The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy will acquire 1,408 acres of Malibu wilderness and coastal open space.
The conservancy will pay $7 million for a portion of the property. The rest of the land will be donated by the landowner in exchange for tax credits. Under a new state program, Alfred E. Mann, the owner, will receive tax credits worth tens of millions of dollars. He recently sold his company for $3.8 billion and says that he needs the tax credit. He also said that he is tired of tangling with the opponents of the development project that he had envisioned for the Malibu acreage.
Thanks to Gwenn Hilburn
FULL STORY: State to Buy Malibu Open Space

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Has President Trump Met His Match?
Doug Ford, the no-nonsense premier of Canada's most populous province, Ontario, is taking on Trump where it hurts — making American energy more expensive.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution
Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

San Jose Mayor Takes Dual Approach to Unsheltered Homeless Population
In a commentary published in The Mercury News, Mayor Matt Mahan describes a shelter and law enforcement approach to ending targeted homeless encampments within Northern California's largest city.

Atlanta Changes Beltline Rail Plan
City officials say they are committed to building rail connections, but are nixing a prior plan to extend the streetcar network.

Are Black Mayors Being Pushed Out of Office?
The mayors of New York, St. Louis, and Pittsburgh all stand to lose their seats in the coming weeks. They also all happen to be Black.
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