A referendum requiring either the rejection of an enacted zoning ordinance or submission to the voters that would leave in place zoning inconsistent with a general plan does not violate Gov’t Code Section 65860, according to the court’s decision in Save Lafayette v. City of Lafayette, 20 Cal. App. 5th 657 (2018). The City of … Continue Reading
A general plan policy that limited the size of retail tenants in certain areas of a city was not likely to cause urban decay and was not inconsistent with other general plan policies encouraging infill development, the court of appeal held in Visalia Retail, LP v. City of Visalia, 20 Cal. App. 5th 1 (2018). … Continue Reading
A city’s interpretation of the building code is entitled to significant deference in light of the city’s expertise regarding land-use determinations. Harrington v. City of Davis, 16 Cal. App. 5th 420 (2017). The City of Davis approved a conditional use permit for a property owner to use a home in a residential neighborhood as professional … Continue Reading
In a case that illustrates the limits of use of voter-approved initiatives to limit development, the court of appeal invalidated an initiative passed by voters in the City of Malibu that sought to limit large developments and chain stores. The Park at Cross Creek v. City of Malibu, 12 Cal.App.5th 1196 (2017). The initiative at … Continue Reading
A charter city is exempt from the statutory requirement that its specific plans and zoning ordinances be consistent with its general plan absent an express, unequivocal statement of intent in the city charter to adopt the consistency requirement. Kennedy Commission v. City of Huntington Beach, No. (4th Dist., Nov. 20, 2017). In 2010, the City … Continue Reading
One of the 15 housing-related bills signed recently by Governor Brown could have especially significant implications for market-rate, residential rental projects in many jurisdictions, as the new legislation, AB 1505, will authorize cities and counties to adopt inclusionary housing requirements for rental units. AB 1505 takes effect January 1, 2018. Nearly a decade ago, the … Continue Reading
Governor Brown has signed 15 bills designed to address the State’s severe shortage of affordable housing. Among its other effects, the legislation will (1) generate funds for affordable housing developments; (2) require cities and counties, as they approve new development, to maintain a supply of adequate housing sites for all levels of income; (3) tighten several provisions in … Continue Reading
The California Legislature just sent another “stop me before I vote again” bill to the Governor. Assembly Bill 890 proposes to limit severely the scope of voter-sponsored, pro-development land use initiatives. The Governor has until October 15th to decide whether to sign the bill into law. The actual effect of AB 890, if enacted, may … Continue Reading
The California Supreme Court has ruled that a landowner who accepts the benefits of a permit by constructing the project forfeits the right to challenge land-use conditions imposed on the project. Lynch v. California Coastal Commission (Calif. Supreme Court, No. S221980, July 6, 2017). Factual Background After storms damaged a seawall and stairway structure beneath … Continue Reading
Rejecting prior case law, the Sixth District Court of Appeal held that citizens may referend a zoning ordinance even when the result of doing so is to leave in place pre-existing zoning that is inconsistent with the general plan. City of Morgan Hill v. Bushey (6th Dist., No. H043426, May 30, 2017) In the prior case, … Continue Reading
In Citizens for Beach Rights v. City of San Diego, 10 Cal.App.5th 1301 (2017), the court of appeal held that a challenge to issuance of a building permit necessarily included a challenge to the validity of the underlying site development permit, which was barred by the 90-day statute of limitations in Government Code section 65009. … Continue Reading
The court of appeal reaffirmed that a court should not second guess or “micro-manage” the development decisions of municipal governments; rather, the courts are simply charged with reviewing whether there is substantial evidence in the record supporting the city’s decision. Kutzke v. City of San Diego, 11 Cal. App. 5th 1034 (2017). A developer proposed … Continue Reading
The court in Aptos Council v. County of Santa Cruz (6th District, No. H042976, April 25, 2017) rejected a lawsuit claiming that three pro-development zoning ordinances the county adopted constituted a single project that that should have been reviewed together in an environmental impact report. The court of appeal found that the zoning ordinances could … Continue Reading
Findings in a city council resolution that recite language in the city’s municipal code may be sufficient to demonstrate the reasoning supporting the council’s decision. Young v. City of Coronado, No. D070210 (4th Dist. April 4, 2017). The owners of a small dwelling in the City of Coronado applied for a permit to demolish the … Continue Reading
The Court of Appeal has held that because the proponents of an initiative failed to include the full text of the proposed initiative in the petition, the petition violated Elections Code section 9101 and was therefore invalid. Wilson v. County of Napa, 9 Cal.App.5th 178 (2017) Proponents filed an initiative petition with the Napa County … Continue Reading
The California Supreme Court has unanimously denied an effort by the City of Orange to defend its approvals for a residential development project despite an intervening public vote that rejected a general plan amendment the city had passed to advance the project. By later attempting to make an “administrative correction” to its general plan, the … Continue Reading
The enactment of a zoning ordinance regulating medical marijuana facilities is not necessarily a project under CEQA, according to the court of appeal’s decision in Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego, 4 Cal.App.5th 103 (2016). The decision makes it clear that a zoning ordinance is a project subject to CEQA … Continue Reading
Statutes awarding housing density and height increase bonuses do not take precedence over the California Coastal Act, according to a decision of the Second Circuit Court of Appeal. Kalnel Gardens, LLC v. City of Los Angeles, No. B264434 (2nd Dist. Sept. 29, 2016). Kalnel Gardens, LLC, proposed to build a 15-unit housing complex in Venice. … Continue Reading
In Stewart Enterprises Inc., v. City of Oakland (2016) 248 Cal.App.4th 410 the court of appeal provided important clarification on the limits of a local agency’s ability to use an emergency ordinance to reach back and prohibit a previously-approved project. Stewart Enterprises involved a proposed crematorium in Oakland. After obtaining administrative zoning clearance for the … Continue Reading
The City of Modesto’s General Plan includes a policy providing that certain neighborhoods “should” include a “7-9 acre neighborhood shopping center, containing 60,000 to 100,000 square feet.” The Fifth District Court of Appeal upheld against challenge the city’s determination that development of an approximately 170,000 square foot shopping center on about 18 acres in one … Continue Reading
When a referendum petition is presented against an ordinance and the board of supervisors decides to “entirely repeal the ordinance” rather than present it to the voters, the board must revoke the challenged ordinance in its entirety and may not take additional action that has the practical effect of implementing the essential feature of the … Continue Reading
A California Court of Appeal has held that a city ordinance prohibiting mobile medical marijuana dispensaries within city boundaries did not constitute a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act. Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of Upland, 245 Cal.App.4th 1265 (2016). In 2007, the City of Upland adopted a zoning ordinance prohibiting … Continue Reading
A city may deny a proposed mobilehome park subdivision that is inconsistent with the open space element of its general plan, according to the recent court of appeal decision in Carson Harbor Village, Ltd. v. City of Carson, No. B25011 ( Second Dist. August 21, 2015.) Carson Harbor Village applied to the City of Carson to … Continue Reading
Almost a decade has passed since California last authorized a statewide school bond to build new schools and modernize existing schools. There is currently a backlog of over $2 billion in K-12 projects awaiting state funding and an equivalent backlog in funding for high-priority community college projects. Yesterday, the California Secretary of State announced that … Continue Reading
