California Environmental Quality Act: City of San Diego: Old Town Center redevelopment.

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency, as defined, to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of an environmental impact report on a project that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. CEQA also requires a lead agency to prepare a mitigated negative declaration for a project that may have a significant effect on the environment if revisions in the project would avoid or mitigate that effect and there is no substantial evidence that the project, as revised, would have a significant effect on the environment. CEQA establishes a procedure by which a person may seek judicial review of the decision of the lead agency made pursuant to CEQA and a procedure for the preparation and certification of the record of proceedings upon the filing of an action or proceeding challenging a lead agency's action on the grounds of noncompliance with CEQA. This bill would authorize the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) to obtain site control to support the redevelopment of the Old Town Center site, including a transit and transportation facilities project, in the City of San Diego before completing the environmental review for those actions. This bill would provide that the requirements of CEQA for transit-oriented development projects occurring at the Old Town Center site that meet certain requirements are satisfied by a specific environmental impact statement prepared by the United States Department of the Navy. The bill would require further environmental review for transit-oriented development projects to be conducted only if certain events occur. The bill would require the approval of a transit-oriented development project to be preceded by a certain determination. This bill would require SANDAG, in certifying the environmental impact report and in granting approvals for a transit and transportation facilities project, as defined, to comply with specified procedures. The bill would require SANDAG to concurrently prepare the record of proceedings for the project. Because SANDAG, a regional agency, would be required to comply with those new procedures, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would require a transit and transportation facilities project to comply with certain requirements concerning the emissions of greenhouse gases. The bill would apply certain rules of court establishing procedures requiring actions or proceedings seeking judicial review pursuant to CEQA or the granting of project approvals, including any appeals to the court of appeal or the Supreme Court, to be resolved, to the extent feasible, within 270 business days of the filing of the certified record of proceedings with the court to an action or proceeding seeking judicial review of SANDAG's action related to the project. The bill would repeal these provisions if SANDAG fails to certify an environmental impact report for the transit and transportation facilities project before January 1, 2025. This bill would require transit-oriented development projects at the Old Town Center site and transit and transportation facilities projects to comply with certain labor-related requirements. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the City of San Diego. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.