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California Land Use & Development Law Report

California Land Use & Development Law Report offers insights into legal issues relating to development and use of land and federal, state and local permitting and approval processes. View posts by topic. Subscribe 🡢

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Condemnee Need Not Entirely Vacate Premises to Recover Damages After Condemnation is Abandoned

Complete physical dispossession of a property is not a prerequisite to an award of damages after a condemnation proceeding is abandoned—moving from the property in reliance on the order granting the agency possession is sufficient. San Joaquin Regional Transit District v. Superior Court, No. C084755 (3rd Dist., Dec.

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Fifth Appellate District Agrees that Special Taxes Enacted by Initiative Do Not Require Two-Thirds Supermajority Vote.

Another court of appeal has held that local special taxes adopted by a citizen-sponsored initiative do not require two-thirds voter approval. City of Fresno v. Fresno Building Healthy Communities, No. F080264. (5th Dist., Dec. 17, 2020).

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CEQA YEAR IN REVIEW 2020

A Summary of Published Appellate Opinions Involving the California Environmental Quality Act

Despite relatively few published opinions this year, there were significant appellate court rulings on a range of topics, including whether projects are properly classified as discretionary or ministerial, the adequacy of mitigation, agencies' document retention obligations, the remedy for an in

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Special Taxes Enacted by Initiative Do Not Require Two-Thirds Supermajority Vote

A court of appeal ruled that provisions of the California Constitution requiring a supermajority vote for special taxes imposed by local government do not apply to a special tax enacted by local initiative. City and County of San Francisco v. All Persons Interested in the Matter of Proposition C, 51 Cal. App.

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Ninth Circuit Clarifies When Uncertainty Requires an Environmental Impact Statement

A federal agency is not required to prepare an environmental impact statement for an action with uncertain environmental effects if the agency reasonably predicts that the effects will not be significant based on available evidence. American Wild Horse Campaign v. Bernhardt, 963 F.3d 1001 (9th Cir.

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Coastal Commission Order to Homeowners to Remove Seawall and Pay $1 Million Fine Upheld

The Court of Appeal upheld a Coastal Commission cease-and-desist order requiring demolition of a seawall and payment of a $1 million penalty by homeowners who performed major reconstruction on their coastal home without notifying the Coastal Commission.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Adopts New Regulation for Critical Habitat Exclusions

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service adopted a final regulation on December 18, 2020, to establish a process and the criteria for excluding areas from critical habitat designations under the Endangered Species Act.

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City’s Rent Ordinance Disclosure Requirements Did Not Violate Fourth Amendment

The Ninth Circuit rejected a Fourth Amendment challenge to the City of San José's Apartment Rent Ordinance, ruling that the plaintiff landlords had failed adequately to allege a reasonable expectation of privacy in the business records at issue.

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Law Restricting Judicial Review of Thermal Power Plant Licensing Decisions Ruled Unconstitutional

The First District Court of Appeal held that Public Resources Code section 22531 unconstitutionally restricted judicial review of licensing decisions by the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission regarding thermal power plants over 50 megawatts.

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Environmental Impact Statement Required Due to Conflicting Evidence About Project’s Effects

An agency must prepare an environmental impact statement when it fails to address expert scientific evidence that undermines its conclusions about a project's environmental effects. An agency also must prepare an EIS when there are substantial questions about whether a project will have a cumulatively significant impact. Bark v. U.S. Forest Service, 958 F.3d 865 (9th Cir.

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Plaintiff Lacked Standing to Sue Coastal Commissioners for Failing to Disclose Ex Parte Communications

A court of appeal held that a plaintiff did not have public interest standing to sue Coastal Commissioners for violating disclosure obligations concerning ex parte communications because the lawsuit was not brought as a mandamus action.

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Completion of Construction Did Not Render Suit for Violation of Public Bidding Laws Moot

A claim that a contract for construction of a school violated public bidding requirements did not become moot after construction was completed because effective relief — in the form of disgorgement of public funds paid to the contractor — was still available in plaintiff's taxpayer action.

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Waterfront Development Project Was Vested Against Later Voter Initiative By Approved Vesting Tentative Map Notwithstanding Project’s Location Within Coastal Zone.

The court of appeal held that a vesting tentative map covering property within the Coastal Zone gave the developer the vested right to proceed with the project notwithstanding subsequent changes in local laws. While the project's location in the Coastal Zone rendered it subject to Coastal Commission jurisdiction, this did not impair the enforceability of vested rights against the City.

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Fifth District Holds Defects in EIR’s Air Quality Impact Analysis Require Decertification of Entire EIR

On remand from the California Supreme Court's decision in Sierra Club v. County of Fresno, 6 Cal.5th 502 (2018) ("Friant Ranch I"), a court of appeal has held that CEQA requires full decertification - not partial decertification - of an EIR that has been adjudged inadequate in any respect.

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Sacramento Superior Court Rules That Insects Are Not Eligible for Listing Under the California Endangered Species Act

In a widely watched case, the Sacramento Superior Court court ruled that insects are not eligible for listing under the California Endangered Species Act.