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.
State Releases Plan to Protect Western Joshua Tree
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife aims to protect the western Joshua tree, with a draft plan that focuses on limiting development in areas where the trees could thrive under future climate conditions and includes strategies for mitigating wildfire risks. It also proposes introducing genetically resilient Joshua trees into select areas to enhance their survival. The western Joshua tree faces threats from climate change, wildfires and development, with some projections envisioning a 50% loss within several decades. Released last week, the the draft plan is a collaborative effort involving government agencies, nonprofits and tribes, with $1.4 million in funding to support conservation initiatives. While some critics worry about the impact on local development, the plan emphasizes the urgency of protecting these iconic trees, which are vital to the Mojave Desert ecosystem, as climate models predict severe habitat loss by the end of the century. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
California Congressperson Starts Yes in My Back Yard Caucus
Democratic Congressman and former mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia has launched the bipartisan Yes In My Back Yard (YIMBY) Caucus to address the national affordable housing crisis. The caucus aims to promote housing development by removing regulatory barriers, encouraging new construction and investing in necessary infrastructure. Advocates argue that the housing shortage, driven by high dem and and insufficient supply, exacerbates rising costs and deepens the affordability crisis across the U.S. The new caucus will be co-chaired by Reps. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Oregon), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.), Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.) and Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.). The caucus builds on Garcia's People Over Parking Act, introduced last year, which would eliminate outdated parking requirements to make housing more affordable.
Commission Recommends Insurance Reforms in Light of Wildfire Danger
The Little Hoover Commission is calling for urgent reforms to California's homeowners insurance market, which has been destabilized by rising wildfire risks and other climate-related challenges. Among the key recommendations in a new report are the development of public oversight for catastrophe modeling, requiring insurers to factor in mitigation efforts when setting rates and creating a data clearinghouse to improve transparency and access to risk information. The report emphasizes the need for insurers to recognize fire mitigation measures in underwriting and to define a core set of standards for homeowners and communities to reduce fire risks. It also suggests expanding programs that help homeowners strengthen their properties and ensuring access to all types of insurance, including surplus line policies. The Commission’s recommendations aim to stabilize the market and help homeowners cope with rising premiums, which have forced many to seek coverage through the California FAIR Plan, the state’s last-resort insurance pool. (See related CP&DR coverage.)
Saga of Housing on West Los Angeles Veterans Administration Campus Continues
The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has extended a stay on a judge’s order requiring the VA to build housing on its West Los Angeles campus, delaying the construction of up to 200 temporary units. The VA had appealed the ruling, arguing that complying would force it to divert up to $1 billion from crucial services for veterans. The case arose from a lawsuit accusing the VA of failing to provide sufficient housing for homeless and disabled veterans and leasing campus l and to outside entities like UCLA. U.S. District Judge David O. Carter had previously ordered the VA to construct hundreds of units, but his decision is now on hold pending an expedited April hearing. Plaintiffs’ attorney Mark Rosenbaum criticized the VA's actions, claiming it contradicts the government’s stated goal of quickly ending veteran homelessness.
CP&DR Coverage: Fulton on Second Coming of Trump
The new Trump Administration and California are at war with one another already. President-elect Donald Trump has said for months that he won’t provide federal help for the state in the case of wildfires or other disasters and Gov. Gavin Newsom has already convened a special session of the Legislature to beef up the litigation budget so that the state can sue the federal government over the environment and other issues. Mostly, it means we’ll be yo-yo-ing back to the policy positions from the first Trump Administration – especially on wetlands. But it’s also possible that Trump will try to support MAGA local electeds in California as they take on the state over housing issues. And it’s unlikely – though theoretically possible – that Trump will try to mess with California’s climate change laws, which seek to influence land use decisions by encouraging less driving.
Quick Hits & Updates
In 2023, San Diego experienced the largest net inflow of college-educated adults in the U.S., with over 12,500 highly educated residents moving to the city, boosting sectors like biotech and aerospace. However, the city also faces challenges, including a high rate of college graduates leaving and one of the worst upward mobility rates in the nation, with housing costs and affordability driving relocations.
A Native American-led coalition is urging the Biden administration to designate three new national monuments in California, including the Chuckwalla, Kw'tsán and Sáttítla monuments, to protect sacred lands and endangered species from mining, logging and other threats. With President-elect Trump poised to take office, advocates fear these efforts may be undone, as his administration has previously reduced protections for national monuments, prompting a sense of urgency to secure the designations before January 20.
The Coastal Commission approved an update to Sonoma County's Local Coastal Program, which outlines zoning regulations for the county's 55-mile coastline, focusing on housing, conservation, public access and development. This long-awaited update, the first since 2001, includes goals such as promoting affordable housing, preserving agriculture, addressing sea-level rise and discouraging oil drilling, while encouraging modest-scale visitor accommodations and more sustainable development practices in designated urban areas.
A Stanford study reveals that parts of California's San Joaquin Valley have been sinking nearly an inch per year between 2006 and 2022 due to groundwater pumping, a phenomenon known as subsidence. The study highlights the long-term effects of excessive groundwater extraction, which has caused significant land sinking and infrastructure damage, but also suggests that restoring groundwater through techniques like flood-managed aquifer recharge could help mitigate the issue.
California has awarded over $91 million in state funding to Native American communities for affordable housing and homelessness interventions, with $71 million allocated through the inaugural Tribal Homekey program. This funding will support the development of 172 affordable homes across various tribal communities, while an additional $20 million is provided to 37 Tribes through the Tribal Housing Homeless Assistance and Prevention Program to address homelessness with culturally responsive solutions.
San Francisco's Municipal Transportation Agency unveiled a draft of its citywide Biking and Rolling Plan, which aims to exp and bike and alternative transit infrastructure, making safe bike paths accessible to every resident within a quarter mile. However, the plan lacks specific deadlines or guaranteed projects, with no new car-free zones proposed and some long-term initiatives still requiring approval, leading to criticism from biking advocates who find the plan too vague and insufficiently ambitious given the city's financial constraints.
A proposed San Diego city law aimed at preserving subsidized housing for low-income and moderate-income residents has received unanimous approval from a key city committee and is now set for a final vote by the City Council. The law would require owners of rent-restricted apartment buildings to notify the city and approved housing developers before selling, allowing these developers the right to make a first offer or outbid other buyers to prevent the demolition or conversion of units into market-rate housing.
The Sacramento City Council approved a pilot program that permits social cannabis consumption in designated areas of dispensaries, with Mayor Darrell Steinberg casting the deciding vote. The program includes two types of permits—one for consuming infused food and drinks, and another for smoking cannabis—along with specific requirements for ventilation systems and impaired driving prevention plans.
A Native American-led coalition is urging the Biden administration to designate three new national monuments in California, including the Chuckwalla, Kw'tsán and Sáttítla monuments, to protect sacred lands and endangered species from mining, logging and other threats. With President-elect Trump poised to take office, advocates fear these efforts may be undone, as his administration has previously reduced protections for national monuments, prompting a sense of urgency to secure the designations before January 20.
The Coastal Commission approved an update to Sonoma County's Local Coastal Program (LCP), which outlines zoning regulations for the county's 55-mile coastline, focusing on housing, conservation, public access and development. This long-awaited update, the first since 2001, includes goals such as promoting affordable housing, preserving agriculture, addressing sea-level rise and discouraging oil drilling, while encouraging modest-scale visitor accommodations and more sustainable development practices in designated urban areas.
