This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here.
In observance of the holidays, this is the last set of CP&DR news briefs of 2024. Please look for our next post on January 7.
Federal Government Considers Protections Monarch Butterfly In Coastal Counties
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the Western monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, citing a dramatic population decline of over 95% since the 1980s. The proposal includes designating critical habitat along California's coastline, where these monarchs spend the winter, specifically 4,395 acres across several counties including Alameda, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Ventura and Santa Barbara. This designation aims to protect essential overwintering sites and prevent further habitat destruction, though it would not affect private or state lands unless federal funding or permits are involved. Conservationists hope the listing will provide necessary protections and encourage habitat restoration, including planting milkweed and nectar plants. The public is invited to comment on the proposal until March 2025, with the potential for broader conservation efforts across the monarch's range, including private and agricultural landowners.
Bay Area Plan Aims to Protect against Sea-Level Rise
The Bay Area adopted its first comprehensive plan to protect over 400 miles of shoreline from the impacts of sea level rise, including flooding of infrastructure and neighborhoods. The Regional Shoreline Adaptation Plan, which was unanimously endorsed by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, provides cities and counties with the latest science and best practices to adapt to rising seas, although its success depends on widespread local implementation. While the plan outlines strategies like seawalls, levees and nature-based solutions, there are concerns from environmental groups about its lack of enforceability and from business leaders about the absence of private investment solutions. The plan divides adaptation efforts into eight areas, urging local governments to assess vulnerabilities and consider how rising groundwater might affect communities, in addition to coastal flooding. Despite some pushback, the state is offering grants and technical support to help municipalities meet the plan’s requirements, with high-risk areas such as San Francisco and Oakland identified as priorities for action. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Budget Cuts Jeopardizes Revitalization of San Diego's Core
San Diego has abandoned its Civic Center Revitalization Plan due to projected budget deficits of nearly $1.5 billion over the next five years. The plan, proposed by Mayor Todd Gloria in 2022, aimed to sell or lease parts of the city's aging Civic Center complex to fund a new City Hall. However, following the rejection of a proposed sales tax increase to help address the budget shortfall, Mayor Gloria announced that the new City Hall project would not move forward and work on the plan would cease. The city will instead focus on renegotiating or terminating office leases for downtown spaces and attempt to move more employees back into the existing Civic Center buildings. Despite earlier efforts to market the Civic Center property for development, there was little developer interest, and a $2 million study evaluating the new City Hall proposal will be left incomplete.
Fresno Council Sends Industrial Specific Plan Back Goes Back to Drawing Board
The Fresno City Council unanimously rejected the South Central Specific Plan, a long-awaited land-use policy for the city's heavily industrialized southern region. The plan, seeking to reduce industrial land use by 17%, faced opposition on multiple fronts. Business leaders feared the plan would make Fresno less competitive for investment, while environmental groups argued it failed to adequately protect public health, particularly around areas like Orange Center Elementary. The plan had been in the works for five years. Councilmembers expressed hope that a revised, more business-friendly version of the plan would be developed, with some calling for less restrictive measures on industrial growth in line with state law. Following the rejection, an ad-hoc subcommittee will be formed to create a new version of the plan, with a resolution expected to come before the council in early 2025.
Congressman Makes a Play to Kill High Speed Rail
Representative Kevin Kiley, a Republican representing the 3rd Congressional District (Sacramento suburbs and Eastern Sierra), announced plans to introduce a bill that would eliminate federal funding for the California High-Speed Rail project. The Department of Government Efficiency recently criticized the project for its significant delays, cost overruns and the $6.8 billion in federal funds already received, as well as the additional $8 billion requested. Kiley's bill would make the project ineligible for further federal funding, redirecting resources to other infrastructure needs. Kiley argues that the project has failed due to political mismanagement and that taxpayer funds should be used to address critical issues like improving California's deteriorating roads. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Study Evaluates Policies to Promote Housing in Six States
A recent study out of the Terner Center at UC Berkeley compares six states across the country utilizing “pro-housing” designations to reward and encourage compliance with state housing and zoning laws. All six state programs encourage land use and zoning changes to promote housing, including promoting the construction of accessory dwelling units. These programs all emphasize the importance of engaging stakeholders early to build support and align interests among policymakers, developers and housing advocates. The study found successful implementation also requires integrating these initiatives with broader state policies, including incentives, penalties and requirements for local jurisdictions. The study concluded by refining these programs through ongoing evaluation and feedback, states can improve their effectiveness, inform federal housing efforts and create a stronger foundation for removing local barriers to housing production nationwide. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
CP&DR Coverage: Reverse-Reverse CEQA; Malibu-area Vineyards
A ruling from Lake County has been upheld by an appellate court, meaning the county still has not complied with the California Environmental Quality Act in trying to approve a controversial resort in Guenoc Valley north of Napa Valley. the issue was the impact of the new project on the ability of existing residents to evacuate – a kind of “reverse-reverse-CEQA situation. Much of the ruling hinged on an “errata” that the county added to the EIR in between two hearings held by the Lake County Board of Supervisors to consider the project. But the appellate court said that the errata didn’t contain information that was specific enough.
Elected officials don’t always approve the project analyzed under CEQA. But that doesn’t necessarily mean environmental documents have to be changed or recirculated. That, at least, is the conclusion of the Second District Court of Appeal in the latest legal battle over vineyards in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County. The Malibu Coast Vintners and Grape Growers Alliance, Inc. sued the county, claiming that the complete ban created an unstable project description under CEQA and constituted significant new information that required recirculation of the EIR. The appellate court disagreed. The court basically concluded that the change from heavy regulation of vineyards to a complete ban was an insignificant change that neither destabilized the project description nor triggered recirculation.
Quick Hits & Updates
Sonoma County's plan to redevelop the 945-acre Sonoma Developmental Center property has hit a setback after the Board of Supervisors voted to decertify the environmental impact report (EIR) that had cleared the way for a mixed-use development, affordable housing and a climate research center. This decision follows a lawsuit filed by a group called Sonoma County Advocates for a Livable Environment, which argued the EIR violated CEQA. The board is still considering a revised proposal for the site and plans to measure its environmental impacts before moving forward. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
The Port of San Diego and the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission have approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a collaborative framework for their future relationship, ensuring open communication and alignment of objectives. The agreement outlines provisions regarding jurisdiction, changes to Port territory, the Sphere of Influence, financial contributions and Municipal Services Reviews, with the first review planned for 2026. Both agencies expressed their commitment to transparency and continued partnership for the benefit of the San Diego region.
A judge's decision allows the annexation of much of the Coastside to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District to move forward, completing the final procedural step for the expansion. While the district celebrated the victory, opponents, including the Half Moon Bay Coastside Foundation, vowed to continue legal battles, arguing that the annexation process involved procedural errors and seeking to bring the issue to a public vote.
New research from UC Davis reveals that soil in the Salton Sea air basin, fueled by irrigation and excess fertilizer, is a major source of nitrogen oxides, contributing significantly to smog in Southern California. This finding highlights the need for better management of agricultural practices in the region, as pollution from soil bacteria has been largely overlooked by air quality regulators, exacerbating respiratory issues for local residents.
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) recently adopted updated guidelines for the State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP), incorporating provisions from S.B. 960, a new law requiring Caltrans to include safe walking and biking accommodations in its projects. Following pressure from advocates and a letter from Senator Scott Wiener, CTC staff amended the guidelines to ensure bicycle and pedestrian projects are eligible for SHOPP funds and to mandate the inclusion of complete streets elements, such as bike and pedestrian safety improvements, in future highway projects.
A developer has proposed transforming the soon-to-be vacated Chevron headquarters in San Ramon into a large housing development, with the first phase of the Orchards project offering 426 homes, retail space and a park. The broader plan, by Sunset Development, aims for 2,510 homes across three phases, including affordable units, as part of a larger effort to turn the Bishop Ranch area into a mixed-use community with 10,000 new housing units and amenities.
The Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission approved the annexation of 2,700 acres to the city of Lincoln, a smaller version of a previous proposal that failed after voter protests. The new plan, which is expected to bring residential and commercial development, is projected to include 5,500 homes and 3 million square feet of commercial space, with infrastructure work set to begin in 2026.
Moovit's 2024 Global Public Transport Report reveals key trends in public transit across major U.S. cities. In California, San Francisco commuters enjoy the shortest average commute times (43 minutes), while Los Angeles riders face longer commutes averaging 47 minutes. Miamians endure the longest commutes (52 minutes) and also have the longest wait times, averaging 21 minutes per trip.
Nearly half of renter households in the San Francisco metro area are considered "cost-burdened," spending over 30% of their income on housing, which is a troubling trend seen nationwide, though the Bay Area’s burden rate is lower than in some other large metros. Despite high rent costs, areas like San Jose and other regions with higher incomes experience lower burden rates, while cities in Florida and the Sun Belt have seen dramatic increases in rent relative to income, exacerbating housing affordability issues.
