Vol. 17 No. 11 Nov 2002

 

27th Annual* *Land Use Law & Planning Conference Attendees, contact the Circulation Manager to access your special discount! 805-652-0695 or email sklipp@cp-dr.com!

California Tries To Get 'Centered,' But State Remains Conflicted

Can we Californians do a better job of getting centered?

This is not a metaphysical question. Increasingly, it is a practical concern. As California moves into the post-suburban era, the question of how to grow is moving beyond a fight about growth and density as abstract statistics to a more fine-grained discussion about how to create more dense and compact places.

This is not a metaphysical question. Increasingly, it is a practical concern. As California moves into the post-suburban era, the

Court Overturns Property Valuation Because of Trial Judge’s Mistakes

When a public agency acquires a property via eminent domain, only a trial court judge -- and not a jury -- can decide whether a business should receive compensation for loss of goodwill, a state appellate court has ruled.

Owner of Longtime Water Right Can’t Avoid Fish and Game Statute

The owner of appropriative water rights to a creek cannot exercise those rights in violation of state regulations intended to protect fish and wildlife, the Third District Court of Appeal has decided.

Project Opponents Had 180 Days to Sue Regarding Lack of Analysis

Opponents of a proposed recycling center were too late in filing a lawsuit regarding a city’s failure to prepare an environmental study on the city’s sale of land to the recycling company, the Fourth District Court of Appeal has ruled.

Court Rules Builders Four Applications Should Be Reviewed as One Project

The City of Los Angeles was correct to treat as one project a builder’s various proposals for 21 new houses on existing parcels on two streets, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled. The court rejected the builder’s contention that the city could not demand an environmental impact report on the 21 houses, five of which have already been built.

SF Redevelopment Project Survives CEQA, Blight Challenges

In a case that touched on redevelopment law, the California Environmental Quality Act and general plan compatibility, an appellate court has upheld San Francisco’s handling of a project on the site of the historic Emporium department store.

Central Valley Cities Have Mixed Record on Farmland Protection

Although there are many tactics used to control growth, ultimately, there is only one measure of importance in protecting farmland: efficient urban land use. In examining four communities in the Central Valley, we found large disparities in land use efficiency.

2002 Land Use Legislation Round-Up

Sidebar to the featured story in the Novermber 2002 edition of CP&DR, "Governor Signs Housing Bills, Rail Bond."

Governor Signs Housing Bills, Rail Bond

Gov. Gray Davis completed the 2001-02 legislative session by signing several bills backed by affordable housing advocates, a coastal access bill opposed by some of his friends, and a bill that takes a modest step toward more coordinated state planning.

Riverside Builds Downtown Plan on History and Culture

Riverside is pegging its hopes for downtown revitalization to the arts, historic preservation and even an infusion of University of California students.