Focus
After SB 50’s defeat, California lawmaker unveils ‘light touch’ housing density bill
Los Angeles Times – March 9
Six weeks after his high-profile effort to force California cities to increase housing density failed in the Legislature, the lawmaker behind the proposal, Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) this Monday introduced Senate Bill 902, what he called a “light touch” approach — still pushing for more housing units in many single-family neighborhoods while also offering other communities the ability to skip lengthy environmental review for larger projects. The bill would allow construction of duplex, triplex, and fourplex residential units without additional local government approval in single-family neighborhoods using what’s known as “by-right” provisions of state law. While the bill would not change local control over the size and shape of housing built in those neighborhoods, it would supersede local zoning rules that have limited density.
|
News
Legislation would give the state’s blessing to affordable housing on church properties
San Francisco Examiner – March 8
State legislators are paving the way for churches to build affordable housing on church property or parking lots. State Senator Scott Wiener introduced legislation last Thursday to make it easier to build affordable housing for low-income residents on properties of religious institutions and nonprofit hospitals to combat the housing crisis in the state. Senate Bill 899 would allow churches, synagogues, and mosques to build up to 150 units of affordable housing without going through rezoning. The bill is paired with Assembly Bill 1851, introduced by Assembly member Buffy Wicks, which would eliminate minimum parking requirements for church parking lots to make way for housing development.
Vacant storefront tax and measure linking office construction to affordable housing win in San Francisco
San Francisco Chronicle - March 6
A San Francisco ballot measure to tax commercial landlords who leave their storefronts vacant prevailed last Friday, three days after the polls closed. Proposition D will hit landlords with a vacancy tax if their storefronts remain unoccupied for more than six months. Also winning was Proposition E, which will limit the amount of office space San Francisco can allow each year if the city fails to build enough affordable housing, based on targets set by the state. Proposition E was sponsored chiefly by Todco, an organization that operates and advocates for affordable housing in San Francisco, and its executive director, John Elberling.
San Jose unveils partners for Better Buildings program
Smart Cities Dive – March 9
The City of San Jose officially kicked off its Better Buildings program last Thursday with six partners, which have committed to reducing their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent. The participants — Adobe, Evergreen Valley High School, Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose City Hall, San Jose State University, and 488 Almaden — are responsible for 19 buildings in San Jose, according to a city spokesperson. Under the program, participants also must do two of the following: enroll in Total Green, the city’s 100 percent carbon-free energy option; plan or perform improvements of retrofits to buildings to make them more energy efficient; and participate in one energy/water reduction and one transportation behavior change campaign throughout the year.
Encinitas asks courts to weigh in on Proposition A conflict
The San Diego-Union Tribune – March 9
Encinitas filed a court motion last Friday asking for judicial guidance to resolve a conflict between the city’s growth-control initiative and the state Housing and Community Development Department, which is considering revoking the city’s recently achieved compliance status with state housing law. Mayor Catherine Blakespear said the city needs “judicial clarity” when it comes to how to handle the conflict between what state officials are requiring the city to do to accommodate future housing growth and what’s mandated in Proposition A, the Encinitas citizens’ initiative that requires the city to obtain voter approval before up-zoning properties for development. For years, Encinitas has been struggling to bring itself into compliance with state housing law, which requires cities to have valid Housing Elements, planning documents that spell out how a city proposes to handle its future growth, particularly the housing needs of low-income people.
Student success center at California community college certified LEED Gold
American School & University – March 5
The Student Success Center at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut, California, has received LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design and construction. The facility design uses strategies aimed at achieving high performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. By employing a combination of energy saving tactics, the Student Success Center project has achieved an energy savings of 20 percent. To reduce consumption, the building has high insulation in its walls and roof, curtainwall glazing, and exterior louvers and overhangs for shading. A storm water management plan captures and treats storm water runoff from 90 percent of the average rainfall.
|