OAKLAND (BCN) – Following a recommendation by the Oakland Planning Commission Wednesday night, the city council will consider whether to certify an environmental report for a new Oakland A ballpark in the city.

The city council will likely consider certifying the final environmental impact report at a meeting in February, city officials said.

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The Planning Commission’s recommendation is just another step toward the city’s final approval or rejection of the Waterfront project.

“(The) recommendation from the planning commission that the final environmental impact report be sent to the City Council for certification is a major win for our entire region and brings Oakland one step closer to building a pioneering waterfront ballpark neighborhood with the highest environmental standards,” said Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement Wednesday night.

“For this EIR, our city has provided an extended public comment and review period and has responded in writing to more than 400 comments,” Schaaf added.

“A new waterfront neighborhood will provide a long-term home for our beloved Oakland A’s, 18 acres of beautifully landscaped public parks, 3,000 units with much-needed market price and affordable housing, and more than 25,000 union buildings and 7,000 permanent jobs will bring to our area,” Schaaf said.

Not everyone is as excited as the mayor.

“We’re disappointed,” said leaders of the East Oakland Stadium Alliance, a coalition of groups working to keep the Oakland A’s in East Oakland. “The lack of thorough analysis and inadequate response to public comments from the City of Oakland and the A’s has resulted in a planning commission recommendation that continues to put our community and the port at risk.”

EOSA executives said: “The final EIR does not address significant concerns related to traffic, air quality and pollution remediation, among others, at the proposed baseball field site at Howard Terminal.

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“Given the serious flaws in this document, we hope that the City Council will examine the report with greater care, recognize its obligation to protect our community from harmful development and vote no to certify the EIR,” said EOSA leaders.

But the commissioners have been very supportive of the EIR, Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval said in an interview Thursday, even as the A’s consider moving the team to Las Vegas.

The commissioners commented on the report’s “quality, prudence and robustness,” and two said it was the best EIR they had read, Kaval said.

Regarding baseball, Kaval called the planning commission’s recommendation “probably a solid single” for Oakland. He added that it’s important to keep runners moving.

Oakland needs to take more steps to keep the A in town. A number of documents need to be prepared by the city and sent back to the A’s, Kaval said, stressing that there is now a lot of work for the city court to do.

The A’s are still putting a lot of effort into the possibility of moving the team to Las Vegas. A study found Las Vegas to be a viable market for the A’s, Kaval said.

The next step is deciding on a Las Vegas location for the team, he said, and the A’s now have a handful to choose from.

The chair of Oakland’s planning commission did not respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

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UNITED STATES-The city that is a cultural, commercial, and financial center of Northern California called San Francisco is the 16th most populous city in the United States and the fourth largest city in California. The city has the highest salaries, a high employment rate, numerous job opportunities, disposable income, and an average home price of $ 1.8 million. In 2020, San Francisco was the 7th highest income district in the United States, making it easier for people to decide whether to move to San Francisco. Founded on June 29, 1776, San Francisco was a great city for the people who lived there. Are you planning to move to one of the most charming cities in America, San Francisco? If yes, then Moving Company in San Francisco can help you find the right way to explore your moving route.

The city is at the tip of the peninsula with the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Golden Gate to the north, and San Francisco Bay to the east. As the culturally driven city of the United States, history has long developed, welcoming people from all over the world with open arms is the most charming feature of San Francisco. Not much has changed, the city is growing incredibly in terms of economic and social development. Because of this, doors are opened to millions of people around the world every year. There are many reasons people rave and carve about the city, from amazing restaurants to iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the city has everything your heart desires.

What Makes San Francisco One of the Most Desirable US Cities to Live in?

Lots of greenery, great restaurants, an abundance of activities, nightlife, iconic landmarks and exceptionally low unemployment rates, balanced mild weather, and a handful of events held each month are just some of the things San Francisco has to offer. Does that make the city a great place to live? Let’s see some of the important things to consider before choosing a place to live.

Points to consider before choosing a location:

Are you planning a move to San Francisco? Here is the basic information about the average Cost of living In the city. To find out about rental rates, meals, accommodation, etc., see the table below.

Undoubtedly, neighborhoods must be taken into account when calculating the cost of living. San Francisco has many different districts, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at some neighborhoods in the city.

1. Castro District – District is synonymous with LGBT tradition and community. The walls are covered with a rainbow and pieces of jewelry are visible from the shop window front. From an exciting nightlife, happy hours to the proximity to the twin peaks. The neighborhood has many things to offer and activities to do.
2. Noe Valley – Families make up the bulk of that Noe valley, the valley has a kid-friendly atmosphere that is best suited for families. In general, sunny weather is best for dogs and children to play in the playground all day.
3. Soma-soma is one of the largest neighborhoods in San Francisco, famous for its nightlife, warehouses, hip nightclubs and also has the city’s museums.

• Transport and traffic

San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in California. The region is best about the people of San Francisco, who accept people regardless of their beliefs or nature. The Bay Area has the best public transportation system making it easy for people to save a ton of money. There are numerous transport options available to residents of the city. The most popular transportation system is BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). As a result, San Francisco’s public transit links the city using other modes of transport, such as trams, buses, and subways.

How can you save on housing costs in San Francisco?

• Share a house or apartment

One such way to reduce the cost of living is to share a house or apartment. You have to share the bathroom, but at the end of the day what counts is saving. And if you’re looking for a cheaper option, you can share a room too. Unless you have a good job or company housing allowance in hand, you are dependent on sharing home experiences.

• Different areas – different prices

San Francisco is a large city with an area of ​​7 square miles and is surrounded by water on three sides. The most expensive areas are Dogpatch, South Beach, Pacific Heights, Potrero Hill and Panhandle. On the other end of the scale, but still not cheap, are Excelsior, Outer Sunset, Richmond District, Central Sunset, and Ocean View.

San Francisco: Heart of California

Moving won’t always be easy, but your city can help you find the happiness you are looking for, the aroma, the surroundings, the food, the museums, all together will help you find what you are looking for. While still struggling to choose San Francisco as a city or not? Be ready for all the excitement and warmth. Making the decision to choose Heart of California can turn out to be the best decision in life. Filled with different and pure, vivid colors of culture, excitement and acceptance. The city has everything you are looking for. From eating at the beginning of the street to sitting in the most expensive cafe for a cup of coffee. You will be amazed. “The city has something to offer for everyone. “

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A year after a massive forest fire devastated California’s oldest state park, Big Basin Redwoods, the cleanup is in full swing.

Over the past few weeks, construction workers in hard hats have been cleaning up the debris of all the burned buildings and charred vehicles in popular Santa Cruz Mountains Park – from the bent metal and blackened granite of the park’s headquarters from the 1930s to the broken glass and broken propane tank inside its popular museum and once busy campsites.

More than 3,300 charred trees, mostly Douglas fir, that threatened to topple along the winding 6-mile driveway of Big Basin, were felled and hauled away. Burned out power lines were dismantled and destroyed wooden bridges replaced.

Almost every one of the Big Basin’s famous ancient sequoia trees, which can grow up to 90 meters tall and are 2,000 years old, survived, biologists say, although many have burn scars on their trunks or scorched branches that will last for decades.

“It was remarkable how much work was done in the park. I’m confident about the future, ”said Chris Spohrer, superintendent of the Santa Cruz District of the state park. “Every time I go in there are more green sprouts.”

Others who have worked to restore the park agree.

State parks, CalOES and contractors are reviewing the protection of the culture and natural resources at the Old Lodge site, where the stone fireplace and chimney will remain. (Courtesy California State Parks)

“There is a lot of sunlight. It’s warmer and drier than before. But the landscape doesn’t look so wounded. Green is everywhere, ”said Sara Barth, managing director of the Sempervirens Fund, a Los Altos nonprofit group that has bought and protected 35,000 acres of sequoia forests in the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1900. “It’s surprising how much better it looks with the ruins and infrastructure gone. It’s peaceful again. You hear birds. It feels better and looks better than it was. “

But it will be a while before visitors are allowed to return to the park.

State park officials this week launched a new website at reimaginingbigbasin.org to track the progress of the rebuilding.

Spohrer said public meetings to plan the rebuilding of the parks will begin in two or three months. The planning process will take about a year, he said.

After that, it could take another two or three years for the large buildings to be rebuilt, he said. At some point along the way, the redwood portion of the park will be partially reopened to the public, possibly with guided tours.

“After we have made the main access roads safe, the question arises of how much effort it takes to make the paths safe,” said Spohrer. “I have no estimate.”

The crews have already removed more than 15,000 trees that have fallen, fallen, or threatened to fall in popular areas including campsites and access roads that rangers use to access the Big Basin hinterland. Almost all of them were Douglas firs, brown oaks, madrons, and other trees that are not as fire resistant as sequoias.

Amazingly, some trees still burn for a year after the fire.

For months after the fire, the crews put out small fires that were ignited by winds blowing up the roots of some trees that were still red-hot. More recently, said Spohrer, embers have been found in the crowns of the old sequoias that are still glowing.

California state park crews are installing a makeshift bridge on May 1, 2021 to replace a wooden bridge that burned in the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in August 2020. (Photo: California State Parks)

The fire that devastated the Big Basin was the worst in the history of the region. Triggered by multiple lightning strikes on August 16, 2020, the fire, the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, burned 86,509 acres in the rural districts of Santa Cruz and San Mateo, an area almost three times the size of the city of San Francisco.

Flames destroyed 1,490 buildings, making it the twelfth most devastating fire in the state’s history and a disaster that caused more damage to the Santa Cruz district than the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

In total, 97% of the Big Basin’s 18,000 acres were burned.

But Big Basin isn’t just any state park. Its landscape of giant trees, thick ferns, waterfalls, misty forests, ranger chats, scouting jamborees, and marshmallow roasts has been central to generations of families since the park was founded in 1902. That year, San Jose photographer Andrew P. Hill convinced California lawmakers to Buy the Old Trees northwest of Boulder Creek because lumberjacks turned the nearby old forests into fence posts and railroad ties.

“These trees, because of their size and age, were among the natural wonders of the world and should be saved for posterity,” Hill wrote in his memoir.

Rebuilding the Big Basin after the fire started slowly. But after reporting and attention from environmental groups and political leaders, Governor Gavin Newsom has included in his revised May budget the entire $ 186 million that park officials estimate will go towards rebuilding the campsites, visitor center, utilities, bridges, the Hiking trails and other facilities are required.

The new facilities are unlikely to be rebuilt in the same places as the old ones. Shops, parking lots, and other buildings were built on the root systems of some ancient trees a century ago. Rangers who evacuated more than 1,000 visitors during the fire are skeptical of an increased risk of fire in the coming decades.

Some new facilities could be built outside of the park, perhaps in Saddle Mountain or Little Basin a few miles southeast. Buildings are made of more refractory materials. An outdoor parking lot and a shuttle bus system can be created for the busiest weekends.

“In our view, protecting the redwood forest and enjoying it for people needs to – those things don’t have to conflict,” said Sam Hodder, president of the Save the Redwoods League in San Francisco. “Here there is an opportunity for us to find a better balance between the natural ecosystem and the experience of the public.”

The campfire amphitheater in Big Basin Redwoods State Park on the 30th. (Photo: California State Parks)

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Mayor London Breed has focused on helping San Francisco small businesses in their plans to recover the city from the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of it, she introduced the Small Business Recovery Act in March, calling it a crucial step in easing the path for opening new businesses and adapting existing businesses as a means of survival.

Despite the strong support from the business community and the mayor’s office, the legislation was hardly pushed ahead with a positive recommendation by the planning commission on Thursday evening with a vote of 4: 3.

The Small Business Recovery Act builds on Proposition H, passed by voters in November 2020, to streamline the city’s approval process and free many small business owners from the costly fees, review times, and generally complicated red tape that can deter some from to open a business altogether.

The legislation includes a number of changes to the Business and Tax Regulations Code and the Police Code that will extend the benefits of Prop. H – namely a 30-day guaranteed permit processing window and reduced public notice requirements – to ground floor businesses in a wider area of ​​?? Zones expand categories, not just within city districts.

It also allows a company to transition more easily into free space that was previously occupied by a company of the same type. guarantees a 90-day conditional approval process for bars and nightlife entertainment; enables companies to use their physical spaces for more than one purpose, e.g. B. for sharing a kitchen or adding a roof terrace; extends the opening hours of entertainment venues where live performances can take place; and nullifies the need for one-time performance permits.

Support is predictably coming from some of San Francisco’s most dedicated hospitality and recreational players, including the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the Union Square Improvement District.

“Our attitude towards our city needs to change,” said Sharky Laguana, president of the Small Business Commission, who testified in his capacity as a small business owner during a public comment.

Planning commission members who voted against were not against the ordinance in theory, but said the city was moving too fast for such a complicated law. Instead, they urged officials to devote more time to public relations and to conduct an improved analysis of the potential impact.

Calling the legislation “simplifying” some of the challenges small businesses face, Commissioner Kathrin Moore unsuccessfully proposed a sequel to allow more time to resolve “loose ends” and adapt legislation to specific neighborhoods.

Others, who called to testify during a public comment, cited a litany of reservations, including nocturnal residential noise; Lack of equity in implementation; and the perceived limits of community input for new projects.

Proponents of the legislation, meanwhile, countered that an “urgent crisis” facing local merchants and their workers requires action, even if imperfect.

“We don’t have the luxury of spending a lot of time analyzing trying to find the perfect policy that will perfectly handle everyone’s problems,” said Laguana. He also acknowledged that “there may be things we need to change and fix,” but remained steadfast in his belief that it is important to take those steps now.

The proposed regulation will next be heard before the Board’s Land Use and Transport Committee. A hearing is not yet planned.

cgraf@sfexaminer.com

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Florida has long been known as a hotspot for retirees and snowbirds to get exercise because of its sunny weather and beautiful beaches. In recent years, however, there has been an influx of individuals and families who have moved to the Sunshine State for tax purposes since the SALT Deduction Cap established by the Tax Reduction and Employment Act (“TCJA”) of 2017. As remote working has become the new “norm” since the COVID-19 pandemic, the increased flexibility in remote working has given people from high-tax countries such as New York and California the ability to seamlessly move to Florida. In addition, high-tax countries continue to propose raising taxes to address budget deficits exacerbated by the shutdown of the COVID-19 pandemic.1 According to the US Census Bureau, the states with the largest population declines in 2019-2020 were indeed new York, Illinois, and California, while North Carolina, Florida, and Texas saw the largest population increases. 2

Prior to the TCJA, taxpayers were granted unlimited deduction from their income tax returns for state and local taxes paid. The TCJA limited SALT deductions for the 2018-2025 tax years to $ 10,000 for individual taxpayers and married couples filing together. Last month there were proposals to include the lifting of the SALT trigger cap in the next COVID-19 relief package. However, the latest bailout package signed by the president last week does not address the lifting of the SALT withdrawal cap. Accordingly, the SALT deduction cap will remain in place for now, and coupled with increased tax proposals, Florida will continue to be an attractive residency alternative for individuals who find it too expensive to live and own property in high-tax states like New York, California, and Connecticut.

Tax perks Florida residents enjoy include: no state or local income tax; no inheritance or inheritance tax; and eligible homestead tax breaks. However, the above benefits are based on the fact that a person is a Florida resident. There are certain steps that should be taken in order to establish Florida residency including, but not limited to:

• Filing a declaration of residence with the clerk in the county where your Florida home is located. (Note: the statement will be made public.)
• Register to vote in Florida for local and national elections (Recommendation: vote in the elections, not by postal vote, keep a copy of your voter registration card);
• Registration of all cars, boats, and planes in Florida;
• Obtaining a Florida driver’s license and receiving your driver’s license issued by the state in which you lived prior to moving to Florida;
• Applying for and obtaining homestead tax exemption from property taxes applied to your primary Florida residence (Note: To obtain Florida homestead tax exemption, any previous homestead benefits claimed in previous residence must be surrendered if you intend to continue to own the property while you reside in Florida);
• Notify the following of your change of address so all emails are sent to your Florida address: banks, credit card companies, social security agency, attorneys, partnerships you are affiliated with, all insurance companies, all professional associations you are a part of, etc .;
• If applicable, filing your final tax return for residence in your previous place of residence (note: your previous place of residence may still treat you as a resident based on the days you have been in the country along with other possible factors).
• Spend as much time in Florida as you can.

In addition to the above steps, it is recommended that you update or execute a new will that lists your Florida residence. For those moving to Florida with or without estate planning documents in place, a Florida attorney should review your estate plan to make sure the move doesn’t frustrate certain desires of the individual (e.g. certain situations). In addition, in many cases, the Florida attorney will advise whether your existing additional estate planning documents (i.e., power of attorney, will, and healthcare designation) are valid under Florida law and recommend the execution of new documents.

In addition to ditching heavy winter coats and packing your sunglasses in preparation for moving to Florida, be sure to discuss the establishment of Florida residence and your estate plan with your Florida attorney before you move. Such planning considerations will not only help you avoid disrupting your income tax, succession planning, and estate tax goals, but will also aid your new seating position to ensure a smooth transition to the Sunshine State.

1 California proposed a wealth tax for wealthy Californians that failed in 2020. See https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2020/12/10/california-s-latest-effort-to-raise-taxes -on-the-w.html #: ~: text = legislator% 20this% 20year% 20had% 20 considered, they% 20left% 20the% 20Golden% 20State. New York, which already has a state inheritance tax, recently proposed an inheritance tax designed to change the state inheritance tax system by introducing a separate inheritance tax while levying taxes on receiving gift income, changing inheritance tax rates, and creating a new gift tax be on donor. See https://www.gothamgazette.com/state/10171-state-legislators-revenue-inheritances-gifts-heirs-tax-.rich#:~:text=The%20heir’s%20tax%20proposal%20would,exempting%20retirement % 20and% 20pension% 20funds.
2 See https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/tables/2010-2020/state/totals/nst-est2020.xlsx

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