On June 27, 2024, the California First District Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of a writ petition challenging the City of Lafayette’s determination that a 12-unit residential condominium building qualified for the Class...more
8/13/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
Bay Area ,
California ,
CEQA ,
City of Berkeley ,
Construction Project ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Funding ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Popular ,
Public Projects ,
Railways ,
Real Estate Development ,
University of California ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Maps
Assembly Bill (AB) 3068 (Haney, Quirk-Silva, and Wicks) would provide for the streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying adaptive reuse projects involving the conversion of an existing building to...more
A measure known as the “Builder’s Remedy” added to the state’s Housing Accountability Act in 1990 has suddenly become the focus of developers looking to bypass typical zoning rules and build high-rise apartment projects....more
Rent control expands as tenants struggle with the record-high cost of housing -
NPR – November 28 -
In November, voters in Florida, Maine, and California approved ballot measures to impose or tighten caps on rent hikes....more
12/6/2022
/ Bay Area ,
California ,
CARB ,
Environmental Policies ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Real Estate Development ,
Rent Control ,
Rental Property ,
Roads ,
Sustainable Projects ,
Urban Planning & Development
Governor Newsom signs Senator Dodd’s affordable housing bill - Sonoma Index-Tribune – September 21 - Governor Gavin Newsom on September 19 signed into law affordable housing legislation authored by Senator Bill Dodd. Senate...more
Judge rejects lawsuit over California housing density bill (SB 10) Bullet Courthouse News Service – May 12 Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant held last week that the California Legislature has the...more
Legislature passes enrollment cap reprieve for UC Berkeley in CEQA dispute - Courthouse News Service – March 14 - State legislators voted Monday to amend the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to specify that...more
The California Legislature and Governor approved three key housing bills in 2021, to facilitate housing production in California. SB 8 (Senator Skinner) extends and expands the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330). SB 9...more
UC Berkeley ordered to freeze enrollment due to CEQA lawsuit Associated Press – March 3 The California Supreme Court ordered UC Berkeley last Thursday to freeze its undergraduate enrollment at 2020-21 levels...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
Biden has a plan to remove some freeways. Will it make cities more healthy?
Los Angeles Times – July 12 -
The Mandela Parkway in West Oakland has changed in many ways, including demographically, since the nearby...more
State issues proposal to ban hydraulic fracturing -
The Bakersfield Californian – May 24 -
California oil regulators last Friday publicly released a draft rule that would ban hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as...more
San Francisco sues state to retain access to vital water supply -
Courthouse News Service – May 14 -
The city of San Francisco sued the State Water Resources Control Board in Tuolumne County Superior Court last Friday...more
South Coast Air Quality Management District approves warehouse rule for air quality -
ABC News – May 8 -
The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) last Friday approved a Warehouse Indirect Source Rule,...more
5/14/2021
/ Air Quality Standards ,
Bay Area Air Quality Management District ,
Biden Administration ,
Clean Air Act ,
Drought ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Review ,
Governor Newsom ,
Microgrids ,
SCAQMD
Environmental groups sue Army Corps of Engineers over pipeline permitting -
The Hill – May 3 -
A coalition of five environmental groups on Monday sued the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) in federal court in...more
Governor Newsom moves to ban hydraulic fracturing by 2024 -
NPR – April 23 -
Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans last Friday to ban hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, by 2024 as part of a longer-term...more
Bill targeting PFAS and PFOS chemicals reintroduced in House -
Courthouse News Service – April 13 -
On Tuesday, the bipartisan PFAS Action Act was introduced for the second time in the U.S. House of Representatives,...more
4/16/2021
/ Clean Water Act ,
Drinking Water ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Fracking Bans ,
Governor Newsom ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Oil & Gas ,
PFAS ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Waters of the United States
$4.2 million fine upheld for California homeowner’s blocking of beach access -
The Mercury News – April 6 -
A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a $4.2 million fine against a Malibu homeowner for blocking beach...more
EPA expands analysis of new chemicals under TSCA -
Chemical & Engineering News – March 30 -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on March 29 that, when conducting risk assessments of new chemicals...more
2021 Land Use, Environmental & Natural Resources Update -
Allen Matkins – March 25 -
With the end of the first quarter of 2021 approaching, we thought it timely to issue an update on selected recent developments and...more
3/26/2021
/ Bureau of Land Management ,
Environmental Policies ,
Hydraulic Fracturing Study ,
Natural Resources ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pollution Control ,
Popular ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Water Boards ,
Water ,
Water Supplies
Deb Haaland confirmed as first Native American Cabinet secretary -
NPR – March 15 -
Deb Haaland, a member of New Mexico's Laguna Pueblo, has become the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history. The...more
Senate confirms Biden’s pick to lead EPA -
The New York Times – March 10 -
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Michael S. Regan, the former top environmental regulator for North Carolina, to lead the U.S. Environmental...more
3/12/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
California Air Resources Board ,
CEQA ,
Climate Change ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Environmental Impact Statements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Offshore Wind ,
Oil & Gas ,
Renewable Energy ,
Water Pollution
U.S. EPA drops challenge of Redwood City salt ponds' protection under Clean Water Act -
SFGate – February 26 -
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last Friday withdrew an appeal filed by the Trump...more
3/5/2021
/ Air Pollution ,
Biden Administration ,
CARB ,
Clean Water Act ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Nuclear Power ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Waters of the United States
Officials call for protection of Redwood City’s salt ponds -
The San Mateo Daily Journal – February 19 -
Nearly 60 Bay Area political leaders and organizations last Tuesday asked the Biden administration to protect...more
State senators introduce bill to ban hydraulic fracturing in California by 2027 -
San Francisco Chronicle – February 17 -
State Senators Scott Wiener and Monique Limon have introduced a bill that would halt the...more
2/19/2021
/ Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fracking ,
Fracking Bans ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
NEPA ,
NHTSA ,
Oil & Gas ,
Public Works ,
Renewable Energy ,
State Park