Newsom Vows CEQA Reform After Court Blocks UC Berkeley People's Park Student Housing

CBS San Francisco

February 28, 2023

BERKELEY — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he'll work this year to reform a landmark state environmental law that he says has been weaponized by wealthy homeowners to block badly-needed housing for students at the University of California, Berkeley.

Newsom's comments over the weekend followed a state appeals court ruling that found the University of California "failed to assess potential noise impacts from loud student parties in residential neighborhoods near the campus" as required by the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, when it planned new housing near the university.

The 1st District Court of Appeals' ruling Friday could delay the building of a complex at Berkeley's historic People's Park, which is owned by the University of California, Berkeley, for years or even decades, Newsom said.

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