California Environmental Quality Act: retail facilities: project review.

(1) The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires a lead agency to prepare, or cause to be prepared, and certify the completion of, an environmental impact report on a project, as defined, that it proposes to carry out or approve that may have a significant effect on the environment, as defined, or to adopt a negative declaration if it finds that the project will not have that effect. This bill would, until January 1, 2015, exempt from those CEQA requirements a project proposed by a person that employs less than 500 employees, in total, and that consists of the alteration of a vacant retail structure that existed prior to January 1, 2008, is not more than 60,000 square feet in area, and meets specified requirements. (2) CEQA also requires the lead agency to call at least one scoping meeting for a project of statewide, regional, or areawide significance. CEQA requires the lead agency to provide to specified entities, including a city or county that borders the city or county within which the project is located, a responsible agency, a public agency with jurisdiction by law with respect to the project, and a transportation planning agency or public agency required to be consulted, a notice of at least one scoping meeting. This bill would additionally require the lead agency to provide a notice to other entities that have filed a written request for the notice. (3) By imposing various additional duties on a lead agency with regard to the implementation of CEQA requirements, this bill would increase the service provided by a local agency, thereby creating a state-mandated local program. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.