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Urban Planning & Development California Environmental Quality Act State and Local Government

Meyers Nave

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

Meyers Nave on

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

Allen Matkins on

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...

Miller Starr Regalia on

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

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update 3.21.25

Allen Matkins on

Senator Scott Wiener is back with another bill – SB 79 – to provide for streamlined ministerial (i.e., no CEQA) approval of qualifying housing development projects near transit across California. For qualifying projects...more

Best Best & Krieger LLP

A Well-Informed Start to 2025: BBK’s Guidance for New Laws in California – Housing Part One

In part one of the Housing New Laws series from Best Best & Krieger LLP (BBK), attorneys cover important new housing legislation for 2025 that updates the Housing Accountability Act and relates to housing development fees....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

Nossaman LLP

State Water Board Developing Statewide Urban Stormwater Infiltration Policy

Nossaman LLP on

The California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) has begun its process to develop a new statewide Urban Stormwater Infiltration Policy. The goal of the proposed new policy is to establish statewide...more

Snell & Wilmer

Governor Newsom’s Parade of Executive Orders Continue To Cut Red Tape for Los Angeles’ Rebuild

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Executive Order N-20-25 aims to cut more red tape and continue streamlining rebuilding, recovery, and relief for survivors of the Palisades and Eaton wildfires....more

Alston & Bird

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

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Los Angeles County - Executive Order Streamlines Path to Rebuild Homes, Businesses, and Communities Destroyed by Los Angeles Firestorms - In response to the multiple firestorms in Los Angeles County that started on January 7,...more

Allen Matkins

The Future of Conservation Easements as Mitigation under CEQA

Allen Matkins on

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

DLA Piper on

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

Paul Hastings LLP

LA Wildfires: Will the Governor’s Efforts to Streamline Environmental Permitting Really Matter?

Paul Hastings LLP on

On January 12, 2025, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order (EO N-4-25) to suspend permitting requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act, with the...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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

CEQA News You Can Use - November 2024 - Volume 9, Issue 3

Welcome to “CEQA News You Can Use,” a quarterly production of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP’s Natural Resources lawyers. This publication provides quick, useful bites of CEQA news, which we hope can be a resource to...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

Allen Matkins on

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

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

CEQA News You Can Use - August 2024 - Volume 9, Issue 2

Welcome to “CEQA News You Can Use,” a quarterly production of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP’s Natural Resources lawyers. This publication provides quick, useful bites of CEQA news, which we hope can be a resource to...more

Allen Matkins

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update - 8.29.24

Allen Matkins on

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

Alston & Bird

Land Use Matters August 2024 – CEQA Appellate Decisions & Other Legal Developments

Alston & Bird on

City of Los Angeles - Increase to Planning Applications and Affordable Housing Linkage Fees - On July 1, 2024, the fee for planning and land use applications increased by 3.5% based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban...more

Perkins Coie

California Supreme Court Upholds EIR for UC Berkeley Housing Development

Perkins Coie on

The California Supreme Court held that under newly enacted Assembly Bill 1307, the environmental impact report prepared for UC Berkeley housing and longer-term development was not inadequate for failing to consider social...more

Meyers Nave

CA Supreme Court Holds CEQA Does Not Cover Social Noise from Residential Projects, Clearing Way for UC Berkeley’s Housing Project...

Meyers Nave on

So-called “social noise”—i.e., noise created by human voices—is not an environmental impact required by the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) to be analyzed for residential projects, the California Supreme Court...more

Perkins Coie

Court Must Determine Revised EIR Is Adequate Before Discharging Writ Overturning Prior EIR

Perkins Coie on

An appellate court interpreted a writ that ordered an agency to vacate certification of an EIR in part and file a final return to the writ “upon certification of a revised EIR” to require an assessment of the adequacy of the...more

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

CEQA News You Can Use, May 2024 - Volume 9, Issue 1

Welcome to “CEQA News You Can Use,” a quarterly production of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP’s Natural Resources lawyers. This publication provides quick, useful bites of CEQA news, which we hope can be a resource to...more

Miller Starr Regalia

Hilltop Group, Inc. v, County of San Diego: Throwing a Judicial Monkey Wrench into the Spin Cycle of Local Agency CEQA Laundering?

Miller Starr Regalia on

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) has long required a full analysis of project's potential adverse effects on the environment. The environmental impact report (EIR)-known as the "heart of CEQA"-is intended to...more

Perkins Coie

Completion of Project Did Not Moot CEQA Claims, and County’s Failure to Exercise Jurisdiction Could Provide a Basis for a CEQA...

Perkins Coie on

The completion of a shooting range redevelopment project did not moot CEQA claims regarding the project even though the plaintiff had not sought an injunction against development or operation of the project. Moreover, the...more

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