The Court of Appeal upheld the City’s determination that compensatory mitigation for the loss of a historic building in the form of funding of other historic preservation was not feasible because there were no other buildings in the downtown areas with the same architectural style, period of significance, and purpose. Preservation Action Council of San
SB 35 Streamlining Upheld Against “Home Rule” Challenge
Senate Bill 35 (Government Code section 65913.4) was enacted in 2017 as part of an effort by the State Legislature to increase housing production. The law compels local agencies, including charter cities, to issue streamlined approvals for qualifying multifamily residential projects, even, at times, where a project conflicts with a local ordinance. In Ruegg &
CEQA Project Baseline Should Not Have Been Set Prior to Demolition of Historic Structure
The Fourth District Court of Appeal held that the project baseline under CEQA for construction of a new home should not have been set prior to demolition of a potential historic structure when the demolition had occurred before submittal of a permit application to build the new home. Bottini v. City of San Diego, No. D071670 (4th Dist., Sep. 18, 2018).
The Bottinis applied to the City for a Coastal Development Permit (CDP) to construct a single-family home on a vacant lot. City staff determined that the project was categorically exempt from environmental review under CEQA’s Class 3 exemption for construction of a single-family home. On appeal, however, the City Council found that full environmental review was necessary because the Bottinis had demolished a 19th century cottage named Windemere on the lot shortly before applying for the CDP. The City had itself previously concluded that Windemere was not a historic resource, declared the structure to be a public nuisance, and authorized the Bottinis to demolish the cottage. Nevertheless, the City Council retroactively declared the cottage “historic,” concluded that the demolition should be considered part of the new home project, and found that there was a reasonable possibility that CEQA’s “historical resources” and “unusual circumstances” exceptions precluded use of the categorical exemption.
The Bottinis sued, contending that the City’s baseline determination violated CEQA and the City’s decisions regarding the historic status of Windemere and the extent of the required environmental review violated the Bottinis’ due process rights and resulted in a regulatory taking of their property.
Continue Reading CEQA Project Baseline Should Not Have Been Set Prior to Demolition of Historic Structure
Findings supporting an agency’s administrative decision may mirror statutory language
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