California Environmental Quality Act: environmental leadership development projects: streamlining.

Senator Padilla's waterfront development legislation creates a streamlined environmental review process for large-scale projects in San Diego's Central Embarcadero Planning District, establishing new procedures for both developers and regulatory agencies.

The bill defines Waterfront Environmental Leadership Development Projects (WELDPs) as Governor-certified initiatives that exceed 1,000,000 square feet of new construction, enhance public waterfront access, and occupy more than 50 acres within the designated district. Under the new framework, the California Coastal Commission must provide specific feedback on technical documents within 60 days of submission. Project applicants must file port master plan amendment materials within 30 days after environmental impact report certification, while the Commission must identify all required technical documentation within 30 days and reach final determinations within 90 days of receiving complete submissions.

The legislation requires port master plans to incorporate objective standards for building specifications, view corridors, and habitat mitigation ratios. For projects meeting these standards, the Commission cannot impose conditions that would make development practically infeasible. The Commission may recover reasonable costs for application processing through fees established via written agreements with developers. Local agencies retain authority to levy service charges sufficient to implement the program without state reimbursement.