The Central SoMa Plan took more than seven years of planning and debate to approve. A new lawsuit, expected to be just the first of many, threatens to erase all that work.

"A nonprofit housing group has filed the first of what is expected to be several lawsuits challenging the rezoning of San Francisco’s Central South of Market area," reports J.K. Dineen.
San Francisco approved the Central SoMa Plan in November and again in December, laying the groundwork for 7,000 housing units and 6 million square feet of office uses, enough space for about 39,000 jobs.
The lawsuit by the Yerba Buena Neighborhood Consortium alleges that the plan's environmental review "didn’t take into account the impact the neighborhood changes would have on public services such as police, fire and recreation," explains Dineen. "In addition, the lawsuit claims that the environmental study neglected to analyze the potential 'grave earthquake dangers' that exist in the Central SoMa neighborhood, much of which is built on fill."
FULL STORY: Lawsuit filed challenging San Francisco’s new Central SoMa zoning plan

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

Tenant Advocates: Rent Gouging Rampant After LA Wildfires
The Rent Brigade says it's found evidence of thousands of likely instances of rent gouging. In some cases, the landlords accused of exploiting the fires had made campaign donations to those responsible for enforcement.

Seattle’s Upzoning Plan is Ambitious, Light on Details
The city passed a ‘bare-bones’ framework to comply with state housing laws that paves the way for more middle housing, but the debate over how and where to build is just getting started.

DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.
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