CP&DR News Briefs October 5, 2021
HCD California’s handling of federal funds categorized as COVID-19 assistance, State Auditor Elaine M. Howle determined that the Emergency Solutions Grants program did not effectively used federal funding to deal with the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the state’s homeless population. The ESG program received $ 316 million from the federal government to help those at risk or experiencing homelessness, but the audit found that the HCD was too slow to provide access to funding to entities across the continuum of care, which help homeless services. . According to the audit, the HCD also failed by not hiring a contractor to manage and monitor ESG-funded activities.
CP&DR legal coverage: a court cancels the use of financial proformas
Cities and counties can no longer require developers to produce proformas in order to justify concessions tied to density bonuses, according to a recent appeals court ruling. The case involved changes to state law in 2008. Prior to 2008, the city of Los Angeles had passed an ordinance requiring developers to provide proformas explaining how the concessions would make their projects “penciled.” But the court found that this requirement was removed from state law in 2008. Neighbors opposed to the project subsequently filed a lawsuit, saying the pro forma analysis provided by the developer under the city’s ordinance was inadequate. But the Second District Court of Appeals disagreed, concluding that the burden of proving financial feasibility lies with the city, not the developer.
The Los Angeles City Planning Commission amended and approved its draft DTLA 2040 plan to house more than 175,000 new residents and generate 100,000 new jobs in just 1% of the total Los Angeles area. The plan to rezone the city’s downtown core, eliminate parking requirements and streamline design standards will now be submitted to city council for review.
The Trust for Public Land, an environmental group in San Francisco, bought the 540-acre Nyland Property ranch for $ 4.4 million to prevent the area from becoming a luxury development and to protect San’s rustic landscape. Juan Bautista. The ranch is made up of meadows dotted with oak trees, wetlands and seasonal streams and is located along 1.5 miles of Highway 156 in San Benito County.
A federal appeals court overturned a ruling by Judge David O. Carter ordering Los Angeles to provide housing to the entire homeless population of Skid Row by October. All three judges ruled that Carter failed to meet basic legal requirements in making his ruling because he based it on racial discrimination, but the allegations made by the LA Alliance for Human Rights were unfounded. on race.
Thousands of UC students are struggling to find housing due to rising off-campus costs and the limited availability of on-campus housing, according to an analysis by Mercury News. The difficulties are due to the limited density of off-campus housing for social distancing, and there are few additional on-campus rooms available for students who cannot afford off-campus housing.
Amazon plans to open several 30,000 square foot retail stores across California and Ohio, putting more traditional department stores on alert. Their stores would be smaller than most department stores, which Amazon says will attract more customers.
While Simi Valley City Council in 2019 rejected a proposal for a 108-unit assisted living facility and suggested it would harm the character of single-family and multi-family neighborhoods, council approved the proposal, stating that it had no no option based on a judge’s decision. decision. The site would include 68 assisted living units and 40 memory care units in addition to a gymnasium, communal dining room and kitchen, lounge area and hairdressing salon.
As heat waves and drought have drained water levels in Lake Tahoe in recent years, water levels are expected to rise exponentially, according to a study by environmental scientists at the Center UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. The influx of water could expose several towns in the Lake Tahoe region to severe flooding.
Zoning and investment in Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade could undergo a significant transformation to allow for housing and hotel development along the stretch. Part of the Third Street Promenade’s economic stabilization and vitality plan also includes the expansion of alfresco dining on sidewalks and rooftops as well as a ‘town square’ for large gatherings to bring together. bring more sales tax revenue to the city lost during the pandemic.
Fix the City, Inc. filed an unsuccessful complaint arguing that two Los Angeles housing projects did not meet the requirements of the JJJ measure, which includes community guidelines focused on transit. The court dismissed all of the group’s claims, saying the proposals met all four conditions for eligibility for COT incentives.