Focus
State steps in after Patterson city leaders reject Keystone Ranch housing development
CBS News – October 2
California's housing department says the Stanislaus County city of Patterson may have violated state law when it blocked a 700-home subdivision earlier this year, warning the city it could face action from the state attorney general. The California Department of Housing and Community Development sent a Sept. 22 letter to city leaders after the council voted in April to reject the Keystone Ranch project, a 95-acre development within the Zacharias Master Plan area. The city, however, argues its decision stemmed from new restrictions imposed by state water regulators.
News
Los Angeles City Council calls for zoning exemptions to build Olympics structures
Los Angeles Daily News – October 7
The Los Angeles City Council advanced a proposal to establish an ordinance allowing temporary and permanent construction of facilities, installations, and or activities for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In a 14-0 vote, council members instructed the City Attorney’s Office and Department of City Planning to draft the Olympic/Paralympic Zoning Exemption Ordinance, which aims to streamline and expedite various structures for the international event such as public bathrooms, fan zones, training facilities, security checks, broadcast and media centers, live sites, and transit infrastructure.
Newsom vetoes bill for sober homeless housing
CalMatters – October 2
Lawmakers' efforts to free up state money for sober homeless housing have been thwarted for a second year in a row, after Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that had sailed to his desk with few "no" votes. Assembly Bill 255 would have allowed cities and counties to spend up to 10% of their state funding on "recovery housing," where people live in a sober environment and work on overcoming an addiction. The move would have tweaked California's "housing first" strategy, which generally frowns on programs that put up barriers to housing — such as requiring people to stay clean or participate in treatment. In his veto message for AB 255, Newsom said any future changes to the state's recovery housing policy should be considered through the annual budget process.
Housing lawsuit filed against Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Town Crier – September 30
Long-running attempts to develop 10728 and 10758 Mora Drive have taken another turn after a nonprofit housing organization recently filed a lawsuit against Los Altos Hills, alleging the town unlawfully denied approval to develop the site. The September 15 lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County by the California Housing Defense Fund argues that Los Altos Hills abused procedural mechanisms, dragged the housing development project through years of delay, and blocked development attempts permitted under state housing laws.
Midway Rising's $3.9B plan for San Diego's sports arena site advances
The San Diego Union-Tribune – September 25
Three years in the making, the Midway Rising project seeking to redevelop San Diego's 49.2-acre sports arena site with thousands of apartments, a replacement arena, and new shops is nearing a climactic decision point, even as proposed lease terms with the city remain undisclosed. On September 25, the city of San Diego's Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend for City Council adoption a sweeping package of project land-use documents. The package includes the Midway Rising Specific Plan, the project's environmental impact report, a general plan amendment, a community plan amendment, and a rezone of the area to residential mixed-use.
Los Angeles City Council members bypass strict labor standards for most fast-tracked affordable housing projects
LAist – October 1
Many affordable housing programs in Los Angeles have built-in requirements for developers to staff construction sites with union workers and pay higher wages. But city leaders decided not to impose such rules on most affordable housing developments using the widely adopted Executive Directive 1 streamlining program after city planners told them the rules could stop many projects from moving forward. The L.A. City Council's Planning and Land Use Management Committee voted to advance a plan that would require union workers on high-rise projects of eight stories or more.
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