Developers, Pittsburg Bring New Life To Old Town
After suffering two generations worth of economic decline and malaise, the East Bay city of Pittsburg is trying to reinvent its downtown as a residential, office and retail district.read more
View ArticleSan Joaquin Valley Farmers, Districts Fail To Prove Harm From Fish Plan
An important case involving the delivery of water to farmers and fish appears to have sputtered to an end with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ short-order rejection of the farmers’ claims.read...
View ArticlePublic Notice Flaw Kills Contention That Project Was 'Deemed Approved'
A state District Court of Appeal has rejected a property owner’s contention that design review permits for two houses in San Mateo County were “deemed approved” because the county failed to act on his...
View ArticleUrban Infill Exemption For 14-Story Condo Tower in San Diego Upheld
A state appellate court has upheld an exemption from environmental review for a 14-story residential building proposed in San Diego.read more
View ArticleWaterfront Plan Promises Amenities For San Pedro
My first impression of San Pedro occurred 15 years ago during a tour organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy. A middle-aged man, who had been a sailor during World War II, became animated as we stood...
View ArticleCoachella Valley Species Plan In Doubt
Endangered species issue complicates development in Coachella Valley, a judge declares the inclusionary housing ordinance unconstitutional in the City of San Diego, and activists halt development in...
View ArticleSupreme Court Decision Brings Wetlands Uncertainty
WASHINGTON _ The Supreme Court's splintered decision on wetlands protection is likely to result in more litigation for federal agencies and new attention to California water boards’ expansive...
View ArticleJune Primary Election Results
A final rundown of city- and county-level ballot measures from all over the state.read more
View ArticleMilitary Base Closure Provides Lake Forest With Opportunities
The south Orange County city of Lake Forest is poised to approve a plan that would not only permit 5,400 housing units, but would help tie together what are now two distinct parts of town.read more
View ArticleCapitola Mobile Home Park Owner Wins Chance To Prove Takings Claim
An extraordinarily complicated takings case stemming from the City of Capitola’s mobile home rent control ordinance has received new life, even though the city has won numerous rounds in federal and...
View ArticleSchool Consolidation Plan Ruled Exempt From Environmental Review
Opponents of a school consolidation plan in a Santa Cruz County school district did not provide evidence showing that the consolidation was not exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review,...
View ArticleEnvironmental And Planning Issues Dog Flood Bonds
A little more than a year after hurricane Katrina turned New Orleans into a real-life Atlantis and focused scrutiny on flood-imperiled cities nationwide, California voters will be asked this fall to...
View ArticleVoters Reject Road Taxes, Growth
Voters appeared to be in both an anti-tax and an anti-growth mood in June.read more
View ArticleThe Difference In River Cities
Maybe it was while I was strolling amidst the mixed-use projects rising in the historic Pearl District. Or maybe it was while I was sipping coffee at a Powell’s outlet in the funky Hawthorne District....
View ArticleThe 'Smart Growth' Candidate Has To Face Both Governor And CEQA
So, the smart growthers have their candidate for governor. No statewide public figure in California has been more closely identified with “smart growth” and “New Urbanism” than Phil Angelides. This...
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