Judicial Streamlining Renewed for Expanded Set of “Environmental Leadership” Projects

California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation, Senate Bill No. 7, that reenacts a streamlined litigation process for certain "environmental leadership development projects" and extends eligibility to additional housing projects. Previous legislation offering similar benefits to a narrower range of developments expired on January 1. To qualify for judicial streamlining under SB 7, a project must meet the following criteria:

• The project is for residential, retail, commercial, sports, cultural, entertainment, or recreational uses.
• The project is located on an infill site.
• For residential projects, at least 15 percent of units are set aside for lower-income households.
• For non-residential projects, the project is certified as LEED Gold or better, and achieves a 15 percent improvement over comparable projects in vehicle trips per capita.
• The project is consistent with the Sustainable Communities Strategy or Alternative Planning Strategy and does not result in any net additional emission of greenhouse gases, including greenhouse gas emissions from employee transportation.
• The project will result in an investment in California of at least $15 million for housing projects and at least $100 million for other projects.
• The project creates highly skilled jobs, promotes apprenticeship training, and pays prevailing wages for construction.