Arent Fox Bay Area Land News - February 7, 2017
News you can dig.
US/California/Bay Area News
Silicon Valley Business Journal
Suit to block high-speed rail drops old argument for a new approach
High-speed rail opponents have amended a lawsuit against California’s project and added the man considered the father of the proposal — retired judge and former State Sen. Quentin Kopp — to the list of plaintiffs.
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San Francisco Business Times
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative aims $3.6 million at another big problem: Housing
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which has directed most of its funds at education and health care, is targeting another of the region's most entrenched problems.
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San Francisco Chronicle
State bill seeks to protect immigrant tenants
AB291 would prohibit landlords from disclosing tenants’ immigration status or threatening to report them to federal immigration agents, an action that advocates say is a fairly common ploy — done for retribution or in a bid to get tenants to move.
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Cannabis Business Times
San Diego City Council Approves Recreational Pot Regulations
The new state law also provides municipalities with the authority to regulate marijuana-related activities and to subject such enterprises to zoning and permitting requirements, city officials said.
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New York Times
Tackling Los Angeles’s Deadly Smog
Now, after years of work, regulators are getting ready to adopt their most substantial plan in more than a decade to do something about it.
To read the full article, click here.
San Francisco News
San Francisco Business Times
Engineer who signed off on Millennium Tower says builders needed one more expert to certify soil
An engineer from UC Berkeley who was one of two experts who originally certified Millennium Tower's design as structurally sound said this week that the builders of the luxury project should have hired a geotechnical expert if they wanted to be certain about the soil's building strength.
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SFGate
S.F. rents down more than any other large U.S. city
The affordability calculations are based on the percentage of average monthly household income put toward the average monthly apartment rent, which is currently around $3,200 for a one-bedroom in S.F.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Condos’ effort to preserve past well-meaning but awkward
While the fusion here at least has the courage of its convictions, the awkward result should make planners think twice before staging the next shotgun wedding.
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San Francisco Business Times
San Francisco nears selection of Lendlease as developer for public tower site
San Francisco is close to selecting Lendlease Group as the developer of a major publicly owned tower site, according to a source with knowledge of the deal's discussions.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Deciding on future of Russian Hill park is no picnic
The future park is a godsend to neighbors, who live in the densest district in one of the nation’s most-densely populated cities, but there is disagreement about what should be built on the site.
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San Francisco Examiner
SF’s tech sector jobs to grow at faster rate than other industries
The industry currently has 1,216 companies employing 35,603 people. Tech workers earned last year an average of $185,669, according to the plan, and are all but guaranteed “economic security.”
To read the full article, click here.
San Francisco Chronicle
Opinion: Households with children struggling to stay in SF
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco believes that in order to keep family-based population growth going, we need to find ways to provide opportunities for families to build wealth and provide for their children in a region where wealth stratification is becoming a critical problem and families are being pushed further and further out of the Bay Area.
To read the full article, click here.
San Francisco Examiner
Will San Francisco renege on middle-income housing for Van Ness-Market hub?
That measure mandated a minimum of 33 percent affordable housing on any city-owned land sold on the open market. Real Estate is now seeking another loophole, by asking for a waiver from Prop. K based on The City’s interest in using the proceeds to pay for “infrastructure” — in this case, a new office building for The City built in partnership with another private developer.
To read the full article, click here.
San Francisco Chronicle
One solution to inequality: Build more homes in the Bay Area
Ed Lee entered the mayor’s office in 2011 with a mandate for economic development and passed a payroll tax break to entice creative-class companies to the city. High-growth tech dynamos such as Twitter, Spotify and Zendesk jumped at the offer, eager to capitalize not only on a sweet tax deal but on shifting attitudes toward urban living among their largely Millennial workforce that value qualities such as walkability and a car-free commute at a premium.
To read the full article, click here.
San Francisco Business Times
Huge hotel, condo project proposed at 447 Battery, joining FiDi hospitality boom
Plans for a 200-foot-tall hotel and condo building at 447 Battery Street in the Financial District have been formally submitted to San Francisco’s Planning Department.
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South Bay News
Mercury News
Cambrian Park Plaza’s longtime merchants face uncertain future
Despite knowing beforehand the plaza was targeted for redevelopment, the Ortegas decided to take a risk and buy the store. Besides, he said, it was better than finding a new job, since he was working at the appliance store when the owner decided to sell.
To read the full article, click here.
Peninsula News
Palo Alto Online
Editorial: A reckless majority
The five members who make up the new, more development-friendly majority on the Palo Alto City Council blatantly stuck it to their four colleagues and the community Monday night with what appeared to be a carefully orchestrated take-over of the critical land-use portion of the new Comprehensive Plan.
To read the full article, click here.
Silicon Valley Business Journal
Squeezing high-speed trains along the Peninsula is a very tight fit
Exactly how one-stop or nonstop high-speed trains will weave their way past multi-stop Caltrains at 110 mph along the Peninsula has been boiled down to four passing track options by rail planners, who hope to select a preferred option sometime this summer.
To read the full article, click here.
Palo Alto Online
Late cash from developers boosted Tanaka, Fine campaigns
In the weeks before and after Nov. 8, each candidate received several large contributions from builders, real estate professionals and developers, including in Tanaka's case one whose controversial project is about to be reviewed by the council.
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SFGate
Rooftop garden at Facebook draws bird lovers
More than 1,800 birds from 43 species have been spotted on the 9-acre plot since June 2015, according to the Audubon Society.
To read the full article, click here.
Palo Alto Online
Webcast: Land-use plan uproar
On "Behind the Headlines," Palo Alto Councilman Tom DuBois joins journalists Jocelyn Dong and Gennady Sheyner to discuss the City Council's divisive debate over the Comprehensive Plan.
To read the full article, click here.
The Almanac
Woodside mayor recommends no action by Town Council on ethics investigation
"The extended backroom discussions by many of the Town’s civic leaders that were uncovered through the recent 'ethics investigation' related to my work on the (review board) have been painful to discover," she said in the letter. "This process also confirmed for me that petty politics and private profit are prioritized over retaining a professional and respectful environment for Town volunteers in Woodside."
To read the full article, click here.
Palo Alto Online
East Palo Alto nonprofit gets $3.1 million from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
An East Palo Alto nonprofit group that helps thousands of low-income residents with housing and immigration issues will receive a three-year $3.1 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the initiative announced on Monday.
To read the full article, click here.
Palo Alto Online
Opinion: When democracy is hijacked
While clothing themselves in language of inclusion and community values, they embarked on a scorched-earth policy, jettisoning language enshrining those values in city policy, and undid years of effort by dedicated volunteers to build consensus across diverse interests.
To read the full article, click here.
East Bay News
San Francisco Chronicle
East Oakland retail center promises change for neighborhood
No chain drugstore in Oakland has generated as much enthusiasm or consternation as the planned Walgreens that broke ground this week in a low-income neighborhood not far from Mills College.
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San Francisco Business Times
VIDEO: Developer to buy long-stalled Oakland site, start office tower on spec
Ellis Partners plans to break ground on the tower at 1100 Broadway, which is next to BART, on spec, or without a tenant commitment, said Mayor Libby Schaaf.
To read the full article, click here. [subscription required]
San Francisco Chronicle
Richmond rent control awaits court decision
In the latest skirmish over rent control in the Bay Area, a judge in Martinez heard arguments Wednesday for and against halting a voter-approved rent control law in Richmond pending the outcome of a lawsuit claiming it’s unconstitutional.
To read the full article, click here.