The Portola Valley Town Council had a bumpy road to passing its housing element in May, a moment met with relief but also uncertainty about whether it would measure up to state standards. The town got its answer last week: Not quite.
When The Ratkovich Co. submitted an application to build 1,061 residential units on unused land in Alhambra in May 2017, Brian Saenger, the company’s president and chief executive, said he had no idea of the difficulties that would lie ahead.
When the Claremont City Council approved its housing element last week, it also hit the pause button on a state law that can preempt local control over housing production. However, a Los Angeles County judge threw some uncertainty into the mix with a ruling last week that La Cañada Flintridge missed an important deadline to rezone land in its jurisdiction and as a result, was not in “substantial compliance” with housing element law. The finding was a core part of a lawsuit filed by Californians for Homeownership against the wealthy Los Angeles County city.
The Pleasanton City Council is set to hear an update on the Livermore Municipal Airport and its leasing and development policy following recent comments from Pleasanton residents in regard to loud noise coming from the airport.