CALIFORNIA:
Alameda County Judge's Ruling May Impact Entire State
March 17--An Alameda
county judge recently ruled that a voter-approved cap on the number of
residences, a measure intended to limit growth and congestion in the town,
violates a state law requiring all cities to take on their share of regional
housing needs.
The judge ordered the city of Pleasanton
to disregard a limit on housing to no more than 29,000 units, set by a ballot
measure passed in 1996 and reaffirmed by voters in 2008. He also ordered the
city to remove regulatory barriers to construction of about 4,000 new housing
units by 2014, at least 75% of which must be affordable housing units.
Judge Frank Roesch based his decision on a California law that requires cities to make
land available to accommodate their share of regional housing needs, a standard
that most municipalities don't meet. If other cities face similar challenges to
their local laws, the California
landscape could be significantly reshaped within the next few years.
More here.