Vol. 18 No. 05 May 2003

California is a state characterized by big development projects. Some get built, and some don't. But simply the proposal of a huge project can be enough to start a political movement.

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Contra Costa County and its 19 cities are considering a "growth management compact" for the next 20 to 30 years that emphasizes efficient development patterns, redevelopment and improved job distribution.

The proposed compact — important components of which remain unsettled — is a key part of "Shaping Our Future," a multi-agency effort to address growth, conservation and transportation on a regional basis.

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Despite a sluggish California economy, the state agency charged with business development and job creation appears to be in for a substantial downsizing.

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A developer’s lawsuit alleging that the City of Wasco breached a development agreement by withdrawing funding for infrastructure is not subject to the statute of limitations in the Subdivision Map Act, the Fifth District Court of Appeal has ruled.

The court ruled that the dispute was over an interpretation of the development agreement, which was not an action arising out of the Subdivision Map Act.

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A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court’s decision to remove a special master who had been appointed to oversee redevelopment of an industrial site in Union City. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld a court order capping the former special master’s compensation and ordering him to repay $113,000.

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As California’s population continues to grow, portions of the state are undergoing the process of urbanization. Although it might appear simple to determine what land is urban and what is not, different interpretations of "urban" can complicate discussions of farmland preservation, development patterns, placement of infrastructure and other issues.

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While it might be hard to convince some of my left-leaning brethren of the case, the forthcoming auction of El Toro will likely benefit the local community, the military and private business, in that order. The City of Irvine, not known to be a pushover on matters relating to the former Marine Corps base, seems just short of ecstatic about the arrangement.

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A report prepared by a group of New Urbanist planners for the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) recommends that cities and counties adopt form-based codes to govern development. The report knocks typical zoning codes, which are based on land uses. The authors contend this type of zoning has led to 50 years of suburban-style development, which has caused people to rebel against growth.

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Throughout the high-stakes poker game that coastal cities and a giant irrigation district have been playing for the past seven years in the California desert — with a rich pot of Colorado River water the prize — the Salton Sea has been a peripheral presence, like a high-roller’s mistress standing just outside the glare of the lights.

But events earlier this year suggest that the ecologically ailing drainage sump at the heart of the Imperial Valley has really been manipulating the game all along.

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The state Supreme Court appears to be ready to undertake a sweeping review of the California Coastal Commission’s makeup and its permitting activities — possibly even permits issued long ago.

The court decided in April to review a case in which the Third District Court of Appeal ruled that the method of appointing the Coastal Commission violated the separation of powers doctrine.

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