CEQA

Two towers set to transform Hollywood's skyline will alter it just a bit less after developer Millennium agreed to lower their proposed heights by more than a dozen stories. The CA Department of Transportation is raising concerns about the project.

June 20, 2013 - Curbed LA

City leaders from the Mayor on down recognize that infill development is necessary to create a more livable Los Angeles. So why does the public sector allow so many obstacles to stand in the way of small-scale development?

June 1, 2013 - The Architect's Newspaper

CA Sen. Darrell Steinberg's bill to "modernize" CEQA unanimously passed the senate environment subcommittee. While SB 731 has no opponents at this time, it is suspected of being a means to keep the Kings NBA team from leaving Sacramento for Seattle.

May 4, 2013 - Sacramento Bee

Rick Cole, the former City Manager of Ventura, California, and a well-known civic leader in Southern California, defends the need for CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) while calling for returning to the law's key roots.

March 8, 2013 - The Planning Report

If the 43-year-old California Environmental Act is going to be changed - as Gov. Brown hopes, most agree the legislation will be championed by Michael Rubio, a young, moderate Latino Democratic in the second year of his first term in the senate.

February 4, 2013 - The Sacramento Bee

In case anyone thought that developers were the only bad actors seeking to profit off of contentious projects, confidential settlement terms leaked to Curbed show how local groups abuse the California Environmental Quality Act for dubious gains.

January 5, 2013 - Curbed LA

Over a long career in public office, Gov. Jerry Brown has earned a reputation as a pioneer in the modern environmental movement. Now, in the twilight of that career, some see him forsaking that path for the pragmatism of economic growth.

January 2, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Although the landmark but now controversial environmental law, the CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is state law, it is implemented by the 'lead agency' of a project which can be a city. S.F. Supervisor Scott Wiener hopes to reform that process.

December 8, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

With federal and state environmental clearance and with funds allocated, the main obstacle to laying track in the Fresno-Merced route is an environmental lawsuit to be be heard April, 2013. Two county farm bureaus ask that work cease until then.

October 8, 2012 - Merced Sun-Star

If Gov. Jerry Brown signs AB 2245, a bill which will exempt bike lanes from the CA Environmental Quality Act until 2018, opponents of these lanes will be deprived of a major tool to delay these projects that may accompany controversial 'road diets'.

September 8, 2012 - Streetsblog San Francisco

If two major business and labor groups have their way, the 1970 CA Environmental Quality Act will be 'modernized', to quote the CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. The CA Alliance for Jobs has joined SVLG, as has a top aide of the governor.

August 23, 2012 - Capitol Alert (Sacramento Bee blog)

Former California governors and Southern California Leadership Council members George Deukmejian, Pete Wilson and Gray Davis discuss the necessity of modernizing one of the state's oldest environmental laws in order to protect the state's economy.

July 17, 2012 - The San Diego Union-Tribune

With $8 billion almost in hand (the $4.5 billion in state bonds still need to be sold), the most formidable immediate hurdles are dealing with five lawsuits facing the High Speed Rail Authority. Mike Rosenberg reports that progress has been made.

July 14, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Under intense political pressure to retain the full application of the CA Environmental Quality Act to CA High Speed Rail project, Gov. Brown withdrew his proposal to allow the project certain exceptions to lawsuits.

June 23, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

Gov. Jerry Brown is asking the state legislature to alter the state's environmental law (CEQA) in order to begin construction of the high speed rail project in the Central Valley. It is aimed at heading off lawsuits intended to delay the project.

June 4, 2012 - San Jose Mercury News

Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown announced reforms to the state's Environmental Quality Act that will ease approval for infill development and special projects. Josh Stephens provides the details.

January 30, 2012 - California Planning & Development Report

The California Environmental Quality Act, a landmark 1970 environmental law now considered an obstacle to smart growth by some urban planners, has claimed another victim in a project that seeks to reduce car use while promoting biking and walking.

November 23, 2011 - Palo Alto On-line

Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into a law two CEQA reform bills that will expedite the court review process for some job-creating projects. Joel R. Reynolds editorializes on the move's risk to the basic principles of CEQA.

October 5, 2011 - The Sacramento Bee

Brown's main reason for signing the bills: "Too Damn Many Regulations". One gives environmental clearance for the AEG stadium in downtown LA, and the other other accelerates environmental review for projects costing at least $100 million.

September 29, 2011 - Capital Public Radio

Gov. Jerry Brown will soon be asked to sign a bill that would loosen environmental regulations on a downtown L.A. stadium, which would also be smothered in LED billboards.

September 11, 2011 - LA Weekly