Friday, September 30, 2011

CEQA Reform Highlights the 2011 California Legislative Session

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Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
September 30, 2011
CEQA Reform Highlights the 2011 California Legislative Session
Newsletter Editors
Roger A. Grable
Counsel
Email

714.371.2537

Bryan LeRoy
Partner
Email

310.312.4191

Practice Area Links

Practice Overview
Members

Awards
2011 Chambers Firm
Recognized for Excellence in the Real Estate industry

Legal 500 New
Named a Top Practice for Real Estate and Construction, California (South): Land Use and Zoning

BestLawyers 
Practice leaders included among the prestigious Best Lawyers in the country

Authors

Lisa Kolieb
Associate
Email
310.312.4297


Sara Kani

Associate
Email
310.312.4398


Wendelyn Nichols-Julien
Associate
Email
310.312.4393

Authors: Lisa Kolieb | Sara Kani | Wendelyn Nichols-Julien
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has played a historic role in environmental protection by requiring projects to go through extensive studies to disclose and mitigate environmental impacts. For developers, CEQA can lead to uncertainty, project delays, increased development costs and often frivolous litigation.

For project opponents, CEQA can serve as an effective avenue to modify, delay, and even kill projects. This year, citing the economic recession and high state unemployment, the State Legislature introduced an unprecedented number of CEQA-related bills, many of which were aimed at streamlining the CEQA review and litigation processes to reduce CEQA-related project delays and remove what some view as excessive environmental review for certain projects. The following is a summary of some of the most talked-about CEQA bills this session.

CEQA Streamlining Bills
Three CEQA reform bills were passed by the Legislature on the last day of the session: Assembly Bill 900 and Senate Bills 292 and 226. According to their authors, these bills aim to reduce CEQA-related project delays, development costs, and frivolous litigation that create uncertainty for developers.

AB 900: "Leadership projects" may become eligible for expedited judicial review.
Signed by Governor Brown on September 27, 2011, AB 900 (Buchanan), or the Jobs and Economic Improvement Through Environmental Leadership Act of 2011, was enacted as a short-term approach to spurring the economy and lowering the unemployment rate. It sunsets on January 1, 2015. It allows the Governor to certify certain large projects that meet specific conditions – most notably a minimum investment of $100 million in the State – as being “leadership projects” that would be eligible for expedited judicial review. The Governor’s certification is discretionary and not subject to judicial review. Unfortunately, the number of projects that would qualify for these benefits appears to be limited. The law does not apply to projects that already have a draft EIR in circulation, and will apply only to projects with EIRs certified by June 1, 2014.  Read more

     This newsletter has been prepared by Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP to provide information on recent legal developments of interest
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2011 Los Angeles Green Building Code

AIA regulations committee 7.14.11 - revised.pdf Download this file

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Summary of Retaining Wall Ordinance Public Meetings - August/Sep​tember 2011

Greetings Interested Parties:

 Over the past few of months, the City of Los Angeles Department of City Planning conducted meetings throughout the City in order to hear public comments and discuss issues related to retaining walls in Los Angeles.  We have attached a copy of the slideshow presented at these meetings, and a summary of the comments received to date.  This information will be used as the basis for development of the new Retaining Wall Ordinance.

Note: Although the presentation looks slightly different than what was presented at the meetings, the content is essentially the same.

If you did not get a chance to attend any of the public Kick-Off Meetings, this is your opportunity to review the information presented and received, and submit your early input.  We are leaving the early comment period open until Friday, October 14, 2011.  If you feel a comment was omitted or not noted properly, or you would like to bring up any additional issues/comments please send an email to david.olivo@lacity.org (email preferred), or a letter to:

David Olivo
Department of City Planning
200 N. Sprinf St., Room 701
Los Angeles, CA 90012

If you cannot get your written comments in by the current deadline, we will continue to accept them.  Although they may not be part of the early input, but will still be considered as the project moves forward.

What's Next?

Over the next few weeks we will be developing a draft of the Retaining Wall Ordinance.  This will incorporate comments from the public meetings as well as any of those we receive through October 14.  Once we are ready to present the draft ordinance to the public, we will hold workshops to discuss the language with stakeholders.  You will be notified in the future as to when these meetings will take place.

Please keep in mind there will be other opportunities to submit comments in the near future in the subsequent Public Workshop phase and Public Hearing/Approval Process. 

If you received this email via forwarded message from someone other than myself, and you want to obtain updates directly from the Department, please email david.olivo@lacity.org and ask to be added to the interest list.  Please type "Add Me To The Retaining Wall Interest List" in the subject line and provide your group/organization/company affiliations and contact information (please include at least a zip code).

For Facebook users, please look at our website www.facebook.com/LACityCodeStudies for updates on this ordinance and others that are currently in process within the Code Studies unit.  Also, feel free to forward this information to anyone you feel may be interested.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at at david.olivo@lacity.org or 213-473-9769.

Our team would like to thank you for your time and attention to this project, and looks forward to working with you in the months ahead.

Regards,

David Olivo
City of Los Angeles | Department of City Planning
Code Studies | Office of Zoning Administration
david.olivo@lacity.org | 213.473.9769

For updates on Code Studies projects, please "like" us on Facebook.

Retaining Wall Ordinance Presentation - Kick-Off Meeting.pdf Download this file

Summary of Retaining Wall Ordinance Kick-Off Meeting Comments.pdf Download this file

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Drucker Business Forum invites you to Drucker Business Forum: Austin Beutner in conversation... (Oct 6, 2011)

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Austin Beutner in conversation with Steve Hymon: Keeping Los Angeles Competitive in the Global Economy

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Oct 6, 2011
7:45 AM

Crawford Family Forum
KPCC 89.3 -- Southern California Public Radio
474 South Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91105

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Join us for another DRUCKER BUSINESS FORUM Co Presented by KPCC Southern California Radio in Pasadena Keeping Los Angeles Competitive in the Global Economy AUSTIN BEUTNER  In conversation with Steve Hymon Austin Beutner is one of Los Angeles'...
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Meeting Reminder: Creating Healthier Communities Through Design: The Benefits of Active Design for Business & Real Estate Development

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Creating Healthier Communities Through Design: The Benefits of Active Design for Business & Real Estate Development

Dear Will Wright,

This is an upcoming meeting reminder. All of the information you need to join the meeting is below. Please note, you can listen to the webinar through your computer speakers; you do not need to dial into the phone line.

Please feel free to invite others to this event; they can register at this link:  https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=6vvmaxr6ew40

 

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As an alternative, you may connect via telephone:

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Meeting Description:

Creating healthier, more active communities, streets, and buildings doesn’t just help address the growing obesity epidemic and the related surge in chronic diseases facing the U.S. and countries across the globe.  In an increasingly mobile world, healthier community design is essential to attracting people and businesses, growing economic development, and creating jobs. More than ever, people are putting a premium on places that offer transportation choices, recreation opportunities, and healthy, fresh food options—and the business and real estate community can help meet this growing demand. This webinar will explore the business case for active, healthy communities, as well as the role that companies in Atlanta, New York City, and other communities across the country are playing in these issues.

Date & Time

Date: Tue, Sep 27, 2011
Time: 02:00 PM EDT
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Host(s): Kate Rube
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 Presenter Information

Hugh Morris
 

Hugh Morris, LEED AP, AICP works for the Smart Growth Program at the National Association of Realtors, where he assists state and local Realtor® associations in developing smart growth programs.  After graduating from UCLA with a Masters in Urban Planning, Hugh spent five years with a transportation consulting firm, Barton-Aschman Associates, working on transit plans, travel demand forecasting models, and travel surveys.  He spent the next two years working for an energy efficiency think tank, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and then ten years with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, helping communities convert abandoned railroad corridors into hiking and biking trails.  Hugh has contributed to the American Planning Association’s  Planning and Urban Design Standards, as well as Trails for the 21st Century: a planning, design, and management manual, published by Island Press. 


Kevin Green
 

Kevin Green is the President and CEO of Midtown Alliance, a network of influential business and community leaders who focus on promoting economic development and enriching quality of life in the city center of Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to joining the Midtown Alliance, Kevin served as Executive Director of The Clean Air Campaign, where he worked in partnership with transportation management associations and more than 2,000 public and private employers, schools and universities to implement programs to improve air quality and reduce traffic. Prior to that, Kevin was Vice President of Environmental Affairs with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, where he managed public-private initiatives that resulted in the creation of the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District and the Livable Communities Coalition – where more than 50 organizations work collaboratively to advance smart growth in metro Atlanta.


Lee Sobel
 
Lee Sobel is the Real Estate Development and Finance Analyst in the US EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities (the Smart Growth program). Lee’s work focuses technical assistance, outreach and education, and research and policy, related to real estate development that achieves smart growth goals and outcomes. Prior to joining the EPA, Lee was a Senior Associate in the Miami office of CB Richard Ellis’ Investment Property Group, selling shopping centers and retail property throughout Florida. Mr. Sobel has been an active commercial real estate and mortgage broker in Florida for over eight years. Mr. Sobel is the author of Greyfields Into Goldfields; Dead Malls Become Living Neighborhoods, and co-author of This Is Smart Growth and Getting To Smart Growth II.

Joanna Frank
 
Joanna Frank is Director of the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program, a joint initiative of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, and the Department of City Planning that provides incentives for the development of grocery stores in underserved communities in the city.  Prior to joining NYCEDC, Joanna spent the last five years as Co-Founder and Partner of Bright City Development, where she oversaw the construction of a LEED-certified grocery store in Brooklyn, NY.

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Sunday, October 9 @ 4:30pm: Young Angelenos for Eric Garcetti

Friends, 

As many of you know, I have devoted the last several years of my life to support a great visionary for Los Angeles: Eric Garcetti.  Eric is a brilliant innovator who has brought the city to the 21st century; on his watch, the city has implemented the most comprehensive green building program in the country.  In addition, he authored the largest clean water bond in history and has tripled the number of parks in his district.  It is through this kind of innovation and leadership that he will create, and keep, jobs in Los Angeles.  

I have endorsed him in his candidacy to be the next mayor of Los Angeles.  I invite each of you to join me at a kickoff celebration for the Young Angelenos for Eric Garcetti at my home on Sunday, October 9th.  You will have the chance to hear him speak about his vision for our city, and I urge you to support him in this campaign.  

Please see the attached flyer and feel free to contact me with any questions at all.

Thank you all!
Noel Hyun
310-801-3161


Garcetti-yp-110923_small1


Training modules for creating and maintaining sustainable communities

Creating and Maintaining Sustainable Communities

(September 27, 2011) Reconnecting America today released four training modules created for and funded by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) that illustrate various principles of creating and maintaining sustainable communities. The modules created by Reconnecting America's LINK (Leadership¸ Innovation, Networks, Knowledge) Team were presented at three APTA conferences with the goal of educating practitioners, public transit agencies, elected officials and other decision-makers.


"The modules are applicable to a diversity of regions. We developed these modules to be flexible and adaptable to a variety of transit modes" said Catherine Cox Blair, Program Director of LINK.

The modules include:

TOD 101 Creating Livable Communities with Transit - This module highlights the many benefits of transit-oriented development, linking land use and transit development. It provides information on the interagency partnership for sustainable communities occurring at the federal level and how transit agencies and other partners can emulate those critical partnerships at the local and regional level.

TOD 201 Sustainable Urban Design and Transit - This module highlights the various principles of APTA's Sustainability and Urban Design Standards (SUDS) program to help transit agencies build sustainable communities through design. It illustrates how transit contributes to making a "place," when facilities are attractive, functional, and serve as community destinations.

TOD 202 Creating Mixed-Income Communities - Mixed-income TOD provides an opportunity for people of all incomes to live in neighborhoods with greater access to a wider variety of jobs, community resources, and truly affordable housing. This module highlights the benefits, strategies, and challenges of mixed-income TOD and the importance of the role of transit agencies and other stakeholders in planning and implementation. It also illustrates useful on-line resources such as the Housing and Transportation (H+T) Index developed by the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Mixed Income Housing Action Guide developed by the Center for Transit-Oriented Development with sponsorship from FTA.

TOD 203 Corridor Planning and Transit-Oriented Development - This module illustrates to public transportation agencies how and why planning at the corridor scale provides an important perspective for planning transit that supports successful TOD. The basics of the session cover the types of corridors and how each type has a different impact on the TOD potential of the region, along with case studies from real places that have demonstrated successful corridor planning.

According to Reconnecting America's President, John Robert Smith, "These modules are a significant step in educating a broader audience about the importance of transit-oriented development in building sustainable communities."

"APTA is pleased to have worked with Reconnecting America to develop useful and informative modules for our members," said APTA President William Millar. "These will help advance understanding in this important area.

These modules are available online at ReconnectingAmerica.org and also available at APTA.com

 


About Reconnecting America

Reconnecting America is a national nonprofit that is helping to transform promising ideas into thriving communities - where transportation choices make it easy to get from place to place, where businesses flourish, and where people from all walks of life can afford to live, work and visit. Reconnecting America is the managing partner of the Center for Transit-Oriented Development, the only national nonprofit effort funded by Congress to promote best practices in transit-oriented development.  Reconnecting America is also a founding partner of Transportation for America, a broad coalition of housing, environmental, equal opportunity, public health, urban planning, transportation and other organizations focused on creating a 21st century national transportation program.  For more information visit our website, www.reconnectingamerica.org.  


Reconnecting America -- People Places Possibility

 

Rebecca M. (Becky) Sullivan

Communications Director

Reconnecting America

1707 L Street, N.W., Suite 210

Washington, D.C. 20036

(w) 202-429-6990, ext. 206

(f) 202-315-3508

(c) 202-412-5573

 

bsullivan@reconnectingamerica.org

 

Reconnecting America | 436 14th St., Suite 1005 | Oakland | CA | 94612

Thursday, September 22, 2011

AIA|LA & BOMA-LA Present....A Breakfast Reception w/ Asm. Warren Furutani - October 14 (8:00 - 9:30am)

On behalf of AIA|LA, I encourage you to attend our upcoming breakfast reception with Assemblymember Furutani, who is also running as a candidate for Los Angeles City Council, District #15.  THe event is being coordinated by AIA|LA and BOMA-LA at the offices of Harley Ellis Devereaux on Friday, October 14 (8am).

AIA|LA and BOMA of Greater Los Angeles

co-present
A Breakfast Reception with Assemblymember Warren Furutani
Friday, October 14 (8:00 - 9:30am)
Harley Ellis Devereaux 
601 S. Figueroa St., Suite 500
Los Angeles CA, 90017

Co-Hosted by Harley Ellis Devereaux and Brookfield Properties

Advance RSVP Required. Limited Capacity

RSVP to Will Wright at Will[@]aialosangeles.org or Martha Cox-Nitikman at mcoxnitikman[@]bomagla.org

Parking:
AIA|LA recommends to ride METRO. Brookfield Properties will also graciously validate parking.

This breakfast reception is being co-presented by AIA Los Angeles and BOMA of Greater Los Angeles as a collaborative effort to further integrate our respective memberships.

Assemblymember Warren Furutani

Warren Furutani was re-elected to the 55th Assembly District in 2010 for his second two-year term representing the cities of Carson, Lakewood, (North and West) Long Beach, and the Los Angeles communities of Harbor City, Harbor Gateway and Wilmington.

With over 40 years of experience in education and public service, Warren has always been a staunch advocate for equal opportunity especially as it relates to education.

Beginning as a civil rights activist in the 1960s, Warren worked tirelessly to establish admissions programs for students of color at colleges and universities throughout the United States. He helped many campuses establish ethnic studies programs and was instrumental in UCLA and Long Beach State University adopting an Asian American Studies program. Warren's activism at this time is documented in the Japanese American National Museum's exhibit "Common Ground." He was also interviewed in the anthology "Roots: the Asian American Reader."

In 1969 Warren was one of the founders of the Manzanar Pilgrimage, an annual event to honor the 110,000 Japanese American men, women and children who were forced to leave their homes and were incarcerated during World War II. In 1970 Warren helped to create the Manzanar Committee that worked to get Manzanar designated as a national historical site. Today, thousands of people participate in the Manzanar Pilgrimage every year on the last Saturday of April.

In the mid 1970's Warren worked as a counselor at the Central Continuation High School in Downtown Los Angeles. He later joined the Asian American Student Services Center at UCLA where he worked as an administrator and developed programs to recruit, mentor and tutor students as well as encourage them to be active in community projects.

In 1987 Warren was the first Asian Pacific Islander American to ever be elected to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education - the largest school district in California. In 1999 Warren was elected to the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) Board of Trustees - the largest community college district in the country. Warren is the only person to have been elected and re-elected to the Los Community College Board and the Board of Education. He also served as president of both boards.

During his time with LAUSD and LACCD, Warren was known as a problem solver and consensus builder. He brought parents, teachers, staff and the community together to develop "school based management" which improved our schools. He was an early and strong advocate for the LAUSD and LACCD construction bonds, which directed billions of dollars into repairing and building new schools and remodeling and constructing new facilities on our community college campuses.

While a Board Member at LAUSD, Warren led the effort to grant honorary high school diplomas to Japanese Americans who were unable to finish high school because they were forced into internment camps during World War II.

In the California State Legislature, Warren is using his wealth of experience in education. He is Chair of the Select Committee on Career Technical Education and Workforce Development where he is focusing on preparing students with the training they need for 21st century jobs. He also founded the Community College Caucus and is a member of the Higher Education Master Plan Review Committee.

Warren was appointed Chair of the Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security committee, and serves on the following standing committees: Utilities and Commerce, Transportation and Labor. He is also chair of the Asian Pacific Islander American Legislative Caucus.

Warren's work in the Capitol includes legislation related to career technical education, community colleges, clean air quality, and support for small businesses. He also successfully advocated for State resources to help rebuild the Gerald Desmond Bridge in the Port of Long Beach, which is expected to generate 4,000 jobs for at least five years in the community.

In 2008, he authored Assembly Bill 37, which granted honorary college degrees to Japanese Americans whose education was disrupted due to their wrongful incarceration during World War II. This past year, Warren also authored Assembly Bill 1775, which establishes January 30 as Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. Mr. Korematsu challenged the law that imprisoned Japanese Americans during WWII, and so this day of significance will provide California schools an opportunity to teach the importance of civil liberties and the protection of a citizen's constitutional rights. Both bills were passed unanimously in both houses and signed by the Governor.

Born in San Pedro and raised in Gardena, Warren is fourth-generation Japanese American. His grandfather was a mechanic on Terminal Island in San Pedro who repaired motors on tuna boats. During World War II, Warren's grandparents and father were forced to leave their home in 48-hours and were sent to an internment camp in Rohror, Arkansas. Warren's father was in high school at the time, and while at camp he met Warren's mother who was from Elk Grove, California. Warren's father was drafted into the military while still incarcerated. After the war, his parents returned to San Pedro to start their family.

Warren is a product of the Los Angeles public education system. He graduated from Gardena High School in 1965. He then attended several community colleges including Los Angeles City College, El Camino College, and the College of San Mateo in the San Francisco Bay area. He graduated from Antioch University with a liberal arts degree. He is married to Lisa Abe Furutani and they are the proud parents of two grown sons.

For more information, please contact:
Will Wright
Director, Government & Public Affairs
AIA Los Angeles
(213) 639-0764
Will [at] aialosangeles.org

Martha Cox-Nitikman, MPA, JD
Senior Director of Public Policy and Education
BOMA of Greater Los Angeles
700 S. Flower St., Ste. 1408
Los Angeles, CA 90017
p-213-629-2662 ext. 108
f-213-624-1031
mcoxnitikman@bomagla.org


Will Wright
Director of Government & Public Affairs
AIA 
/ los angeles
 -
 A Chapter of
The American Institute of Architects

3780 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90010
213.639.0764  phone
213.639.0767  fax

Friday, September 16, 2011

COMPLETE STREETS :: Take Back the Boulevard - Eagle Rock

********************************************
Take Back the Boulevard
COMMUNITY MEETING #1

Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
7-9pm

Women's 20th Century Club
5105 Hermosa Avenue
Eagle Rock, CA 90041
*********************************************

Dear Friends,

Many of you know, last year I worked with TERA to launch the "Take Back the Boulevard" initiative in Eagle Rock in order to bring about changes to Colorado Boulevard that seek to make it a safer, calmer, and a more vibrant corridor in the community.

The better part of the past year has been spent assembling a steering committee that spans the various active organizations in Eagle Rock, putting together a strategic plan for the next year,  garnering support from the Council District, raising preliminary funds, and contracting with an urban planning firm to assist in the initiative.

Now that all of these are in place, we have scheduled our first community outreach meeting. At this meeting we would like to gather as much input from the community as possible before any design work is done. I have attached an invite for the first community meeting and a general information brochure about the initiative.

Please send this along to all of your friends and colleagues in Eagle Rock. It is important that we hear from the community about their concerns and desires for Colorado Boulevard, and so we are hoping to reach as many people as possible.

Thank you for your help, and let me know if you have any questions.

Hope to see you there,
AC.

Allen Compton
LALA Salon

July3_2011_infoBrochure_color.pdf Download this file

TBB-PublicMeeting-1.pdf Download this file