CEQA

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By William W. Abbott

The California Supreme Court has a number of cases on its docket for consideration in 2014 that are of interest to planners, local government officials, developers and community interest groups. These cases include both CEQA and land use considerations. Here are the summaries from the Court’s website:Continue Reading 2014 Court Watch

By Katherine J. Hart

In Latinos Unidos de Napa v. City of Napa (2013) 221 Cal.App.4th 192; 2013 Cal.App. LEXIS 893 (Latinos Unidos II), the Court of Appeals, First Appellate District, upheld the City of Napa’s (City) use of its 1998 Program EIR (prepared and certified for purposes of the City’s 2020 General Plan update) for the proposed 2009 Housing Element update, and related Land Use Element and zoning code amendments. More specifically, in updating its Housing Element, the City of Napa also amended its Land Use Element to (1) increase the minimum residential densities in seven areas zoned as mixed use or community commercial from 10 to 40 residential units per acre, (2) increase the permitted density for eight multi-family sites by a total of 88 units, as well as amended its zoning ordinance to comply with state laws regarding emergency shelters and various types of low-income housing, and to permit single-family detached homes at the same densities of single-family attached homes (the Project).Continue Reading NO NEW ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW REQUIRED TO INCREASE HOUSING DENSITIES IN CITY’S GENERAL PLAN

By William W. Abbott

South County Citizens for Smart Growth v. County of Nevada (October 8, 2013, C067764) ___ Cal.App.4th ___.

Starting in 2005, KKP submitted an application for a mixed use commercial center to be located in Nevada County on a 20 acre site. The proposal included a 60,000 square foot grocery store anchor, two retail buildings, two drive through restaurants and nearly 500 parking stalls. Four parcels would be retained by the property owner, and the proposal accommodated roughly 42,000 square feet of light industrial and office uses on the owner’s retained land. The last parcel was restricted to wetland/open space uses. The County released the DEIR in November 2007, disclosing three significant unmitigated impacts; two traffic impacts and one cumulative air impact. After an extended public review process, including additional analysis submitted by the applicant, the Planning Commission conducted a hearing on the FEIR in January 2009. The staff report for this hearing included a staff recommendation for an approval, with a variation on alternative 4 in the DEIR. The commission voted to recommend certification of the EIR and the various approvals associated with the project to the Board of Supervisors, including the staff recommended plan (which capped the amount of commercial footage and increased the open space area.) KKP then developed two alternatives responsive to the Planning Commission recommendation of the staff’s alternative. Staff evaluated KKP’s two additional alternatives, and recommended that the Planning Commission formally recommend KPP’s second alternative to the Board of Supervisors.Continue Reading ADDITIONAL STAFF GENERATED PROJECT ALTERNATIVE DID NOT COMPEL RECIRCULATION OF THE DRAFT EIR NOR WERE ADDITIONAL FINDINGS OF INFEASIBILITY REQUIRED

By William W. Abbott, Diane Kindermann, Katherine J. Hart and Glen Hansen

Welcome to Abbott & Kindermann’s 2013 CEQA update. It is cumulative for the year, with the newest cases issued in the 3rd quarter are shown in italics and bold type face.

To review our prior annual summaries, click here: 2013…

By Katherine J. Hart

In Neighbors for Smart Rail v. Exposition Metro Line Construction Authority (2013) 57 Cal.4th 439 (Neighbors), the California Supreme Court held that a lead agency has discretion to omit existing conditions analyses by substituting a baseline consisting of environmental conditions projected to exist solely in the future, but to do so the agency must justify its decision by showing an existing conditions analysis would be misleading or without informational value.Continue Reading Supreme Court Resolves Baseline Issue In Neighbors for Smart Rail Ruling

By Katherine J. Hart

In San Diego Citizenry Group v. County of San Diego (Published August 26, 2013, D059962) ___ Cal.App.4th ___, the Court of Appeal, Fourth District, upheld San Diego County’s (County) certification of an EIR and approval of a Tiered Winery Ordinance Amendment (Winery Ordinance) which permits boutique wineries in agriculturally designated and zoned land in the unincorporated area of the County by right. In ruling on a dispute regarding the cost of transcripts in the administrative record, the Fourth Appellate District reversed the trial court and held appellant was not required to reimburse the County for the costs of transcribing transcripts of the planning commission meetings pursuant to Public Resources Code section 21167.6(e)(4).Continue Reading Transcripts Not Always Required For Administrative Record

By William W. Abbott

Friends of Oroville v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (August 19, 2013, C070448) ___ Cal.App.4th ___.

Wal-mart moved several steps closer to a new store as a result of the most recent appellate court decision over a new retail center proposed to be constructed in Oroville, suffering a setback however on greenhouse gas emissions. Friends of Oroville appealed a planning commission approval of a proposed supercenter, intended to replace an existing store. Following the appeal hearing, the City Council approved the new store, and the Friends of Oroville filed a petition for writ of mandate to set aside the approval. The trial court denied the petition, and Friends of Oroville appealed. On appeal, the appellate court affirmed the legal sufficiency of the EIR save one issue (greenhouse gases) and one clarification (payment of traffic fees.) The published portion of the decision pertains to greenhouse gas analysis, and the court ruled as follows.Continue Reading With Friends Like This, Who Needs CEQA Enemies?

By Katherine J. Hart

On August 16, 2013, CEQA attorney Tina Thomas filed a depublication request with the California Supreme Court over the Fifth District Court of Appeal’s decision in Citizens for Ceres v. Ceres v. Superior Court 217 Cal.App.4th 889 (Citizens for Ceres).  For a copy of the depublication letter, click here.Continue Reading California Infill Builders Federation Files Request for Depublication of Citizens for Ceres Case