After a 7-2 approval by the City Council, Berkeley's new zoning plan may face a public vote. A signature drive by the two dissenting council members has gathered enough signatures to force the vote and is in the validation process.
"'As progressive as Berkeley is, there's always some resistance to change,' said Matthew Taecker, the city planner in charge of the plan. By August 21, the city clerk had counted 9,200 signatures, and now the county registrar has a month to validate them. If there are enough, the city council will have to rescind the plan, call a special election, or place it on the ballot for the next scheduled election in June 2010. A special election is unlikely, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates said, because it would cost the city $200,000, an amount it cannot afford."
FULL STORY: The Battle of Berkeley
Berkeley Launches ADU Amnesty Program
Owners of unpermitted accessory dwelling units can bring their units up to code and obtain certificates of compliance without facing penalties.
Birthplace of Single-Family Zoning Poised to Pass Upzoning Plan
Berkeley, California, pioneered exclusionary zoning in the early 1900s; with its new upzoning proposal, the city hopes to reverse that negative legacy and boost its housing supply by eliminating single-family zoning.
Berkeley Voters to Decide on Building Gas Tax
The city could tax large buildings that use gas in lieu of enacting a law that would have banned gas-powered buildings altogether.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
This Toronto Suburb Has More Bus Riders Than Columbus, Ohio
Brampton, Ontario used gradual improvements in service to prove that if you build it, they will ride.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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