As I stated in my original commentary, I am not a fan of the way the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is abused. IMHO, It was well intended, but has outlived its usefulness. Many people would disagree with me. CEQA survives mostly because powerful labor unions in Sacramento (the state capital) use threats of CEQA lawsuits to enforce PLAs (project labor agreements). The state doesn't enforce CEQA, it leaves it up to private attorneys to sue under the law. This arrangement is not unique. The state of California also requires cities to move to district-based elections for city councils is there is "voter dilution" of minority representation. But the state leaves it up to private attorneys to sue cities to force them to move to district elections. At federal level the Americans with Disabilities Act is also enforced by lawsuits by private attorneys.
Why should a random Berkeley resident be even able to sue under ceqa to block dense housing? It doesn’t make any sense as a regulation.
As I stated in my original commentary, I am not a fan of the way the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is abused. IMHO, It was well intended, but has outlived its usefulness. Many people would disagree with me. CEQA survives mostly because powerful labor unions in Sacramento (the state capital) use threats of CEQA lawsuits to enforce PLAs (project labor agreements). The state doesn't enforce CEQA, it leaves it up to private attorneys to sue under the law. This arrangement is not unique. The state of California also requires cities to move to district-based elections for city councils is there is "voter dilution" of minority representation. But the state leaves it up to private attorneys to sue cities to force them to move to district elections. At federal level the Americans with Disabilities Act is also enforced by lawsuits by private attorneys.