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Venice News Updates

News of Venice, CA and Marina del Rey CA

CEQA Goes Bye-Bye for Low Income

Posted by :reta On : January 9, 2020
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Category: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

By Darryl DuFay

The demise of CEQA (California Environmental Equality Act) protections as it relates to affordable housing and homeless shelter construction moves forward. Assembly Bill 1907 was introduced by Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D- LA) to make “…all new low-income housing project exempt from a key environmental law [CEQA] that has been used to restrict development.”

Santiago authored AB 1197 last year, which had CEQA exemptions. However, they only applied to the City of Los Angeles and were used to eliminate/made moot lawsuits related to the MTA “Bridge Home” 154 bed shelter and a proposed LA City ordinance affecting the “Monster on Venice” 140 unit project.

AB1907 changes the scope of AB 1197 to apply to the entire state of CA. It goes further “… by allowing affordable housing developments — projects reserved for individuals and families making 80% or less of a region’s median income — to also bypass CEQA.”

LA Times Article.

 

Governor Newsom Signs Bills to Exempt “Homeless” Projects from CEQA

Posted by :reta On : October 2, 2019
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Category: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), City Attorney, City Council, Homeless

By Eva Greene

Governor Gavin Newsom signs bills to exempt “homeless” type projects from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

CEQA was passed in 1970 to protect neighborhoods from the environmental impacts of proposed projects; CEQA has also been said to be the means to delay and kill a project.

Councilman Bonin Wednesday (2 October) put forth a motion asking for a report on the impacts created by AB 1197, SB 450 and SB 744 and directing the Chief Legislative Analyst and City Attorney to report on any ordinance revisions or citywide process changes necessary to comply with the authority granted to them by the new laws.

These are the CEQA exempt bills signed by the Governor:

AB 1197 (Santiago) – This bill provides a CEQA exemption for supportive housing and shelters in the City of Los Angeles. This bill can be applied immediately upon the governor’s signature.
“An act to add and repeal Section 21080.27 of the Public Resources Code, relating to environmental quality, and declaring the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.”
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1197

SB 744 (Caballero) – This bill provides a CEQA exemption for supportive housing and No Place Like Home projects. This is the Prop 2 funding for the severely mentally ill which the VCHC is using for funding their PSH. This bill would provide that a policy to approve as a use by right a development with a limit higher than 50 units, as described above, is not a project for purposes of CEQA.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB744

SB 450 – This bill would, until January 1, 2025, exempt from CEQA projects related to the conversion of a structure with a certificate of occupancy as a motel, hotel, residential hotel, or hostel to supportive or transitional housing, as defined, that meet certain conditions. Because the lead agency would be required to determine the applicability of this exemption, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB450

Link to homeless bills signed by gov. 9 26 19

Building Off Historic Investment & Action to Help Cities and Counties Tackle Homelessness, Governor Newsom Signs Series of Bills Addressing Homelessness 

Mayor Proposes Exempting CEQA from All Homeless Housing Projects

Posted by :reta On : August 29, 2019
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Category: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), Mayor, Measure HHH

Mayor Eric Garcetti has proposed a resolution that all homeless housing projects be exempt from providing CEQA in support of AB1197.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) provides a process for evaluating the environmental effects of a project including but not limited to water quality, land use and agricultural resources, transportation and circulation, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

This would exempt all Measure HHH bond projects and emergency shelter projects funded by the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) and SEEK amendment from CEQA requirements.

Strangling of CEQA Moves Forward

Posted by :reta On : May 16, 2019
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Category: Bridge Housing, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)

By Darryl DuFay

The strangling of CEQA moves forward.

Today’s LA Times article on homeless shelters (below). Right in the center is Venice’s “Bridge to Home” proposed 154 bed “temporary, transitional, homeless shelter” on the former MTA bus lot. It is one of 15 shelters proposed by Mayor Gil Garcetti.

In this wide ranging article look for:

Mark Ryavec and his Venice Stakeholders Association $200,000 MTA shelter lawsuit, which just recently a “LA County Superior Court judge denied the organization’s bid for a temporary injunction against the construction of the shelter but allowed the case to proceed.” His logic was that a shelter is better than having the homeless on the sidewalks.

The statewide “proposal” by Governor Gavin Newsom to set a nine-month limit on using CEQA litigation against shelters.

Senate Bill 48 by State Sen. Scott Wiener (San Francisco) to allow some shelters to avoid the CEQA process. This is the same Senator that has roiled communities with his Senate Bill 50 to increase building density in transportation corridors and do away with single family residence zoning because it is not dense enough.

http://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=9c12ecd5-dc9e-4ebe-9d17-d4f7882a300b

 

 

Times Talks of Problems Involved with Using CEQA for Homeless Shelters

Posted by :reta On : May 15, 2019
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Category: Bridge Housing, California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)

Two LA Times writers have tackled the problems facing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in relation to the homeless shelters. Two shelters mentioned are the ones proposed for Venice and San Francisco’s Embarcadero district. LA Times story.