News & Analysis as of

California Environmental Quality Act Petition for Writ of Mandate

Downey Brand LLP

Trial Court’s Jurisdiction over CEQA Case is Lost after Writ is Satisfied by Rescission of Project Approvals

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In McCann v. City of San Diego (2023) 94 Cal.App.5th 284 (McCann II), the Fourth District Court of Appeal held the trial court exceeded its jurisdiction by failing to discharge a writ of mandate. The writ was issued for the...more

Perkins Coie

Trial Court Cannot Retain Jurisdiction if Terms of Peremptory Writ of Mandate are Fully Satisfied

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The trial court improperly retained jurisdiction of a CEQA challenge after the City of San Diego filed a return to the peremptory writ of mandate confirming that it had rescinded the project approvals and thereby satisfied...more

Downey Brand LLP

UC Regents Prevails Against Dueling Challenges to Fuels Management Plan Designed to Reduce Wildfire Risk in the Berkeley Hills

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In Claremont Canyon Conservancy v. Regents of the University of California, two organizations, the Claremont Canyon Conservancy and the Hills Conservation Network, filed petitions for writ of mandate challenging the adequacy...more

Downey Brand LLP

Statue’s Status is History: City Prevails in CEQA Challenge to Removal of Junipero Serra Statue

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The Second District of the Court of Appeal on June 8 ordered publication of its May 12 opinion affirming the denial of a writ of mandate that challenged the City of Buenaventura’s removal and relocation of a statue of...more

Downey Brand LLP

Neighbor vs. Neighbor Dispute Over Home Remodel Leads to Reversal of Anti-SLAPP Motion in Court of Appeal

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In Durkin v. City & County of San Francisco (2023) 90 Cal.App.5th 643, the First District Court of Appeal held that the trial court erred in granting the real party in interest’s special motion to strike under anti-SLAPP...more

Downey Brand LLP

Third District Invalidates Water Bottling Facility EIR for Overly Narrow Project Objectives and Failure to Recirculate

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On April 20, 2022, the Third District Court of Appeal filed its opinion in We Advocate Through Environmental Review v. County of Siskiyou (2022) 78 Cal.App.5th 683, reversing the trial court’s judgment upholding the County’s...more

Downey Brand LLP

Third Circuit Makes Clear That Lead Agencies and Responsible Agencies Alike Must Make Findings Under CEQA

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On May 11, 2022, the Third District Court of Appeal published its opinion in We Advocate Through Environmental Review v. City of Mount Shasta (2022) 78 Cal.App.5th 629, reversing the decision below and ordering the trial...more

Downey Brand LLP

First District Invalidates Garaventa Hills EIR for Improperly Classifying No-Project Alternative of Preserving Residentially-Zoned...

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On March 30, 2022, the First District Court of Appeal published its opinion in Save the Hill Group v. City of Livermore (2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 1092, invalidating an Environmental Impact Report (“EIR”) for the Garaventa Hills...more

Downey Brand LLP

Full Quantification of Water Rights Not Required for CEQA Review, Second District Declares

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On March 22, 2022, the Second District Court of Appeal published its Opinion in Buena Vista Water Storage District v. Kern Water Bank Authority, upholding the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Kern Water Bank...more

Downey Brand LLP

First District Denies Challenge to Napa County Approval of Mining Operations Because Petitioner Failed to Exhaust Administrative...

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In Stop Syar Expansion v. County of Napa (2021) 63 Cal.App.5th 444, the First District Court of Appeal upheld Napa County’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the expansion of Syar Industries, Inc.’s aggregate mining...more

Downey Brand LLP

CEQA Plaintiffs Beware: Meritless Lawsuits May Be Subject To Counter-Claims for Malicious Prosecution

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In Jan Dunning et al. v. Kevin K. Johnson, APLC et al., the Fourth District Court of Appeal held that a developer and property owner could pursue its claims against a neighbor and project opponent for malicious prosecution...more

Downey Brand LLP

Poseidon’s Desalination Plant’s Supplemental EIR Holds Water According to the Court of Appeal

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In California Coastkeeper v. State Lands Commission, the Third District Court of Appeal upheld the State Lands Commission’s decision to prepare a supplemental environmental impact report (EIR) for a desalination plant in...more

Snell & Wilmer

In California the Housing Crisis Yields to Luxury Spas

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A recent court of appeal opinion out of San Diego demonstrates how the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) has once again been used to impede housing development—this time to the benefit of a high-end luxury spa. ...more

Downey Brand LLP

Next Up for the Oakland A’s new stadium plan: another lawsuit

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While some have been enjoying the return of baseball, albeit without fans in the stands, the Oakland A’s are moving forward with their game plan for a new stadium in the Port of Oakland. However, relations with their...more

Downey Brand LLP

Fifth Appellate District Invalidates Kern County Oil and Gas Ordinance

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On Tuesday, February 25, 2020, the Fifth Appellate District invalidated Kern County’s 2015 Oil and Gas Ordinance (the “Ordinance”), which was intended to streamline the permitting process for a variety of oil and gas...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

Fall Season Results in California Coastal Commission Victories

This Fall, the California Coastal Commission (“Commission”) was handed down two significant victories, further cementing its authority and jurisdiction within California coastal zones. These cases demonstrate that, in certain...more

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP

EIR for Downtown San Francisco Mixed-Use Project Upheld Under Supreme Court’s Newly Articulated Standard of Review

The belatedly published South of Market Community Action Network v. City and County of San Francisco (2019) ___ Cal.App.5th ___ (“South of Market”), is the first published decision in which the court applies the principles...more

Downey Brand LLP

First District Rejects “Location Exception” for Project in Earthquake Fault and Landslide Areas and Affirms Class 3 Exemption for...

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In Berkeley Hills Watershed Coalition v. City of Berkeley (2019) 31 Cal.App.5th 880 [certified for partial publication], the Court of the Appeal for the First District affirmed that the construction of three new single-family...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Supreme Court Clarifies Standards for Judicial Review and Air Quality Analyses

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The Sierra Club decision affects both the preparation of EIRs and judicial review of agency decisions certifying EIRs. Key Points: ..An environmental impact report’s (EIR) discussion of potential environmental impacts...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Court of Appeal Agrees Two Activities Constitute One CEQA Project

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CEQA Case Report: Understanding the Judicial Landscape for Development - In a published decision issued June 12, 2018, County of Ventura v. City of Moorpark, Case No. B282466, the California Court of Appeal rejected part...more

Perkins Coie

Petitioner’s Unreasonable Delay in Preparing the Record in a CEQA Case Justifies Award of Costs to Agency

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Where a petitioner in a CEQA case has elected to prepare the administrative record but unreasonably delays such preparation, the defendant agency may be awarded costs for preparing the record.  LandWatch San Luis Obispo Co....more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Appeals Court: Which Conflicting Limitations Period Applies to CEQA Claim

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CEQA Case Report: Understanding the Judicial Landscape for Development - In a published opinion issued on October 23, 2018, Save Lafayette Trees v. City of Lafayette, Case No. A154168, the California Court of Appeal...more

Downey Brand LLP

Court of Appeal Allows CEQA Challenge to PG&E Tree Removal Project to Proceed, But Finds Claims under Planning & Zoning Law...

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On October 23, the First Appellate District issued its opinion in Save Lafayette Trees v. City of Lafayette et al. (Case No. A154168) finding that Save Lafayette Trees’ (“Save Lafayette”) CEQA challenge to a Pacific Gas and...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Court of Appeal Rejects City’s MND in Historic District Due to Aesthetic and Traffic Impacts

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CEQA Case Report: Understanding the Judicial Landscape for Development - In an opinion published on August 9, 2018, Protect Niles v. City of Fremont, Case No. A151645, the First Appellate District of the California Court...more

Latham & Watkins LLP

California Appeals Court Dismisses As Moot Litigant’s Challenge to Planned Development Approval

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CEQA Case Report: Understanding the Judicial Landscape for Development - In an unpublished opinion issued February 20, 2018, Advocates for Better Cmty. Dev. v. City of Palm Springs, Case No. E066193, the California Court...more

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