On January 25, 2012, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) released draft CEQA Guidelines to implement Senate Bill (SB) 226. Signed by the Governor last October, SB 226 promotes infill development by: (1) providing flexibility in project design by basing eligibility largely on environmental performance rather than prescribed project characteristics; and (2) avoiding
City of Sacramento’s Climate Action Plan Strives to Achieve an 83% Reduction in 2005 GHG Emissions Levels by 2050
On February 14, 2012, the City of Sacramento will hold a hearing to consider approving the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP). (http://www.sacgp.org/cap.html.) The CAP is split into two phases. Phase 1, which was adopted in February 2010, addresses GHG emissions from internal municipal operations. Phase 2, which will be considered by the City Council for
Governor Brown Releases CEQA Reforms in an Effort to Simplify the Approval Process for Infill Projects
Sacramento, January 25, 2012. Today Governor Brown released a package of CEQA reforms designed to simplify and expedite the approval process for key job-creating projects in California. The package of CEQA reforms provide the regulatory changes necessary to implement SB 226 (Simitian), which the Governor signed October.
Upon finalization, these reforms will simplify the
Attorney General Joins Petitioners in SANDAG Litigation
On January 23, 2012, Attorney General Kamala D. Harris filed a Notice of Intent to File a CEQA Petition for Writ of Mandate in Intervention to intervene in the CEQA lawsuit filed by the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity on November 28, 2011, challenging the 2050 Regional Transportation Plan/Sustainable Communities
Tina Thomas Establishes Thomas Law Group
Tina Thomas, a nationally-recognized land use attorney whose cases have established critical legal precedents in California, announced today the formation of the Thomas Law Group after nearly three decades as a managing partner and of counsel to Remy, Thomas, Moose and Manley, LLP.