled from 2018 numbers to a total of 940 affordable housing units. Other highlights from the report include the San Diego Housing Commission preserving or rehabilitating 707 at-risk affordable housing units; updating community plans to increase capacity for 74,000 additional units; permitting 627 "companion" units; and 273 affordable units are being produced as part of the city's affordable housing density bonuses. . CP&DR Podcast: Race & Planning in California CP&DR welcomed a panel of Black planners to share their personal perspectives on the current historical moment and on the future of planning in the era of Black Lives Matter for the CP&DR podcast . Issues including segregation, economic disparities, environmental justice, housing justice, and a great many others fall within the purview of urban planning. Planners face, more so now than ever before, the opportunity not only to promote equity but also to correct historic injustices--especially those that marginalize and disadvantage Black Americans.  . Quick Hits & Updates  The Department of Housing Community Development sent a letter to Simi Valley warning that the city must resume public hearings on land use items or risk a revocation of the city's housing element compliance. The letter marks the third time that the state has sent a notice of potential Housing Accountability Act violations to Simi Valley. At the center of the violation is the continued delay in approval for a proposed 278-unit apartment complex with affordable housing. Inglewood's City Council voted unanimously to approve the environmental impact report for the future Clippers ' arena. The approval comes seven after the release of the report, which found that the Inglewood Basketball and Entertainment Complex would bring traffic and jobs to the area while ruling it would not contribute to gentrification of its surrounding neighborhood. Federal prosecutors have brought new bribery and money laundering charges against Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar, who was arrested and charged with racketeering in June. The new changes expand on earlier allegations that Huizar aided real estate developers in exchange for bribes to include political donations as part of a bribery scheme to win approval for an Arts District project, and a proposed arrangement with a development company to hire the councilman after he left office. Two separate plans for 1,000-plus new single family homes in Antioch and Pittsburg received key approvals to move forward. With 1,777 homes, the Atherton subdivision is the biggest single residential development the city has approved (and did so unanimously) in 10 years. In a more contentious proceeding the Pittsburg Planning Commission approved a 1,500 home project that had been in the planning stages for over 10 years by a one-vote margin. The city of Arcata and the Yurok Indian Housing Authority announced an affordable housing project is now fully funded after securing an Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities award grant--the first of its kind to be awarded to a Native American Tribe. The grant will fund the construction of 36 units of affordable housing in additional to several bicycle lanes, accessible walkways, a one-mile multi-use trail, and a pedestrian bridge that will connect tribal residents to surrounding neighborhoods. In a deal rich with historic significance, the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County closed escrow to purchase 1,199 acres in Big Sur as part of a $4.5 million acquisition of tribal lands. It represents the first time that the Esselen Tribe has regained any of its former territory more than 200 years after being stripped of their land in the late 1700s. Tribal leaders say they plan to build permanent homes or businesses on the property. Dublin , California's fastest growing city, rejected a mixed-use project that would have added 566 homes. After years of the developer working with the city, holding meetings to hear from the community and modifying plans, the council rejected the proposal outright, saying the project wasn't a good fit for Dublin. The Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians want to build an 8,400-bed prison on its remote reservation next to the Salton Sea and lease it to the state. The $2 billion project would be the largest prison in California, and one of the largest in the country. Under the proposal, the state and then staff would run the facility and pay the tribe an annual rent of nearly $175 million. The project would bring at least 2,000 jobs and more financial security to the tribe. San Francisco supervisors delayed approving 15 parcels in a major rezoning plan known as 'The Hub' that is expected to bring thousands of new housing units. The plan will be on pause for six months while City Hall conducts a racial and social equity analysis that looks at the potential for increased pressure on the roughly 21,000 existing rent-controlled units in the area. Three major Hub projects will move forward, including a 31-story residential building, a 45-story mixed-use building, and a 55-story project. Los Angeles County is considering using parks and libraries as alternative learning for students while school campuses are closed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal asks the Department of Parks and Recreation to report back to the Board of Supervisors to provide staffing, supervision, and programming to children in unincorporated areas of the county. A federal judge rejected an environmental group's lawsuit challenging the amount of toxic chemicals found in groundwater around Vacaville. The district court judge ruled that the group attempted "to stretch the statute well beyond its application." The city had been preparing to pay for additional treatment of groundwater, but shelved those plans after a 2014 state court decision.

The death of George Floyd and the strengthened, nationwide interest in the Black Lives Matter movement has naturally and crucially highlighted urban inequities. Issues including segregation, economic disparities, environmental justice, housing justice, and a great many others fall within the purview of urban planning. Planners face, more so now than ever before, the opportunity not only to promote equity but also to correct historic injustices--especially those that marginalize and disadvantage Black Americans. The fulfillment of these goals of course involves Black planners. And it calls upon planners of all backgrounds to support the Black community.   CP&DR welcomes a panel of Black planners to share their personal perspectives on the current historical moment and on the future of planning in the era of Black Lives Matter.   For access on other platforms, including Spotify, please visit  https://anchor.fm/calplan Panelists Courtney Brown , Planning Associate, Michael Baker International  Warren Logan , Policy Director of Mobility and Inter Agency Relations, City of Oakland  Eric Shaw , Director of the Office of Housing and Community Development, City & County of San Francisco  Hosts Bill Fulton , Publisher & Editor, CP&DR  Josh Stephens , Contributing Editor, CP&DR  Related CP&DR Coverage & Commentary  Podcast: SCAG President Rex Richardson on Regional Planning and Social Equity We Must Do Better Do Black Lives Matter to Homeowners? Editor's note: Linda Tatum, asst. city manager with the City of Long Beach, was scheduled to participate but had an unexpected conflict.

State Flood Maps May Have Blind Spots; 1.1 Million Properties at Risk Northern California--where most of the state's water supply originates--has been exceptionally dry this year, part of an unfolding decades-long "megadrought" affecting much of the West. While the focus of attention is naturally on managing drought, two new studies suggest that flood maps vastly underestimate the state's flood risk. Most major floods in California are associated with atmospheric rivers, or narrow concentrated bands of atmospheric moisture, that produce prodigious amounts of rain. A new study suggests warming atmospheric rivers--a result of climate change-- will dramatically increase both intensity and volume of precipitation. Warmer storms produce less snow and more rain, adding to potential runoff. The combined effect could overwhelm levees on rivers and storm water management in cities. A second study by the First Street Foundation presents new estimates of current and future flood vulnerability across the US with updated models and a better accounting for climate change and sea level rise. The takeway from this work is that the state and its federal partners may have underestimated the number of properties at substantial risk of flooding by half. The study estimates 1.1 million properties are at risk, and another 150,000 properties will join them in the next 30 years. Calif. Planning Roundtable Envisions Solutions to Housing Crisis The California Planning Roundtable (CPR) released a roadmap Planning to House California: Beyond 2020 exploring ways cities and counties can create favorable conditions for increased housing production. The first principle--start with a plan--recommends allowing for flexibility within an objective framework. I.e., cities should (and must under SB 35) require objective design guidance for building form and site design, but allow for variation of density and scale in different contexts. The report recommends cities to embrace and zone for housing in all forms: rather than focus on housing type when crafting zoning laws, metrics like floor-area ratios or units per acre opens up a wider range of possibilities. With those standards in place, cities can then facilitate by-right housing and use CEQA for streamlining housing projects. The adoption of by-right zoning means that housing projects are ministerial in nature and not subject to CEQA review. Finally, the authors address how to pay for the infrastructure and amenities that complete communities. Impact fees, a common mechanism, are often high at the margin, do not raise sufficient revenue, and exacerbate the housing affordability challenge. CPR sees a need for more funding tools from the State and fiscal incentives for cities that meet RHNA housing goals. San Diego Places $900 Million Housing Bond on Ballot The San Diego  City Council voted to place an affordable housing bond on the November ballot, but rejected measures for publicly financed elections and for pro-union construction deals. The $900 million housing bond measure would pay for the construction of roughly 7,500 new affordable housing. 2,800 of those units will be for the formerly homeless, while the rest would be for veterans and senior citizens. In addition to the local money it would raise, the measure would help San Diego secure matching state and federal funds devoted to homelessness and affordable housing. If passed, the measure would cost homeowners approximately $115 more per year. Supporters of the publicly financed elections measure said the goal was reducing the influence of developers and labor unions on city elections. Supporters withdrew, without comment, the proposed ballot measure that would have reversed a partial city ban on "project labor agreements," or pro-union construction deals. CP&DR Coverage: SB 35 Draft Implementation Guidelines Among both litigation and confusion, the Department of Housing and Community Development has issued updated draft guidelines for cities and counties to implement SB 35, as well as an updated list of jurisdictions that are required to adopt what HCD is calling the “Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process”. About 95% of the state’s jurisdictions must accept SB 35 applications for at least some projects. Quick Hits & Updates  A California Court of Appeal issued an opinion finding no merit to a lawsuit alleging that the City of Santa Monica's at-large elections system violated the California Voting Rights Act by diluting the Latino vote. The ruling reverses a lower court opinion that favored the plaintiffs and ordered the city to switch from at-large to by-district elections. The Court of Appeal noted that even if the city switched elections, the 30 percent Latino population would fail to win a majority. Preserve Our Rural Communities, a grassroots organization in San Benito , has ended a ballot measure campaign for an initiative that would have overturned the city's decision to rezone 16 rural/agricultural zones to commercial zones. One of the bill co-sponsors cited the pandemic and "uncertainty about our economic future" as reasons to table the initiative. Building on the success of Project Roomkey , HCD has announced a NOFA for $600 million in Homekey Funds. Homekey is the next phase in the state's response to protecting Californians experiencing homelessness who are at high risk for serious illness and are impacted by COVID-19. The funds will go toward purchasing and rehabilitating housing that can be converted into interim or long-term housing. Three Palo Alto  City Council members are requesting that the state reconsider its requirement that the Bay Area roughly double the number of housing units in the next RHNA cycle. The letter, which argues the process is moving too fast and that the numbers are too aggressive, responds to a June 9 determination by HCD that the Bay Area has to plan for 441,176 units between 2023 and 2031. Coronado's bid to lower its RHNA allocation failed after five San Diego County jurisdictions voted down the city's appeal, with 55 percent voting against Coronado. The city was assigned 1,001 new housing units, up 2,000 percent from the previous cycles. Sacramento County l eaders dropped their plans to put a half-cent transportation sales tax on the November ballot after a poll showed the measure was unlikely to pass. Measure A was projected to raise $8 billion over 40 years for road and transit improvements. Officials cited the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and social unrest following police protests. A controversial inspection plan for San Onofre's nuclear waste was given the green light by the California Coastal Commission. The approved inspection plan, which calls for 16 percent of the 73 storage containers to be inspected for cracks, means more than 1,700 tons of nuclear fuel will remain housed behind a seawall just off the coast. Sacramento's housing authority has agreed to pay $7,500 for violating the Fair Housing Act under a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The agreement resolves allegations that staff acted unlawfully when they delayed installing grab bars in a unit in response to the tenant's request. Agency employees will undergo mandatory training on fair housing as part of the agreement. In a blow to the Trump administration, a federal district court judge ruled that California's cap-and-trade agreement with Canada's Quebec province is constitutional. The decision said the Trump administration had "failed to identify a clear and express foreign policy that directly conflicts with California's cap-and-trade program." The agreement between California and Quebec to link markets that aim to cut greenhouse gas emissions dates back to 2013.

Among both litigation and confusion, the Department of Housing and Community Development is almost done updating its SB 35 guidelines, as well as an updated list of jurisdictions that are required to adopt what HCD is calling the “Streamlined Ministerial Approval Process”. The deadline for comments on the draft guideline is tomorrow (Wednesday, August 5). About 95% of the state’s jurisdictions must accept SB 35 applications for at least some projects.

The City of Los Angeles must offer to sell an historic bank building in the Highland Park neighborhood to its previous owner because the city did nothing with the property for 10 years after taking it in an eminent domain process, an appellate court has ruled.

CP&DR Vol. 35 No. 7 July 2020

CP&DR Vol. 30 No. 7 - July 2015

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments released the Plan Bay Area 2050 Draft Blueprint , a "package of 25 transformational strategies that aim to make the Bay Area more affordable, connected, diverse, healthy, and vibrant for all." Strategies are either public policies or packages of investments that could be advanced on the local, regional or state levels in four "topic areas": Transportation, Housing, Economy, and Environment, with expected revenues of $783 billion from 2021 to 2050. Under the plan, over 75 percent of transportation spending would go toward maintaining the existing system; 97 percent, or $166 billion of the housing budget, would fund affordable housing production, envisioning up to 400,000 “permanently affordable” units; $33 billion for expanded childcare support, and a $53 billion environment budget distributed approximately evenly for adaptations to Sea Level Rise, retrofitting existing buildings, and protecting conservation lands. The Blueprint projects the continuation of a downward trend in housing and transportation cost burden, anticipates preserving 100 percent of the area's affordable housing, and increased investments in high-resource areas that will benefit low-income households. . Ballot Measure Controversy Imperils Caltrain A ballot measure that would keep Caltrain afloat amid plunging ridership may not make it on the November ballot, spurring fears that the system may be forced to shut down for lack of funding. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors declined to introduce a 1/8-cent sales tax measure that would have raised $100 million a year. Caltrain's board says it will have to consider "serious cuts in service" unless it receives a major cash infusion or can restore roughly 30 percent of riders by the end of year. The measure is in a political tug-of-war: San Francisco Supervisors want more control of Caltrain's leadership and operations, with one supervisor calling additional funding "taxation without representation." But the board's decision not to introduce the tax measure doesn't necessarily kill it. Supervisor Matt Haney is attempting to revive the tax proposal. Alternatively, the Board of Supervisors could take it up as an emergency measure that would require a two-thirds majority to move forward. Under board rules, that action would have to be taken by July 31. California Pushes Back on Weakening of Federal Water Regulations California joined 19 other states and the District of Columbia in a suit against the Environmental Protection Agency, alleging that the agency's new rules violate the federal Clean Water Act and decades of precedent. President Trump in 2019 issued an executive order directing the change, which reduces the scope and time for review than typically occurs before infrastructure projects like natural gas and oil pipelines, hydroelectric projects, housing and commercial land development, and wastewater treatment plants. The rule applies to all projects requiring federal approval that may result in the polluting of waterways. States were required to certify that the projects satisfied state law and water-quality standards. An attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council said the rule "eviscerates" states' ability to influence hundreds of projects each year. The EPA said in a statement, "the agency's final rule increases the transparency and efficiency of the certification process." The changes are among several steps the Trump administration has taken to roll back the Clean Water Act, including ending federal protection in January for millions of miles of waterways. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Federal Regulators Complicate Dam Removal Plan on Klamath River  Plans to demolish four massive hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River are in jeopardy after federal regulators declined to approve a license transfer that was a precondition of a deal struck between the PacifiCorp power company and Klamath River Renewal Corporation. PacifiCorp wants to sever itself from the any costs associated with the dam, but regulators are making it a condition that PacifiCorp stays on as a co-licensee. That could jeopardize the entire deal because PacifiCorp's removal was an element necessary to gain the support from public utility commissions in both Oregon and California. The project, estimated at nearly $450 million, would reshape California's second-largest river and empty giant reservoirs. It could also revive dwindling salmon populations the Northern California Indians depend on by reopening hundreds of miles of potential habitat. The transfer of PacifiCorp's hydroelectric license was seen as the first major hurdle to getting the dams removed. Federal regulators must also approve a request to decommission the dams before work can begin, possibly as early as 2022. CP&DR Coverage: Regional Planning & Social Justice  Immediately upon his election to the presidency of the Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments in June, Long Beach City Council Member Rex Richardson proposed a resolution to declare racism a public health crisis and, therefore, a top priority for SCAG. The resolution was adopted nearly unanimously, setting the tone for an agenda focused on equity and social justice. CP&DR's Josh Stephens spoke with Richardson about his agenda and the role that a regional planning organization like SCAG can play in reducing racism and lifting up disadvantaged communities on the CP&DR podcast. Quick Hits & Updates Construction can begin on a 20-story apartment building in San Diego's Bankers Hill now that a Superior Court Judge tossed out a lawsuit that claimed the project harms community character and blocks views. The judge's ruling on the 204-unit building could discourage similar lawsuits by groups of residents who oppose tall buildings and dense housing in their neighborhoods. The Department of Housing and Community Development awarded more than $279 million from the Infill Infrastructure Grant program for infrastructure to support the development of affordable and mixed-income housing. The awards will fund projects like new water and sewer lines, new curbs and gutters, soil stabilization, and grading improvements. Apple  will release $400 million this year toward affordable housing projects and homeowners assistance programs in California as part of the company's multiyear $2.5 billion commitment to easing the state's housing crisis. Projects launching this year include four projects throughout the Bay Area that will create more than 250 new units of affordable housing. Lake Tahoe's Squaw Valley  ski resort is considering changing its name to remove the word "squaw," a derogatory term referring to Native American women. Regional California tribes have asked for the name of Squaw Valley Ski Resort to be changed numerous times over the years, but the idea is now gaining momentum amid a national reckoning over racial injustice and inequality. Grants and loan opportunities offered on a competitive or first-come basis by California state agencies and departments can now be accessed at the California Grants Porta l, a tool created by the California State Library. Grants are searchable by category and keywords as well as by eligible applicant types. Subscriptions and new grant announcements are also available. HCD has released its Notice of Funding Availability calendar for the 2020-2021 fiscal year. Nearly $2 billion in state and federal funding will become available in the next 12 months to address housing, homelessness, COVID-19 response, and community development. Two federal CARES Act NOFAs, totaling $60.7 million will be available for the Emergency Shelter Grant and Community Development Block Grants programs. The Public Policy Institute of California  issued a recommendation that forest management should be part of any economic recovery bill that aims to invest in workforce development and infrastructure. The recommendation follows a recent MTI report that outlines a host of environmental benefits from improved air and water quality to the potential to employ thousands of workers in region in low opportunity regions. A ballot measure that would block hotel development on a vacant parcel in St. Helena may be tossed out by City Council despite garnering enough signatures to make the ballot. A city attorney report says the measure is too vague, and falls short of the legal standard required under California Law. Developers have offered as much as $20 million to buy the property from the city. Caltrans has agreed to lease state-owned land adjacent to Interstate 15 to Xpress West, a significant milestone toward plans to build 170 miles of electric rail that would connect Las Vegas and Apple Valley in San Bernardino County. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, construction was expected to begin on the rail line later this year. Completion is expected in 2023. South El Monte and Montebello both had their housing plans approved by the Department of Housing and Community Development. Montebello, which hasn't had a state-approved housing plan since 1997, identified a number of vacant commercial and industrial sites to be used for housing. South El Monte's housing plan imposes minimum density standards of 20 units per acre for all commercial-residential zoned properties. A state audit of HCD's mobile home oversight found the department failed to conduct full inspections at more than half of California's mobile home parks over the last decade. In addition to finding inadequate inspection rates, the auditors said inspectors were unresponsive to complaints, often did not share important information, and failed to tell residents about their rights and resources available to them that may have prevented evictions.

San Francisco is known for agonizing battles over infill development despite the obvious demand for new housing. But, with a rare brownfield site, stakeholders seem to have buried the hatchet to support housing in a place that everyone agrees makes sense.

Immediately upon his election to the presidency of the Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments in June, Long Beach City Council Member Rex Richardson proposed a  resolution  to declare racism a public health crisis and, therefore, a top priority for SCAG. The resolution was adopted nearly unanimously, setting the tone for an agenda focused on equity and social justice. CP&DR's Josh Stephens spoke with Richardson about his agenda and the role that a regional planning organization like SCAG can play in reducing racism and lifting up disadvantaged communities. Click here to listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts, and other platforms. Related CP&DR Coverage SCAG Shifts Housing Burden to Coastal Cities

The Trump Administration is moving forward with a major narrowing of the National Environmental Policy Act, a move that will cause NEPA to diverge sharply from its sister law, the California Environmental Quality Act – and potentially put more pressure on CEQA for large infrastructure projects.