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-... **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