[Sustain] CEQA Updates (SF & California) - Area & Regional Plan Exemptions Are Rising Threat To CEQA

[Eric Brooks]

Hi all,

SAN FRANCISCO CEQA UPDATE

Our local California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) fight in San
Francisco is nearing its end and we seem likely to emerge a bit bruised
but with the basic essential local CEQA protections we need largely
intact IF we continue to send messages to Supervisor David Chiu in the
next few days that we insist on an enforceable ability to challenge
MODIFICATIONS to projects which take place after the initial CEQA
approval appeal window is closed. So if you and/or your organization
have not yet sent a letter to that effect to Chiu and the other
Supervisors, please do so ASAP so that they are receiving constant
pressure from us on this vital point before final decisions are made
next week.

CALIFORNIA/BAY-AREA CEQA UPDATE

The -new- threat to our CEQA protections can essentially be summed up in
one developer tactic:

Area Plans

Both in the Bay Area (through Plan Bay Area Plan aka 'the One Bay Area
plan') and through Darrell Steinberg's SB 731 (which just passed the
California Senate 39-0 and is likely to reach and be signed into law by
the Governor) specific provisions are being made to establish
over-arching area plans as mechanisms to exempt projects within those
plans from CEQA review. So we will need to refocus our energies to this
state/regional area-plan-exemption struggle. These area plan maneuvers
present an even more serious threat to us than did the Wiener legislation.

CALIFORNIA
To see how Steinberg's bill uses this mechanism to attack CEQA review,
see point 2 of the commentary at:
http://www.cp-dr.com/node/3361

BAY AREA
To see how 'Plan Bay Area' plan also badly threatens our CEQA
protections through the establishment of area plan exemptions go to:
http://www.halfwaytoconcord.com/one-bay-area-plan-to-exempt-developers-from-ceqa-decrease-local-jobs-toll-roads-everywhere/

**IMPORTANT! PUBLIC WORKSHOP ON PLAN BAY AREA - JUNE 12, SF LGBT Center**

The SF Bay Guardian is holding a public forum on Plan Bay Area on
Wednesday June 12, 6-8pm, at the LGBT Center in San Francisco. For
details see:
https://www.facebook.com/events/521507337913282/

I'll be in touch soon about the next hearing on the SF CEQA ordinance.

cheers

Eric Brooks
Campaign Coordinator, Our City
415-756-8844