Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental Law Blog

In its recent decision in Hilltop Group Inc. v. County of San Diego, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal issued a number of holdings that resulted in a strong ruling in support of str...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/a-win-for-consistency-evaluations-under-ceqa-guidelines-15183-court-rules-that-public-controversy-is-not-a-basis-for-additional-environmental-review.html

Despite repeated attempts at reform by the Legislature, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) continues to be a minefield for those assigned with the herculean task of complying with t...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/2023-year-in-review-ceqa-litigation.html

Following California Supreme Court and its own case law precedent, the Second District, Division Five, has ruled in Guerrero et al. v. City of Los Angeles (Jan. 17, 2024) (Guerrero), certified f...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/conditional-approval-is-project-approval-appellate-court-confirms-ceqa-statute-of-limitations-triggered-by-tentative-map-approval-conditioned-on-subsequent-rezoning.html

The 2023 legislative cycle saw another mixed-bag of legislation dealing with CEQA “reform,” with a particular focus on streamlining affordable housing development. While many bills died duri...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/ceqa-2023-legislative-update.html

In it’s recent decision in United Neighborhoods for Los Angeles v. City of Los Angeles (2023) ___ Cal.App.5th ___, the Second District Court of Appeal affirmed a judgment voiding the City of L...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/second-district-addresses-ceqas-class-32-infill-exemption-criteria.html

In late June, California’s Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld a Superior Court decision in Save Our Access v. City of San Diego, providing clarity for determining when a “later activity�...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/california-court-holds-proposed-ballot-measure-excluding-community-plan-area-from-height-limit-is-not-a-later-activity-for-purposes-of-a-within-the-scope-analysis.html

On July 6, 2023, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed into law a provision to exempt certain affordable housing projects from the city’s Site Plan Review Process. The exemption was made as an a...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/los-angeles-mayor-signs-new-legislation-exempting-affordable-housing-projects-from-site-plan-review.html

On July 10, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law a package of bills intended to accelerate critical infrastructure projects across the State aimed at achieving monumental clim...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/build-more-faster-newsoms-signs-infrastructure-and-budget-legislation.html

On June 13, 2023, the Second Appellate District affirmed the City of Pomona’s use of a statutory exemption for its Commercial Cannabis Overlay Permit Program under California Environmental Qua...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/commercial-cannabis-permit-program-and-overlay-district-statutorily-exempt-under-ceqa-guideline-section-15183.html

On May 19, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom proposed a legislative package of 10 bills reforming the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) intended to speed up construction of clean ...

https://www.realestatelanduseandenvironmentallaw.com/ceqa-reforms-for-clean-energy-projects-still-possible-despite-senate-budget-committee-rejection.html