Assessing the Berkeley Case's Impact on CEQA Law
Moderator: Kevin James, Fmr. Chair, LA City Board of Public Works
Panel:
Jennifer Hernandez, Partner, Holland & Knight
Doug Carstens, President, Planning & Conservation League; Partner, Chatten-Brown & Carstens
After a showdown in the courts, the California Legislature stepped in and concluded that a change in enrollment was not a "project" and thus did not trigger CEQA, creating a temporary fix to the potential of an enrollment freeze at UC Berkeley. In the wake of that decision, many are still wondering what can and should be done about the current state of the California Environmental Quality Act. How has CEQA, despite the workload it creates, benefitted California's environment and underserved communities? What recommendations can be inputted to make small infill development and other minimal projects have an expedited process? In short, what is the future of CEQA?