A movement to encourage more housing projects along the California coast has stalled out in the California legislature.
Earlier this year, lawmakers, with the backing of some housing activists, introduced a series of bills aimed at making it easier to build apartments and accessory dwelling units along California’s highly regulated coast. The legislation would make it more difficult for the independent California Coastal Commission to slow or block housing projects.
The 15-member commission oversees most of the state’s 840 miles of coastline, a stretch of land where close to one million Californians live. Since the 1970s, the California Coastal Commission has closely regulated construction or demolition within the coastal zone —a band of land that ranges from 1,000 feet to 5-miles inland from high tide.
Housing advocates say the coastal commission has tended to favor the wishes of wealthy single-family homeowners and has effectively excluded higher density housing projects within the coastal zone.
Related Stories
| Jan 5, 2012
New law bars Defense Department from new LEED certifications
The Defense Department will not be allowed to use any money to certify its buildings LEED Gold or Platinum, under a law President Obama signed Dec. 31.
| Dec 22, 2011
Federal home weatherization program has impacted 6.8 million homes
More than 6.8 million homes have been weatherized using federal, state, utility, and other funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
| Dec 15, 2011
Dayton, Ohio schools saving $2.6 million annually by building to LEED
On average, green schools save about $100,000 a year on operating costs, including energy and water savings.
| Dec 15, 2011
Building to LEED standards can pose new risks for construction workers
Workers on these projects suffer a 24% increase in falls to lower levels during roof work, which researchers attributed to the installation of solar panels, and a few other risks.
| Dec 15, 2011
NRDC charges Maine governor with weakening green wood requirement
The FSC program is administered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and requires wood to be harvested in a sustainable way.
| Dec 15, 2011
Post-tornado, Tuscaloosa seeks to create walkable urban, retail areas
Block sizes initially were limited to a maximum perimeter of 1,750 feet, with no side of the block being longer than 500 feet.
| Dec 15, 2011
Allentown, Pa. city council asked to repeal union-friendly law
The mayor of Allentown, Pa. asked the City Council to repeal a year-old ordinance that forces contractors to hire union workers for large city projects funded with state and federal dollars.
| Dec 13, 2011
LEED-EB outpaces LEED for new construction
The U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED certifications for existing buildings standard is outpacing LEED for new buildings for the first time.
| Dec 1, 2011
OSHA releases new construction safety videos
OSHA released new safety videos to offer both employers and workers brief, easy-to-understand education about construction safety.
| Nov 23, 2011
Obama signs repeal of 3% withholding on government contracts
President Obama signed a bill that repeals a law requiring governments to withhold 3% of payments over $10,000 to contractors.
