CEQA overhaul, Cerritos does an about face on Southeast Gateway Line, and more

In conjunction with the 2025-2026 state budget, Governor Newsom this week signed AB 130 and SB 131 - enacting long-awaited reform to the landmark California Environmental Quality Act.

AB 130 will henceforth exempt the vast majority of infill residential developments from CEQA review. In addition to other eligibility standards which are largely aligned with those of SB 35, this legislation is notable in that it exempts projects up to 85 feet from requirements to use union labor. Likewise, AB 130 and SB 131 also establish CEQA exemptions for projects such as farmworker housing, childcare centers, food pantries, broadband infrastructure, parks, health clinics, advanced manufacturing facilities, high speed rail infrastructure, wildfire mitigation projects, and climate adaptation projects.

Other legislation signed this week by Newsom includes AB 306, which institutes a moratorium through June 1, 2031 on changes to state and local building standards impacting residential units, unless determined necessary for health and safety reasons.

In addition to flipping the Harland development in West Hollywood back to condominiums this week, Centurion Real Estate Partners has also announced that it will take over sales for the 54-unit Mandarin Oriental Residences at 9200 Wilshire Boulevard  in Beverly Hills.

Sales prices for the one-, two-, and three-bedroom units will range from $2.5 million to $6.25 million, per a news release. That doesn't include penthouses.

Here's what we're reading this week:

Apple Music to open a studio in Culver City "The facility spans more than 15,000 square feet and includes two radio studios for live interviews and performances, a spatial audio mixing room, booths for songwriting and podcasting, and rooms to help artists create content, Apple said in a post about the studio. " (LA Times)

Eyes On the Street: Metro and L.A. City Restore Wilshire Blvd. at New Subway Stations "Construction is winding down on Metro's 3.9-mile $3.35 billion D Line subway extension section 1" (Streetsblog LA)

Homelessness declined last year in Hollywood and Venice, but not Skid Row, new Rand study finds "The total number of unsheltered homeless people was down 15% overall in the three areas Rand studies, the first decrease since the project began in 2021. But the declines — 49% in Hollywood and 22% in Venice were partially offset by a 9% increase in Skid Row." (LA Times)

Rolling Hills, also grappling with landslide damage, seeks its own buyout program for affected residents "Rolling Hills city leaders directed staff to work with the California Office of Emergency Services to figure out what it would take to offer residents a voluntary buyout program similar to what’s in place for neighboring RPV, which announced a buyout program last year." (LAist)

Cerritos Approves a $127K Contract to Study Potential Metro Rail Station Locations  "Former Councilmen Barrows and Vo were against any station in Cerritos, now that they are gone, the city will open the process again." (Los Cerritos News)

Priced out of LA homeownership? City Council proposal could allow sale of cheaper ADUs "Los Angeles City Council members introduced a batch of proposals this week aimed at speeding up the creation of more housing, including new options for achieving what for most Angelenos is an increasingly impossible dream: buying a home." (LAist)

Chinatown tenants just won a major victory after refusing to pay rent for almost 5 years "The deal ends a seven-year battle that began when Hillside Villa’s landlord tried to double tenants’ rent." (LA Public Press)

Los Angeles keeps adding more EV chargers "Will easier charging be enough to convince more drivers to switch?" (Crosstown)

L.A. Office Activity Improves, But Challenges Are Mounting "L.A’s office activity exceeded 3.7 million square feet this past quarter, though availability still increased to 28.1%, according to Savills" (Commercial Observer)

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