Focus
State Supreme Court decision could complicate CEQA review of certain housing projects
San Francisco Chronicle – July 14
The state Supreme Court has left intact a ruling by the First District Court of Appeal that rejected Livermore officials’ 2019 approval of the Garaventa Hills project, which would build 44 homes on 32 acres near a wetlands preserve that is home to nine legally protected wildlife species. The League of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties told the court the appellate ruling wrongly required local governments to analyze the option of canceling a development project, and explain why that would not be a reasonable alternative, even when the project has “no significant and unavoidable impacts” under CEQA. The developer, Lafferty Communities, also sought to remove the ruling as a legal precedent but said it would comply with the court’s standards.
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News
Groups file suit over Los Angeles River Master Plan
Los Angeles Times – July 14
Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County, accusing officials of violating CEQA when they approved the Los Angeles River Master Plan last month. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks to bar the county from developing any new river project without first conducting a review of “all foreseeable significant impacts to the environment that the master plan will authorize.” The master plan is intended to improve the appearance of the concrete-lined flood channel and, proponents say, improve water quality, increase wildlife habitat, and address social inequities that have long plagued communities along the river.
Report: California housing deficit has increased 82% since 2012
Connect CRE – July 18
Up for Growth, a research and policy network, has issued a report about the state of available housing in California. The analysis finds that housing underproduction in the state has reached 977,654 homes, an increase of 82% since 2012, the worst deficit of any state in the U.S. Up for Growth’s 2022 Housing Underproduction in the United States study measured the gap between the number of homes available versus those needed.
Palo Alto plans more changes to rules on accessory dwelling units
Palo Alto Online – July 14
Palo Alto is preparing to change the rules once again around accessory dwelling units as it tries to balance state requirements and local desires for privacy protections. City planners and commissioners are also still working on their response to the state Department of Housing and Community Development, which notified Palo Alto last year that its recently approved guidelines violate state laws and demanded that the city loosen some of its restrictions.
L.A. County explores changes to Marina del Rey vision statement
Urbanize L.A. – July 15
Los Angeles County's redistricting process moved Marina del Rey into the 2nd Supervisorial District, which is now represented by former state legislator Holly Mitchell. As the new county level representative for the community, Mitchell sees an update to the vision statement as an opportunity to not only shape a more cohesive vision for the Marina, but also to address historic issues such as historic redlining and racist practices in coastal communities, including limiting the access of communities of color to the beach.
After leaving low-income housing tax credit program, many properties see modest rent increases
Smart Cities Dive – July 14
Concerns about rents skyrocketing at properties that have exited the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program may be overblown, according to a new white paper from Freddie Mac Multifamily. Even after apartment communities are no longer under LIHTC income restrictions, rents remained an average of 12% lower than the market in a sample of 133 50-plus-unit former-LIHTC properties across seven metros — Dallas, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Orlando, Phoenix, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
UC San Diego becoming model for sustainable health care
Spectrum News – July 14
In an effort to reduce greenhouse gases and address the climate crisis, UC San Diego Health has become the first provider in San Diego to join the United Nations’ Health Care Climate Challenge, Race to Zero. Barbara Hamilton, sustainability officer for UC San Diego Health, says they use seven-story thermal storage tanks to act as a battery for the entire campus’ air conditioning system, allowing them to use recycled and stored energy to cool the campus during peak energy times. She says even their kitchens have reduced their greenhouse gasses from food by over 25%.
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