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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 . New Coastal Commission Strategic Plan Emphasizes Housing The Coastal Commission unanimously adopted  its 2026-2030 Strategic Plan, which lays out five goals, 15 objectives, and 72 specific actions to protect and enhance the coast over the next five years. The plan is organized around five core goals: ensuring coastal access for all; planning for resilient communities; improving external engagement and communication; protecting coastal resources; and building a resilient organization. In light of claims that the commission has impeded the development of housing, the plan pledges to "advocate for climate-smart policies that address housing needs, particularly affordable housing needs... expand early coordination efforts with state partners on priority housing, transportation, and other infrastructure projects.... [and] coordinate with local governments and HCD on implementing housing projects and aligning LCPs with state housing policies." Other actions focus on equity and inclusion, addressing climate concerns such as sea levels and coastal resilience, and a commitment to using tribal and community input in decision-making. Land Trust Seeks Purchase of Defunct East Bay Racetrack Golden Gate Fields, a horse racing track that closed in 2024 after more than 80 years of operation, could become  a major new public park. The nonprofit Trust for Public Land has agreed to purchase the 161-acre property for $175 million and transfer it to the East Bay Regional Park District, which will contribute $20 million from a 2008 bond measure. About three-quarters of the property sits in Berkeley, with the remainder in Albany. Both cities have zoning that restrict the development of housing on the site. Albany designates it a "waterfront district," and, per a 1990 ballot measure, voters in Albany would have to approve any zoning changes. If completed, the project would expand shoreline access, restore ecosystems, and provide recreational space for hundreds of thousands of residents along the Bay’s eastern shore. Officials estimate the project could take about five years to open, with funding potentially coming from public and private sources, including a 2024 climate bond. (See related CP&DR coverage .) San Diego Pushes Legislation to Advance Midway Rising Project Introduced at the behest of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Senate Bill 958 aims  to shield the controversial Midway Rising redevelopment project in San Diego from legal challenges under the CEQA. The current plan for the 49.2 acre property includes 4,254 total residential units in 105-foot-tall residential buildings, a 16,000-seat replacement arena that is 165 feet in height, 130,000 square feet of commercial space, 8.1 acres of parks, and another 6.4 acres of plazas and public space. Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson, who authored the bill, argues that the project qualifies for exemption because of its significance to the city’s economy and landscape. (See related CP&DR coverage .) ABAG Adopts 25-Year Vision for Bay Area The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) officially adopted  Plan Bay Area 2050+ and approved its EIR, finalizing the blueprint for transportation, housing, economic resilience, and sustainability. The plan was also unanimously approved by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), concluding a nearly three-year process that included input from over 17,600 residents, community organizations, advocacy groups and public sector partners. Plan Bay Area 2050+ focuses heavily on increasing affordable housing, reducing the cost of living, and improving public transit especially in Equity Priority Communities. Climate resilience strategies in the plan address threats like sea level rise and wildfires. The plan also introduces Transit 2050+, a coordinated effort with regional transit agencies to reimagine and improve public transportation systems across the Bay Area. CP&DR Coverage: Roundup of Federal Housing Bills Both the Senate and the House have passed  housing bill with bipartisan support. And while neither bill is likely to become law in its current form – there is a dispute over whether to place restrictions on investors who build so-called “build to rent” housing projects – some housing bill could still pass, with implications for local planners in California. The Senate passed the Road To Housing Act, and the House passed the Housing for the 21 st  Century Act in February. It’s unclear when – or even whether – a housing bill will pass Congress and be signed into law by President Trump. But both the bills are unusual in that they attracted overwhelming bipartisan support and the odds of a bill passing eventually are good even the current Senate bill does not fly in the House. Obviously, the federal government’s role in the regulation of land use is limited. Nevertheless, the bills contain provisions that seek to indirectly affect land-use regulations in a way that would increase the overall supply of housing. Quick Hits & Updates The December 2025 Transportation Trends Update from the Southern California Association of Governments   reports  that transit use and vehicle miles traveled have continued recovering toward pre‑pandemic levels, with bus ridership leading the rebound while commuter rail trails behind. Overall travel behavior continues to be shaped by remote work, which has kept vehicle miles and demand below historic norms. Four months after the Beverly Hills  Planning Commission rejected the project, the City Council voted to approve  a controversial 26-story high-rise project. The development, proposed under California’s “Builder’s Remedy” law, will include 200 housing units, with a portion designated as affordable housing. City officials determined they were legally required to approve the project despite pushback about its height, density and design. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Oakland   released  a draft of its second phase of its General Plan update, focusing on land use, transportation, and infrastructure. It builds on earlier adopted elements like the Downtown Specific Plan, which addressed housing, jobs, and infrastructure in key areas. The plan is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. An Australian mining company is exploring  the potential to extract rare earths metals near Joshua Tree National Park in the Pinto Mountains. Dateline Resources Ltd.’s proposed site lies within a Mojave desert tortoise critical habitat, raising concerns about environmental damage. The company says historical samples suggest valuable heavy rare earth elements used in clean electric vehicles, wind turbines and defense systems. The U.S.  Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s  proposal to allow fracking on up to 16 wells off the coast of Ventura is being challenged  by Attorney General Rob Bonta. Bonta claims that the government failed to document an official national energy emergency justifying the suspension of the environmental review process, and that these wells would violate a federal court ruling. The federal agency is basing their proposal on a January 2025 executive order in which President Trump declared a national energy emergency. The Great Redwood Trail Agency approved  its Great Redwood Trail Master Plan for 231 miles of trail across Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt counties. The project will convert the former Northwestern Pacific Railroad corridor into part of a 300+ mile multi-use trail stretching from the Bay Area to Humboldt Bay. The introduction of a San Francisco ordinance amends  the health code, police code, business and tax code, and planning code to enable cannabis retailers to prepare and serve food and non-alcoholic beverages at cannabis lounges. The ordinance will also enable the creation of cafes where cannabis can be sold only for on-site consumption, and implement a phased rollout where initially only existing cannabis retailers can open new cannabis cafes. Stanford Medicine is planning  a large cancer center on its Redwood City campus, including a hospital, research labs, outpatient facilities, and parking across a 35-acre site. The early plan features multiple new buildings connected by enclosed bridges and would exceed current height limits. To proceed, Redwood City would need to amend its precise plan and general plan, followed by environmental review and public hearings that could take years. A study found  that moving to a more walkable city can increase people’s physical activity by about 1,100 additional steps per day, or roughly 11 extra minutes of walking. The research analyzed smartphone data from more than 2 million people and tracked over 5,000 individuals who moved between 1,600 U.S. cities. It rated West Hollywood the fourth most walkable among 1,600 cities included in the study. Sacramento  voters may see a half-cent tax that is expected to generate  an estimated $70 million a year for street safety improvements and expanded public transit service. The “Safe Streets and Affordable Transit Measure,” filed Feb. 20 with the Sacramento City Clerk’s Office, would fund road maintenance, pedestrian and bicycle safety projects and transit operations. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board approved  the extension of the K Line from Redondo Beach to the Torrance Transit Center on an elevated guideway along the 405 and along Hawthorne Boulevard. The project will add about 4.5 miles of new light rail and include two new stations, giving riders an estimated 19-minute trip.

The housing element/builder’s remedy battles continue around the state, as the Department of Housing and Community Development has revoked the housing element certification of the wealthy peninsula town of Portola Valley. HCD said Portola Valley was not making sufficient progress toward the upzoning called for in the housing element.

The Department of Housing & Communty Development has signed off on Beverly Hills’ housing element, possibly ending one of the most contentious housing element disputes in the state.

And away they're going. The grandstands of Churchill Downs will probably always fill with what bourbon-soaked pundit P.J. O'Rourke described as the "tremendous squash and jostle" of seersucker suits and saturnine headwear every May. And yet, out West no fewer than four of California's once-proud of racetracks have entered some form of bankruptcy, redevelopment, or uncertainty. With attendance and handle down at California tracks--as at tracks across the country--rare opportunities are emerging to redevelop outsized parcels that sit amid heavily urbanized areas. Thanks in part to competition from off-track betting and Indian casinos as well as nationwide trends, Bay Meadows Racetrack in San Mateo has already been demolished, and Inglewood's Hollywood Park could cease racing operations and face demolition as early as August. With parent company Magna Entertainment in bankruptcy, Arcadia's Santa Anita is up for auction, and Albany's Golden Gate Fields is expected to follow. These changes leave San Diego's publicly owned Del Mar as the state's only financially sound thoroughbred track. (Orange County's Los Alamitos, a quarter horse track, is privately owned and financially sound; according to the City of Cypress Planning Department.) "Nothing has been successful in terms of trying to preserve racing at Hollywood Park," said Doug Moreland, executive vice president at Wilson Meany Sullivan, the owner and developer of both Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows. "We had that path going, and we also had the path of looking at the opportunity to redevelop the site." Since 2000 Hollywood Park's handle has dropped from more than $400 million to $280 million per year; the city's share has fallen accordingly, to less than $1 million. "I don't see as a trend that will begin," said Inglewood City Councilman Daniel Tabor. "I see it as a trend that will continue." Both Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields are currently zoned for racing and have no imminent plans for redevelopment, but it may only be a matter of time until horse racing tracks go the way of drive-in movies and steel mills. This time, however, planners have been stepping more gingerly on such prized property, envisioning not identical tract homes or office parks but more complex developments that pass muster with stakeholders and public officials--and that favor two legs over four. "Facilities like racetracks, like old drive-in movie theaters, failing shopping mall; are potentially great assets," said David Goldberg, communications director for the advocacy group Smart Growth America. "They represent a real opportunity to create new neighborhoods, enlarge the tax base and to take what could be an eyesore or dead spot and make it a vibrant part of a community." As result, the most pastoral of spectator sports is giving way to aggressive new conceptions of urbanism, with Wilson Meany Sullivan turning both of its properties into mixed-use infill developments. The Bay Meadows site encompasses a total of 173 acres while "Hollywood Park Tomorrow" will cover 238 acres. If the Inglewood City Council approves Hollywood Park Tomorrow, supporters hope that the blare of the final Call to Post will, in turn, breathe new life into the gritty city that has featured in more than a few gangsta rap lyrics. Nearly 3,000 residential units would be laid out in a curvilinear street pattern replete with trees and landscaping at Hollywood Park Tomorrow. The plan includes 25 acres of park space, and, in its southwestern corner, a retail and entertainment district with 650,000 square feet of space in a city that is notoriously bereft of high-quality retail. The plan calls for a "lake park" in the center that would echo Hollywood Park's infield. A public school could also be included. The Bay Meadows master plan – which includes more than 1,200 residential units and 1.2 million square feet of commercial space to be built in four independent phases – attempts to make the project as low-impact as possible. It focuses on the adjacent Caltrain commuter rail station, thus positioning it as a "creative district" to serve both Silicon Valley to the south and San Francisco about 20 miles north. At the same time, the plan attempts to knit together surface streets that would span the railroad tracks and connect the project with the rest of the city. "When you do any kind of infill site you have edges that you need to respect," said Paul Milana, a partner at Cooper Robertson, which has developed the site's master plan. Both projects have faced opposition, however, because – unlike with abandoned factories or military bases—cities stand to lose tax revenue and jobs when racetracks abruptly close. Bay Meadows narrowly dodged a voter referendum that could have killed the project (see CP&DR Legal Digest , January 2008 ). More recently, Wilson Meany Sullivan has taken heat for razing the track in February and summarily delaying construction without ensuring replacement of the track's former $300,000 annual tax contribution to the city. Critics of Hollywood Park Tomorrow contend the historic value of the racetrack and the economic value of its largely union jobs outweigh the uncertainties that the development would bring.   "Some development will help the area," said Diane Becker of opponent group Save Hollywood Park. "But destroying the main attraction to the city and a large job base makes no sense." Inglewood officials contend that the development agreement will compensate for the shortfall. "The city will get a guaranteed income stream from Day One whether they're at full build-out or not," said Tabor. Meanwhile, Wilson Meany Sullivan estimates that the project could create up to 19,000 new jobs. The Hollywood Park Casino will remain and continue to operate as part of the new development. "This is a $2 billion investment in Inglewood, and I think people recognize the economic benefits the city will receive from this," said Moreland. "Over $100 million in tax increment because it's in a redevelopment area." Though the financial outcomes remain to be seen, the aesthetic principles that guide both projects have arisen through intense public processes. In both Inglewood and San Mateo, local stakeholders have gone to the "smart growth" playbook to demand that the developments are integrated with the existing cityscapes, and include community benefits and a mix of uses. Some stakeholders have embraced the opportunity. "It's rare for a project at public hearings to have anybody outside of project sponsors, real estate interests, and the standard folks come out and support the thing," said San Mateo Principal Planner Stephen Scott. "We had independent people come down and say you're doing the right thing. The silent majority was not so silent in this case." The project has even been endorsed by environmental groups such as the Sierra Club and the Greenbelt Alliance for its emphasis on transit and density (see CP&DR Local Watch , March 2006 ). "The design details really matter," said Goldberg. "The way that you mix the uses really matters, as does the balance between traffic and connectivity." Bay Meadows is in the final throes of the approval process and hopes to break ground by the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010. The master plan for Hollywood Park recently gained unanimous approval of the Inglewood Planning Commission and is slated for a vote of the City Council soon. Whether these developments will spur others across California depends in part on the health of horse racing. The tracks in Albany and Arcadia may do more business in the absence of their respective intra-regional competitors. But both cities are aware of the precedent that has been set and of how valuable both sites could be depending on whether they could be rezoned. "We haven't talked specifically to groups, but with what's gone on with Bay Meadows and Hollywood Park, I'm sure there's interest in the entire site," said Arcadia Development Services Director Jason Kruckeberg. "There's not too many 380-acre sites in Los Angeles County in an urban area like that." Developer Caruso Affiliated has already received approval to build a lifestyle-center mall on part of Santa Anita's parking lot (see CP&DR , December 2006; Legal Digest , January 2006). Caruso Affiliated did not respond to questions about whether it might bid on the site and initiate a zoning change. Kruckeberg said that for the time being, "the city and the community ... want it to be a horse race track as long as it can be." The process which a buyer or developer would have to go through is a real wild card," said Kruckeberg. "So it's really tough to put a value on the overall 300-acre piece." Albany Community Development Director Ann Cheney said that the bar for rezoning Golden Gate Fields is particularly high. The city's Measure C puts major zoning changes in the hands of voters, meaning that any developer who wanted to replace the track with housing, offices, or any other development that might complement the site's commanding view of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge would have to run a gantlet of community outreach. "(A developer) has to convince this entire community that that's the best thing to do," said Cheney. "It's not just in the zoning ordinance ... this is going to have to go back to all of Albany's registered voters." Cheney added that any redevelopment plans would have to account for a wide range of potential uses, including parks, open space, and the maintenance of the functioning racetrack alongside new construction. If arguments about smart growth and public benefits don't sway stakeholders, developers can always try handing out mint juleps. Contacts: Daniel Tabor, Inglewood councilman, (310) 412-5111. Paul Milana, Cooper Robertson Partners, (212) 247-1717. Doug Moreland, Wilson Meany Sullivan, (415) 905-5300. David Goldberg, Smart Growth America, (202) 412-7930. Ann Cheney, Albany Community Development Department, (510) 528-5760. Jason Kruckeberg, Arcadia Planning Division, (626) 574-5414. Bay Meadows development: www.baymeadows.com . Hollywood Park Tomorrow: www.hollywoodparktomorrow.com .

The Department of Housing and Community Development surprised 15 mostly small jurisdictions around the state with a “Notice of Violation” – a final warning to adopt their overdue housing elements of race dire consequences, including lawsuits from Attorney General Rob Bonta and heavy fines for non-compliant housing elements, which are allowed under SB 1037 from 2024.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed all but one of the 40-odd planning and development bills the Legislature passed, including – at the last minute – the controversial bill regulating warehouses.

In recent years, city councils across the Inland Empire--including Colton, Rialto and Riverside—have enacted moratoriums to freeze warehouse development. Others, like Jurupa Valley, have implemented other forms of control that stop short of moratoriums.

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 . Newsom Threatens Jurisdictions with Inadequate Housing Elements Gov. Gavin Newsom issued  final warnings to 15 California cities and counties that have failed to comply with state housing laws requiring plans for residents of all income levels. The notices, delivered through the California Department of Housing and Community Development, give these jurisdictions 30 days to respond or face possible lawsuits and referral to the state Attorney General. The noncompliant communities of Atwater, Avenal, California City, Corcoran, Escalon, Half Moon Bay, Hanford, Kings County, Lemoore, Merced County, Montclair, Oakdale, Patterson, Ridgecrest, and Turlock are more than two years behind schedule in adopting certified housing elements. While 92% of California jurisdictions have achieved compliance in the current planning cycle, these 15 remain outliers without a clear path to meeting requirements. Since 2021, the state’s Housing Accountability Unit has taken over 1,200 actions to enforce housing laws, expediting 12,486 housing units that were previously stalled in the local planning process. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Yucaipa Does Turnaround on Warehouse Ballot Measure Yucaipa voters will no longer decide  on two proposed June ballot initiatives related to warehouse development after the City Council reversed an earlier decision. The council unanimously rescinded both a rezoning ordinance that would have allowed over 1,000 acres for warehouse use and the Freeway Corridor Specific Plan, effectively canceling the need for a public vote. City officials said that removing these measures made the planned referendums unnecessary and also avoided an estimated $200,000 cost for a special election. A community group, Yucaipa Neighbors Opposing Warehouses, had successfully gathered signatures to put the measures on the ballot, arguing the plans would harm the city’s rural character. In response to the controversy, the council now plans to involve residents more directly by hosting community meetings and forming a group to help shape future development plans. (See related CP&DR coverage .) Nation's Would-Be Busiest Light Rail Line Wins Approval The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board unanimously approved  a new route for the K Line northern extension, a major rail project connecting South Los Angeles to West Hollywood. The 9.7-mile underground light rail line would add nine stations, link to four major rail lines, and is projected to carry up to 100,000 riders daily. That ridership would make it the busiest light rail line in the country and would create important connections to two other lines, prompting supporters to refer to it as the system's "missing link." The project is estimated to cost $11–15 billion and still requires significant local funding, including roughly $2.25 billion that could be raised through mechanisms like Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts. Construction is not expected to begin until 2041 under current funding timelines. Investors Increasingly Bullish on California Homes Home-buying by investors in California surged  in late 2025, especially in major metro areas where housing is already expensive. In cities like San Francisco, investor purchases rose 24% year-over-year, with similar increases in Oakland (17%) and Los Angeles, San Jose, and San Diego which all rose around 11%. Redfin analyzed county-level home sale records from January 2000 through December 2025 across 38 major metro areas, and for this report investors were defined as buyers who used a trust or limited liability company or similar entity to acquire a home. This comes on the heels of national discussions around investor homebuying, including President Donald Trump’s January request to congress to ban private equity firms from purchasing single-family homes and The Senate’s recent bill banning investors that own at least 350 homes from purchasing more. CP&DR Coverage: Population Decline Hits All Corners of California Lots of people are leaving California altogether for other states – upwards of 100,000 per year to Texas. Some were simply leaving expensive coastal areas for cheaper inland areas. But guess what? Even inland counties  have been losing population to other states. They’re apparently making up for it with some migration from coastal areas. But they’re also relying on babies being born and – to a lesser extent than coastal areas – immigration from other countries to keep their population going up. All of this does not bode well for future California population growth. There’s long been a discussion in policy circles in Sacramento and elsewhere about how to manage a California with 50 million people. For better or worse, it doesn’t seem like that will ever be a problem. Quick Hits & Updates A March 2026 audit by the California State Auditor examined  the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program in Orange, Riverside, and Sacramento counties, along with three related programs serving specific populations. The audit found that these agencies lack sufficient federal funding to meet demand, resulting in long wait times for households. Fully funding all eligible applicants would require nearly $2 billion in additional federal support annually. Sixteen states, including California, and the District of Columbia are suing  the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over new guidance they say weakens enforcement of housing discrimination laws. The dispute centers on Department of Housing and Urban Development memos that limit funding for certain discrimination cases and prioritize only those with clear intentional bias. States argue the changes could undermine protections in laws that go beyond federal standards, including those covering sexual orientation, gender identity, and income sources. A plan adopted by the City of Elk Grove and Sacramento Regional Transit may bring  light rail and more bus routes to the city. The proposed hybrid plan would extend light rail and Stations are proposed to include affordable housing, retail and pedestrian infrastructure. Estimated costs are about $1.06 billion in capital expenses and $17.3 million annually to operate, with funding likely from a mix of federal, state, local, and grant sources. Nine of the top ten cities with the lowest share of solo-living households  in America were in California: Fontana, Moreno Valley, Santa Ana, Oxnard, Elk Grove, Ontario, Chula Vista, Fremont, and Santa Clarita. The percentage of one-person American households has increased to nearly 30%, but remains significantly more common in certain American cities. Recent research found that couples or roommates in the U.S. save about $10,000 per year by splitting the rent in two. A study by the nonprofit organization San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) recommends  five strategies for addressing San Jose’s high vacancy rates in residential and commercial buildings, including consistent funding, long-term community development, reimaginings for underutilized spaces, private sector involvement, and investment in cultural districts. The San Jose Planning Commission denied  an appeal against a 126-unit Willow Glen mixed-use housing project approved under Builder’s Remedy because San Jose lacked a compliant housing plan in time, allowing it to proceed despite local zoning conflicts. Over 1,800 neighbors signed a petition requesting changes to reduce the traffic and sewage impact, but commissioners said that would effectively violate state law by blocking it. The development will include 15% of the base number of units for very low-income households and another 15% to moderate-income households. Oakland has been named a 2025 Digital Inclusion Trailblazer by the National Digital Inclusion Alliance  for its efforts to bolster access to affordable high-speed internet, devices, and digital skills training. The award highlights Oakland’s coordinated approach across city departments and community partners, including publishing a Broadband Master Plan, securing major state broadband investments, and supporting initiatives like free Wi-Fi in affordable housing. Oakland joins 58 other communities nationwide.

Continuing its resistance to SB 79, the Los Angeles City Council voted March 29 to pursue an upzoning plan designed to delay implementation of the state law. But the council chose the least aggressive of three alternatives put forth by the Planning Department and it remains unclear whether the plan will meet with the approval of the Department of Housing and Community Development.

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