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Urban Planning & Development California Environmental Quality Act Real Estate Development

Perkins Coie

VMT Thresholds Must Be Based on Substantial Evidence Specific to Local Conditions

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The County of San Diego’s thresholds for exempting certain projects from vehicle miles traveled (VMT) analysis were not supported by substantial evidence showing they were appropriate specifically for the County. Cleveland...more

Alston & Bird

Land Use Matters | May 2025 | CEQA Appellate Decisions & Other Legal Developments

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City of Los Angeles - Expedited and Streamlined Review Process for Community Rebuilding - On March 18, 2025, Mayor Karen Bass issued Revised Emergency Executive Order No. 1 (EO 1) directing the Department of City Planning,...more

Downey Brand LLP

Are Your CEQA Thresholds Supported by Substantial Evidence? Fourth District Rules San Diego County’s Thresholds of Significance...

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In Cleveland National Forest Foundation v. County of San Diego (2025) 109 Cal. App.5th 1257, the Fourth District Court of Appeal invalidated two thresholds of significance adopted by the County of San Diego (“County”) that in...more

Meyers Nave

Court of Appeal Invalidates County's Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Screening Thresholds for CEQA Review

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A California court of appeal has held that a lead agency conducting environmental review, under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), of “vehicle miles traveled” (VMT) impacts may not unquestioningly use thresholds...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 3.31.25

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In a show of bipartisan and bicameral unity, California lawmakers on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping 20-bill legislative package aimed at overhauling the state’s housing development process. Branded as the “Fast Track Housing”...more

Miller Starr Regalia

Fourth District Invalidates San Diego County’s “Infill” And “Small Project” VMT Screening Thresholds As Lacking Substantial...

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In a published opinion filed March 27, 2025, the Fourth District Court of Appeal (Div. 1) reversed the trial court’s judgment denying a writ petition, and held that two screening thresholds of significance for vehicle miles...more

Miller Starr Regalia

Is Robust and Disruptive CEQA Reform Possible?  Senator Scott Wiener Wants to Find Out – His Proposed SB 607 Would Exempt...

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On February 20, 2025, Senator Scott Wiener introduced Senate Bill No. 607 (SB 607), a proposed law that is relatively short in text length, but which would engender major CEQA reforms if enacted as currently drafted.  The...more

Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass

Summary of Select 2024 California Real Estate and Land Use Cases Impacting Real Estate Developers

On January 21, 2025, Coblentz litigation partner Skye Langs presented for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Real Property section on the following real estate and land use cases from 2024...more

Miller Starr Regalia

Following Up Earlier Order Suspending CEQA Review and Coastal Act Permitting Requirements To Facilitate Rebuilding After...

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On January 27, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-14-25 (the “EO”) pursuant to his statutory powers to suspend regulatory statutes during a state of emergency that would impede mitigation of the effects of...more

Allen Matkins

The Future of Conservation Easements as Mitigation under CEQA

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The California Court of Appeal’s recent decision in V Lions Farming, LLC v. County of Kern provides important clarity on the use of agricultural conservation easements (ACEs) for mitigating the conversion of agricultural land...more

DLA Piper

California Suspends Some Permitting and Environmental Review to Expedite Rebuilding After Southern California Fires

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Following the devastating fires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 to expedite recovery and rebuilding efforts. Released on January 12, 2025, the Order suspends...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 1.21.25

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Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Tuesday safeguarding victims of the Los Angeles-area fires from predatory real estate investors. The executive order is designed to protect residents in fire-ravaged zip codes...more

Buchalter

State of California and the City of Los Angeles Issue Orders to Expedite Recovery and Reconstruction in Response to Los Angeles...

Buchalter on

In response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-4-25 on January 12, 2025 to expedite the recovery process in affected communities. The following...more

Downey Brand LLP

CEQA Causes of Action Based on the Subdivision Map Act May be Subject to the Subdivision Map Act’s Statute of Limitations

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On October 21st, the Second District Court of Appeal published a decision in Santa Clarita Organization etc. v. County of Los Angeles (2024) 105 Cal.App.5th 1143 that addresses the question of whether a CEQA challenge to an...more

Miller Starr Regalia

First District Addresses Significant CEQA Issues Relating to Wildfire Risk, GHG Emissions, and Water Supply Impacts in Lake County...

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On November 22, 2024, the First District Court of Appeal’s (Div. 4) partially-published opinion in People of the State of California ex rel. Bonta v. County of Lake (Lotusland Investment Holdings, Inc., et al. Real Parties in...more

Holland & Knight LLP

Court Upholds City's Reliance on CEQA Exemption, Reaffirms Canons of Statutory Interpretation

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In April 2021, a developer applied to the City of King City, California (City), for a proposed 18,000-square-foot Grocery Outlet store (Project). The Project site was a former 1.6-acre car sales lot adjacent to Highway 101...more

Downey Brand LLP

First District Holds that Analysis of Development’s Increased Wildfire Risk is a Necessary Component of Project EIR

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In People ex rel. Bonta v. County of Lake (2024) 105 Cal.App.5th 1222, the First District Court of Appeal held that the Final EIR (“FEIR”) and associated errata for a proposed mixed-use development project, located in a rural...more

Perkins Coie

City’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Threshold for Delivery Warehouse was Supported by Substantial Evidence

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The court upheld a mitigated negative declaration for a parcel delivery warehouse project, finding, among other things, that the threshold of significance and baseline used in preparing the MND were supported by substantial...more

Holland & Knight LLP

California's 2025 Housing Laws: What You Need to Know

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As in previous years, California saw a significant volume of new housing legislation emerge from Sacramento in 2024. (See Holland & Knight's previous annual recaps of California Housing Laws in the final section below.) This...more

Miller Starr Regalia

In Writ Action Attacking Vesting Tentative Map Approval, Second District Holds Plaintiffs’ Failure to Comply With Subdivision Map...

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In a published opinion filed October 21, 2024, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 7) reversed a judgment entered after the trial court granted without leave a real party developer’s motion for judgment on the...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Another Year, Another Full Slate of Housing Bills in California

On Thursday, Sept. 19, Gov. Newsom signed a package of housing bills designed to address the housing crisis affecting California. Below is a brief summary of key bills....more

Allen Matkins

Governor Newsom Approves Key Housing Bill: AB 2243

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On September 19, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom approved Assembly Bill (AB) 2243 (Wicks), which amends AB 2011 (Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022), effective January 1, 2025. As explained in our prior legal...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update - 8.29.24

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Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed two new bills that aim to boost housing supply and further address the state’s homelessness crisis....more

Miller Starr Regalia

Timing Remains Everything: Sixth District Holds CEQA Notice of Determination Filed Before County’s Final Project Approval Decision...

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The Sixth District Court of Appeal filed on July 24, and later certified for publication on August 6, 2024, its opinion in Center for Biological Diversity et al. v. County of San Benito, et al. (2024) __ Cal.App.5th __.  The...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 8.12.24

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On June 27, 2024, the California First District Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of a writ petition challenging the City of Lafayette’s determination that a 12-unit residential condominium building qualified for the Class...more

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