Legals
SACRAMENTO – The California Natural Resources Agency has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on updated state guidelines for implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, including new regulations that will streamline review of projects that improve air quality and public health.
Public comment on the proposal is due by 5 p.m. March 15, and public hearings will be held in Sacramento and Los Angeles as follows:
Sacramento
March 15, 2018
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
California Energy Commission, Rosenfield Hearing Room, 1516 9th St., Sacramento
(This hearing will be webcast.)
Los Angeles
March 14, 2018
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
California Science Center, Annenberg Building, Muses Room, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles
Proposed changes to the CEQA guidelines address nearly every step in the environmental review process to improve efficiency and better protect natural resources.
The regulations align CEQA rules with other state environmental policies and goals, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Examples of proposed changes include:
– Updated exemptions for residential and mixed-use developments near transit and redeveloping vacant buildings.
– Clarified rules to make it easier to use existing environmental documents to cover later projects.
– New provisions to address energy efficiency and the availability of water supplies.
– Simplified requirements for responding to comments.
– Modified provisions to reflect recent CEQA cases addressing baseline, mitigation requirements and greenhouse gas emissions.
The changes include provisions implementing SB 743 (Steinberg) of 2013 that would simplify CEQA analysis of a project’s transportation impacts by focusing analysis on “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT). VMT already is used in CEQA to study other impacts such as air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, and this change provides consistency with those rules.
The new rules make it clear that projects that reduce the number of miles that cars travel – such a new bike lanes or new public transportation infrastructure – generally have few environmental impacts and can be expedited under state law.
While cities already are updating their own CEQA procedures for transportation analysis in anticipation of this change, public agencies that need time will have two years to prepare for the transition.
The proposal also provides flexibility for agencies to use other metrics to measure the effects of roadway capacity projects.
These proposed changes to the CEQA Guidelines were developed over the past four years with extensive input from the public, stakeholders and legal experts.
Following the public hearings, the Natural Resources Agency will consider all comments on the proposal and may make appropriate changes. At the end of the rulemaking process, including developing written responses to comments, the Natural Resources Agency will submit the package to the Office of Administrative Law.
More on the proposed update to the CEQA Guidelines is available here.
Public comment on the proposal is due by 5 p.m. March 15, and public hearings will be held in Sacramento and Los Angeles as follows:
Sacramento
March 15, 2018
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
California Energy Commission, Rosenfield Hearing Room, 1516 9th St., Sacramento
(This hearing will be webcast.)
Los Angeles
March 14, 2018
1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
California Science Center, Annenberg Building, Muses Room, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles
Proposed changes to the CEQA guidelines address nearly every step in the environmental review process to improve efficiency and better protect natural resources.
The regulations align CEQA rules with other state environmental policies and goals, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Examples of proposed changes include:
– Updated exemptions for residential and mixed-use developments near transit and redeveloping vacant buildings.
– Clarified rules to make it easier to use existing environmental documents to cover later projects.
– New provisions to address energy efficiency and the availability of water supplies.
– Simplified requirements for responding to comments.
– Modified provisions to reflect recent CEQA cases addressing baseline, mitigation requirements and greenhouse gas emissions.
The changes include provisions implementing SB 743 (Steinberg) of 2013 that would simplify CEQA analysis of a project’s transportation impacts by focusing analysis on “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT). VMT already is used in CEQA to study other impacts such as air quality, greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, and this change provides consistency with those rules.
The new rules make it clear that projects that reduce the number of miles that cars travel – such a new bike lanes or new public transportation infrastructure – generally have few environmental impacts and can be expedited under state law.
While cities already are updating their own CEQA procedures for transportation analysis in anticipation of this change, public agencies that need time will have two years to prepare for the transition.
The proposal also provides flexibility for agencies to use other metrics to measure the effects of roadway capacity projects.
These proposed changes to the CEQA Guidelines were developed over the past four years with extensive input from the public, stakeholders and legal experts.
Following the public hearings, the Natural Resources Agency will consider all comments on the proposal and may make appropriate changes. At the end of the rulemaking process, including developing written responses to comments, the Natural Resources Agency will submit the package to the Office of Administrative Law.
More on the proposed update to the CEQA Guidelines is available here.
- Details
- Written by: California Natural Resources Agency
SACRAMENTO — Caltrans has released for public review and comment the latest Public Participation Plan (PPP), which discusses expanding the department’s web presence and using social media to achieve Caltrans’ goal of increasing public engagement and feedback.
“An involved and well-informed public can contribute valuable input during all stages of transportation decision-making,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Public feedback on this plan is necessary in creating a document that makes it easy to understand the transportation planning and programming process so more people can influence state, regional and local transportation decision-making.”
The PPP serves as a framework for educating and involving the public to help create a sustainable transportation system that will improve multimodal mobility, strengthen communities and enhance the quality of life.
The primary purpose of the PPP is to foster meaningful and ongoing public involvement in the California Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FSTIP).
Creating the CTP and the FSTIP involves early and continuous public feedback, and the PPP offers the following five principles to guide the department’s public engagement efforts:
– Clarify the transportation planning and programming processes.
– Convey the impact and relevance of transportation issues to the public.
– Explain how and when the public can influence State, regional and local transportation policies and projects.
– Engage a broad spectrum of California’s diverse population.
– Continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of the public participation process.
The PPP will ensure a comprehensive, meaningful and responsive public participation process that reflects community interests and values. Informing and educating the public about how transportation decisions occur in California will be at the forefront of CTP and FSTIP outreach activities.
The PPP is updated every three to five years to reflect California’s transportation trends, challenges and opportunities.
The public can review and comment on the PPP at http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/californiatransportationplan2040/index.shtm . Comments may also be submitted by email toThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by U.S. mail: California Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Planning, Office of State Planning, 1120 N Street MS 32, Sacramento, CA 95814. Comments must be submitted by 5:00 p.m., on Friday, March 9, 2018.
The CTP is California’s long-range transportation plan that provides a vision with a set of supporting goals, policies and recommendations to help guide transportation related decisions and investments.
Updated every five years, the CTP is not project specific; but rather, a policy-driven document that identifies the state’s direction to achieve a safe, sustainable, integrated, and efficient multimodal transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability over a minimum 20-year planning horizon.
The FSTIP is a four-year statewide multimodal program of prioritized transportation projects derived from local and regional long-range plans prepared by Caltrans, the Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies.
The FSTIP reflects the state’s transportation vision and goals laid out both in the CTP and in local and regional long-range plans.
“An involved and well-informed public can contribute valuable input during all stages of transportation decision-making,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “Public feedback on this plan is necessary in creating a document that makes it easy to understand the transportation planning and programming process so more people can influence state, regional and local transportation decision-making.”
The PPP serves as a framework for educating and involving the public to help create a sustainable transportation system that will improve multimodal mobility, strengthen communities and enhance the quality of life.
The primary purpose of the PPP is to foster meaningful and ongoing public involvement in the California Transportation Plan (CTP) and the Federal Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (FSTIP).
Creating the CTP and the FSTIP involves early and continuous public feedback, and the PPP offers the following five principles to guide the department’s public engagement efforts:
– Clarify the transportation planning and programming processes.
– Convey the impact and relevance of transportation issues to the public.
– Explain how and when the public can influence State, regional and local transportation policies and projects.
– Engage a broad spectrum of California’s diverse population.
– Continually re-evaluate the effectiveness of the public participation process.
The PPP will ensure a comprehensive, meaningful and responsive public participation process that reflects community interests and values. Informing and educating the public about how transportation decisions occur in California will be at the forefront of CTP and FSTIP outreach activities.
The PPP is updated every three to five years to reflect California’s transportation trends, challenges and opportunities.
The public can review and comment on the PPP at http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tpp/californiatransportationplan2040/index.shtm . Comments may also be submitted by email to
The CTP is California’s long-range transportation plan that provides a vision with a set of supporting goals, policies and recommendations to help guide transportation related decisions and investments.
Updated every five years, the CTP is not project specific; but rather, a policy-driven document that identifies the state’s direction to achieve a safe, sustainable, integrated, and efficient multimodal transportation system to enhance California’s economy and livability over a minimum 20-year planning horizon.
The FSTIP is a four-year statewide multimodal program of prioritized transportation projects derived from local and regional long-range plans prepared by Caltrans, the Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies.
The FSTIP reflects the state’s transportation vision and goals laid out both in the CTP and in local and regional long-range plans.
- Details
- Written by: Caltrans
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BY
THE LAKE COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Planning Commission of the County of Lake, State of California, will hold a public hearing to make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors for consideration of proposed amendments to CHAPTER 21, ARTICLE 27 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE TO REGULATE THE CULTIVATION OF CANNABIS.
A public hearing to consider the proposed amendments will be held on Thursday February 8, 2018, at 9:05 a.m., or as soon thereafter as the business of the Commission will allow in the Board of Supervisors’ Chambers located at 255 N. Forbes Street, Lakeport, California.
If you challenge the action of the Planning Commission on any of the above stated items in court, it may be limited to only those issues raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the Lake County Planning Commission at, or prior to, the public hearing.
ZONING ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT, AM 18-01. Applicant: COUNTY OF LAKE. Proposed Amendments: CHAPTER 21, ARTICLE 27 OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE TO REGULATE THE CULTIVATION OF CANNABIS. Environmental Evaluation: Exempt per Business and Professions Code Section 26055(h). Project Planner: Michelle Irace, (707) 263-2221 or
Copies of the proposed amendments and staff report are available for review on Monday January 29, 2018 at the Community Development Department, Planning Division, Lake County Courthouse, 255 North Forbes Street, Lakeport, CA, Telephone (707) 263-2221. Please bring this notice to the attention of anyone who may be interested in this information.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
Robert Massarelli, Director
By:
Michalyn DelValle, Principal Planner
- Details
- Written by: Lake County Planning Commission
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