Bill could fast-track big L.A. development projects
Legislation that would streamline lawsuits under state environmental law goes to Gov. Brown.
SACRAMENTO — An effort to speed up construction of mega-projects in California, which would probably include four major developments in Los Angeles, passed the state Legislature on Thursday and now moves to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.
The bill, SB 734, aims to make potential lawsuits under the state’s main environmental law governing development wrap up within nine months.
To qualify, a project would have to cost more than $100 million, pay high wages to construction workers and meet targets for greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy.
Four projects in Los Angeles, including two skyscrapers in Hollywood and a 38-acre park capping U.S. Highway 101 between Hollywood and Santa Monica boulevards, plan to apply for the perk should Brown sign the legislation. Proponents estimate it could cut three years off their construction timelines.
“This is great news for our economy and the many communities throughout the state who were seeking certainty about muchawaited projects in their hometowns,” the bill’s author, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani (D-Stockton), said in a statement. “SB 734, which is supported by business and labor, will help large job-producing green projects avoid delay and keep Californians working.”
The bill passed both houses of the Legislature with bipartisan supermajority votes, meaning that it would take effect immediately with Brown’s approval. The Senate vote Thursday was 27-0.
It’s unclear, though, how much help the bill might be to the large projects.
A previous version of the legislation has yet to provide any formal legal relief to the half a dozen projects that had qualified for streamlined judicial review.
Another project in Los Angeles, a Frank Gehry-designed mixed-use development at 8150 Sunset Blvd., is one of the six already granted expedited review and is awaiting final approval by the city of Los Angeles.
Some environmental groups, including the Sierra Club of California, oppose the measure because they don’t believe the restrictions are strong enough to merit a break from the normal rules.
The policymaking body of the California court system also is against the bill because prioritizing lawsuits against these projects would slow down other cases.