Focus
Hollister Ranch sues California, calling new public access law unconstitutional
Los Angeles Times – January 16
In a new twist to one of the most high-profile — and longest — beach access battles in California, Hollister Ranch sued state officials last Thursday over a new law designed to open its exclusive coastline to the public after decades of stops and stalls. The law, which went into effect this month, declares that the public must be allowed to enter the ranch by land and access some of its 8.5 miles of shoreline by April 2022. Further access would be phased in under a comprehensive plan to be developed in the next two years. The law also makes it a crime, punishable by tens of thousands of dollars in fines, for any person or group “to impede, delay, or otherwise obstruct the implementation of” public access to these coveted beaches and surf breaks in Santa Barbara County.
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News
Governor Newsom asks HUD to turn over California land for homeless housing
San Francisco Chronicle – January 22
Governor Gavin Newsom asked U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson to turn over surplus land owned by the federal government in California so cities could build housing for homeless people. The governor launched a similar program last year, identifying vacant state-owned land and soliciting proposals from developers and local governments to build affordable housing projects on the sites. California has been locked in an escalating dispute with the administration in recent months over the issue of homelessness. The state has repeatedly come under fire from President Trump for its widespread encampments, while Newsom accused the federal government last month of withholding key data tied to homelessness funding.
SDSU tweaks Mission Valley campus plan
The San Diego Union-Tribune - January 21
San Diego State University will next week ask its board to approve a slightly revised satellite campus plan and to allocate an initial $350 million for the 135 acres of land the school intends to purchase from the city of San Diego. The California State University Board of Trustees’ agenda for the upcoming meetings and the school’s final environmental impact report, both released last Friday, provide a detailed look at an overall campus plan that has been amended to respond to public comment, address concerns about excessive greenhouse gas emissions, and limit high-rise construction. The revised campus plan now calls for less air pollution (fireplaces were eliminated from residential units) and more electric energy (versus gas) in non-stadium buildings, resulting in around 4,000 fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year than first proposed. Still, there are no substantial changes to the high-level plan or development footprint, which means the university’s total traffic impact, at project build-out, remains the same with 45,174 additional car trips anticipated on weekdays without sporting events.
Cal Poly Pomona’s Student Services Building earns LEED certification
The Poly Post - January 21
Cal Poly Pomona’s newest structure, the Student Services Building (SSB), has earned an accolade for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the United States Green Building Council. The SSB is the first building on campus to achieve LEED Platinum certification, which is the highest level of recognition a building can receive. The $73 million building, designed by CO Architects, was developed with sustainability in mind. According to a press release: “The architects used extensive daylight and solar heat gain analysis modeling to optimize the roof geometry and minimize lighting and cooling energy loads. Its 28- to 30-foot roof overhangs shade the exterior low-emissions glass, reduce thermal loads and glare, and maximize good quality light.”
New plan aims to shake Palo Alto out of housing slump
Palo Alto Online – January 22
Stuck in a housing drought, Palo Alto leaders are preparing to consider more dramatic actions to encourage residential construction, including reviving a contentious zoning tool that allows developers to negotiate for exemptions to height, density, and parking restrictions. The Palo Alto City Council is expected to consider in the coming weeks a revival of the "planned community" zoning process, which allows developers to exceed development standards in exchange for providing "public benefits." Palo Alto suspended its use of the tool in 2013, after voters overturned in a referendum the city's last "planned community" project, which included 60 units of housing for low-income seniors and 12 single-family homes.
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