City of Los Angeles - Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the fee for planning and land use applications increased by 3.5% based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban...more
On June 24, 2024, the Adams administration, through the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP), unveiled Draft Strategies, including a zoning proposal, that could lead to the development of more than 14,000 homes, more...more
Mayor Eric Adams’ “Green Fast Track for Housing” initiative went into effect June 3, 2024, with the aim of shortening the lengthy environmental review process for certain residential developments reviewed by the City Planning...more
On April 11, 2024, the Department of City Planning (DCP) released the proposed City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning text changes. The proposed text was released in advance of the formal public review process (ULURP),...more
The Adams’ administration recently unveiled its third and final proposal as part of New York City’s “City of Yes” initiative to aid small businesses, create jobs, expand affordable housing opportunities, and promote...more
On March 19, 2024, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks introduced new amendments to pending Assembly Bill (AB) 2243, which would amend AB 2011 (operative as of July 1, 2023). As explained in our prior legal alert, AB 2011 provides for...more
We would not blame you if you said that dealing with attorneys is not your favorite part of being a municipal official. However, in our defense, people use attorneys because they need help with complicated legal processes and...more
On January 31, the Portland City Council passed its Housing Regulatory Relief package. This package, which had been approved by the City Planning Commission on a 7-1 vote in November, follows years of lobbying from the...more
2023 served up roughly the same number of published appellate CEQA cases as 2022 with a defense win percentage of over 80 percent, which has been the case in many, if not all, of the past ten years. A prominent theme of...more
Mayor Adams announced Lynelle Maginley-Liddie as the new Commissioner of the NYC Department of Correction (DOC). Maginley-Liddie currently serves as First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Diversity Officer of DOC, and will...more
With the turn of the year comes ill-fated resolutions, needed but annoying rain, and a slew of new legislative enactments coming into effect. While commercial real estate is not typically a hotbed for legislative activity,...more
LA's massive new rezoning plan could lead to the construction of 255,000 new housing units by 2029 - Spectrum News – October 14 - The city of Los Angeles is short nearly 500,000 units, according to the Los Angeles Housing...more
San Diego eviction ban survives legal challenge - The San Diego Union-Tribune – July 28 - San Diego County’s strict eviction ban has survived its first legal challenge in federal court. Unlike most of California, San...more
Federal bill would give $1.5B to pro-housing localities - The Real Deal – March 24 - Three U.S. senators have introduced the bipartisan Housing Supply and Affordability Act, which would provide $1.5 billion for...more
On March 6, 2020, just a day after hearing oral argument, the Supreme Judicial Court reaffirmed the longstanding principle that abutting landowners have standing to challenge the application of zoning bylaws only if they...more
Ahead of the January 1, 2020 effective date for several housing-related bills recently signed into law by the Governor, we will explain upcoming changes in housing law through a series of updates. Our first update provided...more
Developers in California know that getting approval to build new housing projects can be extremely difficult, time-consuming, and expensive....more
About one year ago, Money and Dirt covered the evolution — and demise — of the “transit-rich” housing bill proposed by State Senator Scott Wiener. After that defeat a year ago, a new effort is underway. Senator Wiener’s...more
In a partially published opinion filed January 30, 2019, the First District Court of Appeal (Div. 1) affirmed a judgment denying a writ petition challenging the City of Berkeley’s approval of use permits for three...more
Updated February 5, 2019 to reflect change in scheduled events and Public Hearing date. The Charlotte Department of Planning, Design & Development (Planning Department) is facilitating the transformation of the city into...more
Several months ago, Charlotte’s Planning Director Taiwo Jaiyeoba charted a new course for drafting Charlotte’s Unified Development Ordinance (CLTUDO). We are now undertaking the development of a comprehensive vision plan for...more
Portland planning staff is proposing strict new limits on the size of houses that can be built or remodeled in most areas of the City. Included in the latest draft of its “Residential Infill Project” code amendments, the...more
On January 30, 2018, the Fifth Appellate District certified for publication its earlier opinion in Visalia Retail, LP v. City of Visalia, upholding the City of Visalia’s (“City”) 2014 General Plan Update. Plaintiff and...more
Portland's neighborhood associations have generated news lately, from Montavilla's resolution resisting the City's efforts to clear homeless camps, to controversy over whether transient persons can vote in Overlook's...more
Fairfax County is close to finishing its comprehensive plan amendment for the Richmond Highway Corridor in northern Virginia. The amendment will create a substantial amount of new density — much of it residential — along the...more