California Governor Clears Way for Student Housing in Berkeley’s People’s Park

California Governor, Gavin Newsom, has signed a bill to facilitate the construction of a contentious Berkeley student housing project within Berkeley’s historic People’s Park. The University of California, Berkeley, intends to construct a $312 million housing complex for approximately 1,100 students on the park's 3-acre site. While university officials argue that this project addresses the pressing need for student housing, opponents advocate preserving the park and constructing it elsewhere. The park was established in 1969 as part of the free speech and civil rights movement when community organisers reclaimed land that the state and university had acquired through eminent domain.

The bill, signed by the governor on 7 September 2023, Thursday, alters a critical state environmental law, stating that developers are no longer required to consider noise generated by future residents as a form of environmental pollution. In February, the construction was halted following a court decision that the university failed to assess the potential noise concerns from future residents and explore alternative locations. Berkeley news highlights that the state Supreme Court is set to make the final ruling on whether construction can proceed after hearing the case in May 2023.

As per the Berkeley student housing news, the legislation was authored by Democratic Assembly member, Buffy Wicks, who represents Berkeley. She emphasised that the law clarifies that ‘people are not pollution’ under the California Environmental Quality Act. 

Addressing the Berkeley student housing news, Dan Mogulof, a UC Spokesperson, said, “The campus will resume construction of the People’s Park project when the lawsuit is resolved and hopes that the new law will substantially hasten the resolution of the lawsuit.”

However, some groups opposing the UC Berkeley student housing project, including the People’s Park Historic District Advocacy Group, criticised the legislation, claiming they were not consulted during its consideration. The group’s president, Harvey Smith, said, “We see this as an aberration of the whole process. Our case centered around the fact that we felt it was a false choice to have to choose student housing over a park.”

Newsom’s administration has made significant modifications to California’s long-standing environmental law this year, streamlining the approval process for various projects, including housing and renewable energy initiatives like solar, wind, and battery power storage.