BILL ANALYSIS Ó
AB 343
Page 1
Date of Hearing: May 11, 2011
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Cameron Smyth, Chair
AB 343 (Atkins) - As Introduced: February 10, 2011
SUBJECT : Redevelopment plans: environmental goals
SUMMARY : Requires every redevelopment plan to consider and
identify strategies for how redevelopment projects will help
attain climate, air quality and energy conservation goals
identified in SB 375 (Steinberg), Chapter 728 of Statutes of
2008, or the applicable regional greenhouse gas emission
reductions targets.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires each redevelopment agency (RDA) to prepare or cause
to be prepared, and approve, a redevelopment plan for each
project area and for that purpose may hold hearings and
conduct examinations, investigations, and other negotiations.
2)Requires the RDA to consult with the planning commission of
the community and with the project area committee, if
applicable, in preparing a redevelopment plan.
3)Requires every redevelopment plan to be consistent with the
community's general plan.
4)Requires each metropolitan planning organization (MPO) to
include, within its regional transportation plan (RTP), a
sustainable communities strategy (SCS) designed to achieve
specified targets for GHG emission reduction; if the SCS does
not achieve the reduction target, the MPO must prepare an
alternative planning strategy (APS).
5)Requires each city, county, or city and county to prepare and
adopt a general plan for its jurisdiction that contains
certain mandatory elements, including a housing element.
FISCAL EFFECT : None
AB 343
Page 2
COMMENTS :
1)SB 375 builds on the existing regional transportation planning
process (which is overseen by local elected officials with
land use responsibilities) to connect the reduction of
greenhouse gas (GhG) emissions from cars and light trucks to
land use and transportation policy. In 2006, the Legislature
passed AB 32-The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006-which
requires the State of California to reduce GhG emissions to
1990 levels no later than the year 2020. According to the
California Air Resources Board (CARB), in 1990 greenhouse gas
emissions from automobiles and light trucks totaled 108
million metric tons, but by 2004 these emissions had increased
to 135 million metric tons. SB 375 asserts that "without
improved land use and transportation policy, California will
not be able to achieve the goals of AB 32."
SB 375 contains five key aspects:
a) Creation of regional targets for greenhouse gas
emissions reduction tied to land use:
b) A requirement that regional planning agencies create a
plan to meet those targets, even if that plan is in
conflict with local plans:
c) A requirement that regional transportation funding
decisions be consistent with this new plan;
d) Marries together regional transportation planning and
housing efforts for the first time; and ,
e) New CEQA exemptions and streamlining for projects that
conform to the new regional plans, even if they conflict
with local plans.
AB 343
Page 3
2)RDAs were created to eradicate blight in disadvantaged
communities. By bonding against increases in tax increment,
agencies generate the funds to carry out blight reduction.
Moreover, redevelopment is often used to revitalize urban
cores and promote infill and transit-oriented development.
Redevelopment plans are required to be consistent with a
community's general plan. Although a city's or a county's
general plan does not have to be consistent with an SCS, the
provisions of SB 375 work at a regional level to tie
transportation and land use planning.
3)According to the author, "AB 343 directs redevelopment
agencies to identify strategies in any redevelopment plan for
implementing strategies that are consistent with the goals
established in SB 375 (Steinberg). Linking redevelopment
plans to the sustainable community strategy is the best way to
ensure that all local government plans and projects are
ensuring the regional air quality goals are being met and that
no one local jurisdiction within the region is faced with more
of the burden of implementing. This will ensure that the
process that is taking place at the regional level to meet air
targets is consistent with growth, redevelopment, housing and
transportation as it relates to redevelopment agencies."
4)Support arguments: Supporters, Western Center on Law &
Poverty, state that, "SB 375 established regional blueprint
planning. It is logical and property that redevelopment plans
should be aligned with regional planning requirements.
Redevelopment projects are essentially by definition infill
development. Infill development will be key in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions."
Opposition arguments: Opposition could argue that the primary
goal of redevelopment is the eradication of blight and the
provisions of this measure do not focus directly on that
effort. Moreover, having a redevelopment plan work towards
the goals of SB 375 could actually cause the plan to become
inconsistent with the local general plan since general plans
do not have to be consistent with a regional SCS.
5)This bill was heard in the Housing and Community Development
Committee on April 27, 2011, where it passed with a 5-2 vote.
REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION :
AB 343
Page 4
Support
Breathe California
Western Center on Law & Poverty
Opposition
None on file
Analysis Prepared by : Katie Kolitsos / L. GOV. / (916)
319-3958