[Sustain] CEQA! One Last Big Push To Win Ourselves Crucial Ability To Appeal Project Modifications - Pre Meetings & Hearings Next Wed, Thu, & Mon July 17, 18, & 22 - HPC, Planning, & Land Use

[Eric Brooks]

Hi all,

CRUCIAL CEQA HEARINGS IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION & PLANNING NEXT WED & THU 
(see details below)

UPDATE & LAST REMAINING BIG CEQA ISSUE TO FIGHT FOR

As I reported previously, our legislative team is now completing intense
negotiations with Supervisor David Chiu, and Planning staff, and with
the exception of one nasty holdover, we have stripped Wiener's original
CEQA legislation of nearly all of it bad aspects, and at the same time,
have vastly strengthened noticing requirements.

The one nasty holdover of course is that CEQA appeals on projects will
still be required to occur after the first approval of any project. We
met such a huge wall of opposition on getting a later appeal trigger
that we were forced to give on that point.

HOWEVER, in return for allowing the first approval we have insisted
vehemently that we must be able to challenge Environmental Review
Officer approvals of modifications to projects that have already
undergone that first quicker appeal window.

If we don't win such a modification appeal right we will essentially 
have absolutely no recourse (besides lawsuits) to challenge projects 
that change beyond their original environmental approval. But Planning 
staff is fighting us on that modification appeal right - so we need to 
battle hard for it over the next two weeks.

To that end, next Wednesday & Thursday, we will convene to hold pre
hearing strategy meetings and attend the hearings.

This is the last battle so please gear up and join in!

Here are the meeting/hearing details. Please RSVP to confirm if you plan
to attend either or both:

1) CEQA Pre Historic Preservation STRATEGY MEETING

- Wednesday, July 17, 11:30am
- SF City Hall Basement Cafe

2) HISTORIC PRESERVATION HEARING on CEQA MODIFICATION APPEAL

- Wednesday, July 17, 12:30pm
- SF City Hall, Room 400
- agenda:http://www.sf-planning.org/index.aspx?page=3533

3) CEQA Pre PLANNING COMMISSION STRATEGY MEETING

- Thursday, July 18, 11am
- SF City Hall Basement Cafe

2) PLANNING COMMISSION HEARING on CEQA MODIFICATION APPEAL

- Thursday, July 18, 12pm
- SF City Hall, Room 400
- (will post agenda this Monday)

Please RSVP if you plan to attend either or all.

Also set your calendars for the following week when this Modification
Appeal legislation will be taken up in the Land Use Committee on Monday
July 22, at 1:30pm.

This is it all! This is the last big fight and then we're done!

in solidarity

Eric Brooks
415-756-8844