California Environmental Quality Act: exemption: residential projects.

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 exempts from its requirements a residential project on an urbanized infill site that meets certain requirements, including that the site of the project is not more than 4 acres in total area. This bill would expand the exemption by increasing the size of a residential project that would qualify for the exemption to include a project of not more than 5 acres in total area. The bill would require a lead agency approving an exempt residential project on an urbanized infill site to file a notice of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research, as specified. Because the bill would increase the number of residential projects that would qualify for the exemption and would require lead agencies to file notices of exemption with the Office of Planning and Research, thereby increasing the duties of a local agency, it would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.