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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 Planning Survey Finds Local Departments Clamoring for State Assistance The Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) released  its 2025 Annual Planning Survey Report. Many jurisdictions reported needing increased funding, staff capacity, and technical support in order to keep up with changing legislative requirements without relying on consultant support. Eighty-three percent of jurisdictions requested increased technical support, illuminating a need for the state to provide adequate templates and grant assistance in the form of the forthcoming General Plan Guidelines and an interactive website. Most jurisdictions report they have the capacity to conduct Tribal consultation and generally do not require extensive technical assistance from the state to meet statutory requirements. However, a majority rely primarily on the minimum engagement required under SB 18 and CEQA, rather than pursuing deeper, relationship-based consultation aligned with the “early, often, and meaningful” principles promoted by LCI and the California Natural Resources Agency. San Jose Reduces Taxes, Inclusionary Requirements for Developers The San Jose City Council adopted  three incentive policies designed to boost local housing construction. Two of the measures expand incentive programs that reduce construction taxes and ease affordable housing requirements, while the third and most controversial updates the city’s inclusionary housing policy, which determines how many affordable homes a developer must provide in a given project. Under the previous rules, developers typically had to set aside 15% of units for renters earning 50–100% of area median income or 10% for renters at 30%. The update provides a new option wherein the developer agrees to instead set aside 7% of units for households earning 50% of area median income. The median income for a family of four in Santa Clara County is $195,000. Fire Response in Altadena Prompts Civil Rights Investigation Attorney General Rob Bonta's office has launched  a civil rights investigation into the state’s handling of the 2025 Eaton Fire, particularly to determine whether race, age or disability played a role in the emergency response. Reporting showed that west Altadena, a historically black neighborhood, did not receive an emergency evacuation notice until at least nine hours after the fires were ignited. Eighteen of the 19 people who died in the fires lived on the west side, and across Altadena, nearly half of all black households were destroyed. L.A. County Fire Department officials say previous reviews found no evidence of “discriminatory or structural bias”, and will fully cooperate in the investigation. (See related CP&DR coverage.) Report Details Effect of Local Impact Fees on Affordable Housing Production The Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley examined  data from 691 new affordable housing projects funded by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program in California from 2020–2023 to assess the effect of local impact fees on development costs. Almost all of these projects were charged impact fees, which on average added nearly $20,000 per housing unit to development costs, though approximately 13,660 affordable housing units on 134 projects saw figures closer to $30,000. While fees typically accounted for less than 5% of total development expenses, affordable developments paid an average of approximately $300 million in fees each year. The analysis suggests that waiving, reducing, or deferring these fees could meaningfully improve project feasibility and reduce the need for public funds. CP&DR Coverage: Newport Beach Housing Initiative Qualifies For Ballot Long a bastion of slow-growth sentiment, the City of Newport Beach  is facing a rarified form of NIMBYishm, fitting for the famously upscale Orange County city: A ballot measure to reduce the number of allowed units in the housing element from 9,000 to 2,900, which will appear on the November 2026 ballot. If the measure passes, Newport Beach will join the ranks of cities that have tempted fate by deliberately adopting a noncompliant housing element or undermining a certified housing element. Its capacity of 2,900 homes is just enough to accommodate the city’s allocation of 2,160 below-market-rate homes, and not much more. The city’s total RHNA allocation is 4,845. Critics say that the measure is designed to reduce competition for units that developer Ken Picerne’s company is developing near John Wayne Airport. The measure is also supported by former Mayor Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, Newport Beach Stewardship Association, and Still Protecting Our Newport (STOP). Quick Hits & Updates San Diego city officials have halted  a controversial 23-story project by Vela in Pacific Beach, claiming multiple code violations and lack of necessary information on the project proposal. One major issue in the proposal for the “Turquoise Tower” includes the developer’s tactic of counting certain units as hotel rooms, which would have allowed the project to exceed the normal allowed building height for residential. (See related CP&DR coverage .) San Jose has been ranked  the least affordable city for new homebuyers globally, a new study by financial services company Remitly found. The study surveyed over 150 cities worldwide by comparing average local incomes with standard mortgage criteria. After San Jose, the next most expensive cities in order were Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, and Vancouver, BC. A study found  that the Los Angeles “Mansion Tax”, Measure ULA, caused a drop in property tax revenue as a result of fewer transactions offers at least two-thirds of the revenue the transfer tax brings in. Because assessments typically rise much more slowly than market prices between sales, fewer transactions mean slower growth in property tax revenue. The net loss appears even bigger for high-value homes and commercial properties. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The long-closed Westminster Mall  in Orange County, once the county’s second-most popular shopping center, is set  to be demolished by the end of the first quarter as mixed-use redevelopment plans move forward. Shopoff Realty Investments has acquired most of the 100-acre property, including former Sears and Macy’s lots, and plans to build a mixed-use project called Bolsa Pacific. The 83.8-acre proposal includes 2,250 housing units, a 120-room hotel, at least 220,000 square feet of retail, 15 acres of open space, a food hall and a neighborhood park. San Diego  City Council adopted  a community plan update for the Clairemont neighborhood, adding capacity for 14,000 new homes close to trolley stations and allowing mixed-use developments in Clairemont Town Square and Clairemont Community Core. The plan is meant to encourage walkable communities, and includes recreational areas such as parks and other joint-use areas. The state certified   San Benito County’s 6th Cycle Housing Element after more than six months of review, confirming it meets state housing law requirements and helping the county stay compliant. Certification unlocks access to roughly $11.5 million in state grants for infrastructure projects like road repairs and creek cleanup, and prevents enforcement of the state’s “builder’s remedy” that could override local zoning. The certified plan identifies how the county can accommodate its Regional Housing Needs Allocation of 754 new homes by 2031, though it does not itself authorize construction. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Davis  City Council voted  unanimously to advance the Village Farms housing development proposal to a June 2026 citywide ballot, allowing voters to decide whether the project can proceed under California’s Measure J/R/D land-use rules. The project would create one of the largest residential developments in Davis’s history, including up to about 1,800 homes. The Santa Barbara City Council approved  a temporary citywide rent freeze for most rental units for the rest of 2026, making it currently the only city in California moving ahead with such a policy. The measure, aimed at preventing landlords from raising base rents while the city develops a permanent rent stabilization ordinance, will remain in effect until a final plan is adopted on December 31, 2026. A recent UCLA study analyzed  challenges facing evacuees of the 2025 Eaton Fire , one of the major fires that devastated Los Angeles last year. The study found that three-quarters of households did not have an evacuation plan before the fire. Most evacuees initially stayed with friends or family, and although many (61%) had not yet returned home at the time of survey, the majority (77%) planned to rebuild or return. YIMBY Law is threatening  to sue the City of Menlo Park after they said that the proposed redevelopment at the former Sunset Magazine property is not eligible for state exemptions. The city has claimed that the development does not meet housing requirements that would make the project eligible for exemption, but the law firm says that these issues were raised too far along in the permitting process, violating the Permit Streamlining Act.

We are currently seeking applications for a Senior Planner and Principal Planner. Please be sure to apply for all jobs and all levels of positions which you feel you may be qualified for. Nevada County is seeking a dynamic and experienced Principal Planner  to join their team. In this role, you will lead complex planning projects, supervise a dedicated team, and play a key role in crafting the future of our vibrant and scenic county. The Planning Department applies community land-use policies and strives to meet the needs of individuals and businesses. It is their goal to protect the environment to ensure Nevada County remains a desirable place to live, work, and recreate. Example of Duties: Plans, organizes and supervises the activities of professional and technician staff involved in the processing of land use permits Leads and manages complex planning projects, including those related to new development, environmental studies, and community plans Trains employees in work procedures, standards and safety practices, and reviews work in progress or upon completion for compliance with standards Communicates effectively with stakeholders, including the public, developers, and elected officials Interprets and applies provisions of law, rules, regulations and policies related to land use planning matters, including environmental laws Prepares and reviews RFPs (Request for Proposal) and RFQs (Request for Qualifications) for services to be retained by the Planning Department Attends and makes presentations at Board of Supervisors, Planning Commission, Zoning Administrator, interagency, committee, and other meetings and conferences Typical Knowledge: Thorough knowledge of rural planning and development and local government policies and procedures Thorough knowledge of specialization such as land use planning/zoning, transportation planning, environmental planning, urban design, housing, historic preservation or economic development Methods and techniques of effective technical report preparation and presentation Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations including recent changes Principles and practices of supervision, training and personnel management Citizen involvement techniques and processes Knowledge of computer programs and applications including GIS programs and applications Benefits : We offer you an extensive benefit package including, but not limited to, CalPERS retirement, medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts (FSA). Nevada County is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program through the Department of Education. Why Nevada County?  Our leadership values employee development and engagement, promotes open and transparent communication, sets us up to be a high-performing organization, and recognizes our contributions. Our leadership connects with the community, listens to them, and provides significant programming to keep us safe and healthy. We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation. To review the job specification and additional requirements, please click here.   Bachelors Degree from an accredited college or university in Planning, Environmental Studies, Ecology, Geography, Land Use Economics or related field AND four years of increasingly responsible experience in land use planning or management, including at least one year as a team supervisor or program manager. *A Master's Degree from an accredited college or university in Planning, Public Administration or related field may be substituted for two years of experience.* AICP Certification highly desirable. Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/bnROxyt4Pm2ZmCbBbsd1J8 PI282571933

UP TO $5,000 NEW HIRE BONUS FOR SENIOR PLANNER POSITION   We are currently seeking applications for a Senior Planner and Prinicpal Planner. Please be sure to apply for all jobs and all levels of positions which you feel you may be qualified for.   Nevada County is looking for a Senior Planner to work on Advance Planning and Current Planning projects. The position will be responsible for the processing of larger and more complex current planning projects, including reviewing those projects for compliance with CEQA.   The incumbent will also prepare and implement state-mandated General Plan elements and amendments, ordinance amendments and   supervise and lead one of the basic functions of the office (Resource and Advance and/or Current Planning).   Examples of Duties: Plans, organizes, coordinates, and supervises the work of assigned professional and technical staff; reviews and directs the work as necessary. Compiles information into final reports and presents or supervises the presentation of reports and studies to the County Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors and others. Coordinates work with others in the Community Development Agency; participates in the formation of policies and procedures; evaluates the effectiveness of established policies and procedures and recommends improvement. Reviews projects for compliance with County zoning regulations and codes, prepares ordinance amendments and updates to the County’s General Plan. Holds public meetings and workshops on Current Planning and Advance Planning projects. Participates in the selection, training and evaluation of assigned staff. Benefits : This is a full-time position, and the County of Nevada offers an extensive benefit package including, but not limited to, CalPERS retirement, medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts (FSA). Nevada County is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program   through the Department of Education.   Why Nevada County?   Our leadership values employee development and engagement, promotes open and transparent communication, sets us up to be a high-performing organization, and recognizes our contributions. Our leadership connects with the community, listens to them, and provides significant programming to keep us safe and healthy.   We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.   For full job description and application process, please click here .   Recruitment incentives between $1K and $5K paid over a 1-year period (either new or lateral hires). The recruitment incentive is paid in two parts, half upon hire and the remainder paid upon completion of a 12-month probationary period. Education and Experience Required Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in planning, community development or a closely related field from an accredited college or university. Plus, 3 years of responsible professional planning experience at a level equivalent to Nevada County's Associate Planner classification. AICP certification highly desirable.    Apply Here: https://www.click2apply.net/WAJWxBt7nWo1rt8B8cd4Xy   PI282571939

As the global economy has wobbled in the face of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, the California logistics industry has followed suit. The promise of jobs and economic development has pushed jurisdictions to embrace warehouses by the millions of square feet -- totaling over 1.17 billion square feet of warehouse space in southern Calfornia alone. Meanwhile, local opponents remain vigilant.

All through COVID, the massive population losses being experienced in coastal California – especially in Los Angeles County – were being offset by some population growth in inland counties from Sacramento to the Inland Empire.

Glendale Reverses Course on Rejection of By-Right Project The Glendale City Council is set to rescind  its October 2025 decision to reject a large housing and mixed-use development at the former Sears site at 236 N. Central Avenue after state officials warned that the denial violated California’s Housing Accountability Act. The council originally rejected the plan on a 4–1 vote, largely because members felt the design didn’t sufficiently honor the old Sears building’s Art Deco character, despite Mayor Ara Najarian and an attorney for the developer warning that this could result in legal consequences. (See previous CP& DR coverage here .) After the state Department of Housing and Community Development issued a notice of violation and set a January 29 deadline to reverse the decision, city staff recommended rescinding the denial and moving forward with the project. The proposed project by Trammell Crow Residential would build an eight-story, approximately 650,000-square-foot complex with 682 rental apartments, including 72 very low-income units, ground-floor commercial space, and a 930-car garage. Trump Claims Authority to Speed Up Permitting for Fire Recovery President Donald Trump   signed  an executive order aimed at speeding up rebuilding in Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon one year after wildfires destroyed nearly 40,000 acres and an estimated 17,000 structures. The order seeks to cut what Trump calls “bureaucratic red tape” by allowing the federal government to preempt state and local permitting processes and move approvals to the federal level. The order   seeks  to "preempt State or local permitting processes, and other similar pre-approval requirements, that... have unduly impeded the timely use of Federal emergency-relief funds." Trump again accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of catastrophic failures in wildfire preparation, response, and rebuilding, particularly criticizing forest management, water systems, and permitting delays. Newsom’s office dismissed the order as ineffective and urged Trump to release withheld federal disaster funding instead, arguing that money, not permitting, is the main barrier to rebuilding. “Mr. President, please actually help us. We are begging you,” the mayor’s office posted on social media. “Release the federal disaster aid you’re withholding that will help communities rebuild their homes, schools, parks, and infrastructure.” Los Angeles Tables Measure to Reform Controversial ‘Mansion Tax’ The Los Angeles City Council   postponed  a vote on a proposed ballot measure that would have exempted newer apartment buildings from the Measure ULA real estate transfer tax, delaying any change until at least the November election. Councilmember Nithya Raman sponsored the proposal, asking her colleagues to place a measure that would exempt sellers of newer apartment buildings from paying the tax. She claimed ULA is holding back housing production and warned that lenders and investors are pulling out of Los Angeles. Labor unions and tenant advocacy groups strongly opposed the changes, arguing that ULA has generated about $1 billion to fund affordable housing and provide assistance to thousands of people at risk of homelessness. Developers argue that ULA, approved by voters in 2022, has made many housing projects financially unviable and contributed to a slowdown in apartment construction, while ULA backers say other factors such as high interest rates are the cause. The council sent Raman’s proposal to the Housing and Homelessness Committee for further review, missing the deadline for the June ballot. CP&DR Coverage: Constitutionality of SB 9 Will Be Reconsidered   In effect since 2022, SB 9 permits landowners to build up to four units on their single-family parcels by splitting their parcels in two and build two units on each of the resulting parcels, all by ministerial action. However, SB 9 mentioned only “affordable housing” and not “a lack of housing supply” as the justification for interfering with home rule. This was the basis of the constitutional challenge brought by several cities, led by Redondo Beach, to which Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Curtis Kin ruled  in favor of the charter cities in 2024, saying that housing affordability and housing supply are not the same thing. This year, however, the Legislature passed SB 450, which expanded the purpose of SB 9 to include housing supply as well as affordability. For this reason, Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office argued that Kin’s ruling no longer applied, and the Second District Court of Appeal, agreeing with Bonta, sent the case back to Kin for reconsideration. Another appellate ruling declaring SB 9 constitutional as it relates to general-law cities still stands.   Quick Hits & Update ​​ A new economic report from the San Francisco city controller   shows  job losses picking up while the housing market becomes stronger. The report attributes job losses largely to continued tech layoffs, while office attendance and transit ridership both dropped. At the same time, rents have remained at fairly consistent levels, home prices are rising and housing permits are steadily increasing. Mill Valley  in Marin County is   offering  a one-time payment of up to $14,000 to property owners who sign a one-year lease with someone who works in the city. The average cost of rent in Mill Valley is around $3,500 per month while the average home price hovers around $2 million. The “Lease to Locals” program is being run by PlaceMate, based on a model the company generally uses in vacation destinations which has placed about 2,000 locals in 850 units across 15 markets. San Jose planning administrators   gave  final approval to a plan to build two housing towers containing 768 residential units in the downtown area. The building would also include 10,700 square feet of ground-floor retail, 26,100 square feet of residential lobbies, and five underground levels, four of which are reserved for parking. California has   sued  the  Trump administration over its decision to take federal control of pipelines tied to Sable Offshore Corp.’s plan to restart offshore oil production near Santa Barbara. Attorney General Rob Bonta argues that the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration unlawfully seized oversight from the state and improperly approved Sable’s pipeline restart. State officials say the federal move contradicts prior agreements that gave California authority to review any restart and undermines environmental and public safety protections. A previously privately owned and inaccessible stretch of Northern California coastline near Bodega Bay has   opened  to the public for the first time in over a century. The 547‑acre Estero Americano Coast Preserve now offers walking trails, scenic beaches, panoramic ocean views, and natural habitats for wildlife. The preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset, and entry is free. Vanderbilt University has   acquired  the California College of Arts campus in San Francisco, with plans to establish a full-time academic campus in the city beginning in the fall of 2027. The Trump administration has   filed  a lawsuit against California over Senate Bill 1137 , a law establishing a 3,200-foot buffer between new oil and gas wells and homes, schools, hospitals, and parks. The U.S. Department of Justice argues that the law violates federal law by restricting federally authorized oil and gas leases, while California officials say the setback protects public health and is based on scientific evidence.

A judge in Stanislaus County has relied heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sheetz case to strike down the City of Patterson’s newly updated impact fees.

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 . Los Angeles Seeks to Promote "Missing Middle" Housing The Los Angeles Department of City Planning launched  the Missing Middle LA program to expand housing options by making it easier to build smaller, neighborhood-scale homes such as accessory dwelling units, duplexes, townhomes, and other “missing middle” housing types across the city’s residential zones. The median home cost in Los Angeles is over $1 million, and only 36% of Angelenos own a home. Missing Middle attempts to address the rising cost of living by creating infill housing. The initiative will implement targeted zoning code amendments organized around three pillars: updating rules to allow the sale of ADUs and implement state two-unit provisions, revising small-lot subdivision regulations to enable a range of ownership models, and creating objective design standards. Draft ordinances are expected to be released for public review, with community outreach planned to gather input and refine proposals before formal hearings and adoption. Federal Government Releases Details on Leases of Over 1 Million Acres for Extraction  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is proposing  to lease 1 million acres of public land in California to oil and gas developers. The report claims that the environmental impact is minimal, though The Center for Biological Diversity sued the federal agency over similar previous proposals, leading to a settlement in 2022 and agreement that development would be halted until an additional environmental review. Despite this agreement, the new report analyzed no new alternatives, and attorneys for the Center say the science used in more recent reports is out of date. The proposal seeks to lease over 400,000 acres of surface land throughout central California, plus over 1 million acres of underground mineral estate. The proposal could include acreage in parks and conservation areas, including Pinnacles National Park and Mount Diablo State Park. San Francisco to Merge Development-Related Departments San Francisco plans  to consolidate its Department of Building Inspection, Planning Department and PermitSF into a single entity. San Francisco is one of the few large California cities that currently keeps building inspection and planning fully separate. The merger is targeted for completion by mid-2027, but will first require changes to the city charter and approval by voters. The move comes amid long-standing issues with the Department of Building Inspection, which has been working to overcome past corruption scandals and challenges posed by outdated software systems that are incompatible with other departments. The proposed consolidation of building and permitting into one entity reflects broader efforts within San Francisco to keep up with housing mandates by helping move stalled development projects forward and shortening lengthy permitting timelines. Pro-Housing Groups Sue to Compel San Francisco to Upzone YIMBY Law, California Housing Defense Fund (CalHDF) and Californians for Homeownership filed  a lawsuit against San Francisco regarding the recently adopted Family Zoning Plan. The lawsuit argues that the city is in violation of state housing requirements in their failure to zone enough land to meet its legal obligation to enable at least 36,000 new homes, instead adopting a plan that would produce far fewer units. The law also creates new constraints on unit size, parking, and curb cuts for new developments, which the plaintiffs claim will slow housing production further. The lawsuit alleges that the city is also out of compliance with density standards and non-residential use limits for lower-income housing. Two Housing Bills Advance in Congress The House of Representatives passed  the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act by 390-9. The bill aims to speed up housing development, sharing many similarities with last year’s Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act. It also directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create guidelines for local officials in zoning and to create preapproved designs to streamline permit approval. The bill also revises the definition of manufactured housing, removing the previously required steel chassis. The two measures are expected to be combined before being sent to the president in a few weeks. While the Trump administration supports the bill’s general direction, it noted the absence of a proposal to restrict large institutional investors from purchasing single-family homes. Another bipartisan housing bill known as The Build Housing, Unlock Benefits and Services Act (Build HUBS) was introduced  in Congress with aims to encourage development near transit. It would make TIFIA and RRIF more available for transit-oriented development (TOD) projects by extending their authorization through 2031 and clarifying what qualifies as TOD. The bill also aims to accelerate review timelines, implement a lending model that retains federal oversight while utilizing private involvement, and waive certain environmental review requirements for specific infill and conversion projects. CP&DR Coverage: Affluent Communities Still Fight Builder's Remedy Projects Builder’s remedy projects continue to generate controversy  in affluent communities around the state – and the whole process has now received national publicity. Much of the debate is focused in the expensive but traditionally low-rise communities in Silicon Valley. Most recently, Mountain View approved a 15-story builder’s remedy project. Meanwhile, Menlo Park has – so far – rejected a builder’s remedy project on the iconic Sunset Magazine headquarters site because, the city says, only 61% of the site is devoted to residential, rather than two-thirds. In Beverly Hills, the planning commission rejected a 26-story housing project but the developer has appealed to the city council, saying the city has no choice but to approve the project because it did not have a valid housing element at the time the project was submitted. Quick Hits & Updates California Forever   signed  what it describes as the largest construction labor agreement in history, a 40-year deal with the Napa/Solano Building Trades Council and the Northern California Carpenters Union covering nearly 70,000 acres in Solano County. The pact mandates that most construction on the site, including infrastructure, public works, major commercial, office, retail, industrial, defense and energy projects, will be done by union labor under project labor agreements. (See related CP&DR coverage .) The Washoe Tribe  of Nevada and California has purchased  10,000 acres north of Lake Tahoe from the city of Santa Clara for $6 million, 175 years after the tribe was forced to leave the lands in the wake of the Gold Rush. The Wildlife Conservation Board contributed $5.5 million toward the deal, with the rest of the funding coming from private donations with fundraising efforts aided by the Northern Sierra Partnership and the Feather River Land Trust. California’s fire safety regulators are more than a month late in delivering  a state-mandated study on whether mid-rise apartment buildings can safely be built with just a single staircase . The report was ordered to help assess whether relaxing the current requirement for two staircases in buildings over three stories could expand housing options on tight urban lots. Calfire's assistant deputy director of legislation has said that the report is still under review, but did not provide an expected release date. A California appeals court has ruled  in favor of the town of Tiburon  in a legal challenge over its environmental review of an updated housing plan and general plan. The case centered on whether Tiburon’s program-level environmental review under CEQA needed to include a detailed, site-specific analysis for a 9-acre parcel rezoned for higher-density housing, which local opponents argued was required. The court found that because no specific housing project has been proposed for that parcel yet, the town’s broader environmental review was appropriate and that detailed review can wait until a concrete development is planned. The Santa Barbara  County Board of Supervisors adopted  phase two of three of a set of new zoning ordinances including increasing the residential area height limit to 45 feet and a density of 20 units per acre, creating specific design exceptions for ADUs, and increasing the required open space for some projects. A federal bankruptcy judge approved  a bankruptcy exit agreement for downtown Los Angeles's Oceanwide Plaza skyscraper known as the "Graffiti Towers," bringing the property one step closer to a sale. The agreement resolves disputes among creditors, sets repayment terms, and establishes a framework for selling the $1 billion mixed-use complex. Construction on the Oceanwide Holdings project was halted after the company ran out of money; they also planned to build two skyscrapers in San Francisco’s financial district, but construction was halted for the same reason in 2020. The Beverly Hills City Council granted  a developer’s appeal for a Builder’s Remedy housing project at 9229 Wilshire Boulevard, sending a revised proposal back to the Planning Commission for review. The original 14‑story plan would include 116 apartments, 24 of which are affordable, a 60‑room hotel, retail space, and parking. The applicant is now pursuing a larger 26‑story version with more units and parking. The California Department of Housing and Community Development launched  the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Data Tracking Program & Dashboard , a statewide initiative established through AB 653. The program requires all public housing authorities in California to report key data metrics on tenant-based Housing Choice Vouchers and for HCD to make the reported data publicly available. Los Angeles's top budget official proposed  fee relief for all types of properties that were damaged in the Pacific Palisades during the January 2025 wildfires. The revised plan expands relief from just single-family homes to include condos, apartments, townhouses, and commercial buildings. (See related CP&DR coverage .)

In the two years since plans for a new city of potentially hundreds of thousands of people in Solano County were leaked, the project has already cycled through several names: Flannery Associates, California Forever, and the East Solano Plan. If the latest suppositions are true, it could gain yet another: East Suisun City. Last month, the city council of Suisun City — a city of 28,000 in the southwest corner of Solano County — voted 4-1 to study the annexation of potentially all land within its sphere of influence. That would encompass a trapezoidal area east of the city and south of Travis Air Force Base. It includes some of the 60,000 acres owned by Flannery Associates throughout unincorporated portions of the county and would abut a major industrial development planned by the company. “We gave direction to begin conversations with our local partners like (the Local Agency Formation Commission),” said Suisun City Mayor Alma Hernandez, who sits on the LAFCO board and brought the item to council. Those conversations will cover “all the areas within our sphere of influence.” She insisted that the city and Flannery Associates have had essentially no contact with each other, with Flannery collaborating more closely with cities such as Fairfield and Vallejo in their ballot measure campaign, including promised investments in those cities. Suisun City is financially distressed with little infill opportunity. Annexation could enable the city to gain jurisdiction over a portion of the East Solano Plan, which has, thus far, failed to receive support from the county Board of Supervisors or and has not yet been submitted to county voters (California Forever’s backers pulled a proposed ballot measure a few months ago; see related CP&DR coverage ). The move could enable a portion of the plan to go forward purely through municipal action. The East Solano Plan envisions a mixed-use, New Urbanist-style city to the east of its proposed industrial zone.

Neighbors in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles have failed in their attempt to use a federal constitutional challenge to stop an apartment project that L.A. approved ministerially because it used both state Density Bonus Law and Mayor Karen Bass’s Executive Directive 1, or ED-1.

The Ventura panel of the Second District Court of Appeal has issued two unpublished opinions, both favoring a city in Ventura County over claims made by local residents and property owners.

Position Available, California State University- Northridge is seeking a Part-Time Lecturer