SB 341: The Enterprise Zone CEQA Compliance Bill

The last round of Enterprise Zone applications brought to the fore a serious problem in the process. The Enterprise Zone statute makes the designation of a new zone contingent on the completion of an environmental impact report (EIR). According to the professionals, this process is entirely redundant and unnecessary. Not only that, but it usually costs jurisdictions over $100,000 to complete the process.

Last year, AB 1550 managed to put a band-aid on the problem by allowing new zones that overlapped old zones to become effective immediately even pending the EIR. But the wholly new zones such as Compton and Santa Clarita will not be fully designated for at least several more months because of this requirement.

To solve this problem, State Senator Lowenthal has introduced SB 341 (co-authored by Assemblyman Arambula) to allow future EZ applicants to comply with CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act) via one of the other more normal, expeditious, cost-effective manners that are usually available for similar endeavors.

Here is a link to a fact sheet prepared by Senator Lowenthal's committee staff. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee on March 26. Letters of support should be sent to:

The Honorable Alan Lowenthal, Chairman
Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
State Capitol, Room 2032
Sacramento, California 95814

By the way, I checked my previous "side note" about sending letters of support/opposition with a couple of my friends in the Capitol. One agreed with me completely, and one felt that cogent arguments are indeed helpful. Therefore, if you have time, by all means send a letter with a well reasoned argument. But if you don't have time, a letter simply stating "support" or "oppose" will also contribute to the process.