The City of Los Angeles had no obligation under the California Environmental Quality Act to complete an environmental impact report for a project that it had rejected, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled. The court dismissed all arguments put forward by the developer of the 555-acre Las Lomas project at the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 14. "[I]f an agency at any time decides not to proceed with a project," the court said, "CEQA is inapplicable from that time

News from around the state: A wastewater collection system and treatment plant for the Central Coast town of Los Osos has been approved for a second time, which could end a 21-year-old building moratorium; an appellate court has upheld a 1,200% development fee hike in Manteca despite development agreements; the state has dropped an appeal of a judge's ruling blocking a shift of redevelopment tax increment from local redevelopment agencies to schools.

Forced into negotiations by the state Legislature, the City of Walnut has dropped its lawsuit contesting the adequacy of an environmental impact report for a proposed professional football stadium and 3 million-square-foot entertainment complex in the neighboring City of Industry.

A city may determine that a project has no significant effects on energy consumption if it exceeds the California Building Energy Efficiency Standards, the Third District Court of Appeal has ruled. The ruling appears to be the first on an environmental impact report's analysis of how a project might affect energy use, an area of the California Environmental Quality Act receiving increased attention because of concerns about climate change.

California Water Projects and Urban Water Supplies: Environmental Compliance Requirements and Practical Approaches Efficient environmental review and permitting of water projects has become more important than ever, given regulatory restrictions and drought conditions that are increasingly limiting the state's water supplies. Currently, state law requires large development projects to prove they have sufficient water supplies. The objectives of this course are to provide an

Special Event: Planning for Age-Integrated Communities A special event in conjunction with UCLA Extension will be held on Monday, November 2, at the Westin Pasadena Hotel to explore the nature of today's inter-generational relationships in regards to housing and transportation decisions. We will consider what role cities can play in addressing the needs of an exploding older population and what responsibilities belong to the families. What are the options? How do cities plan

State lawmakers wrapped up the first year of their two-year session without taking action on numerous bills regarding land use planning, development and natural resources. But some of the legislation could receive consideration before the end of the month because lawmakers are likely to return for special sessions called by Gov. Schwarzenegger. The Legislature passed bills that would require fire safety to be a larger factor in land use planning, allow farmworker housing to b

News from around the state: Sonoma County drops plans to take more water from the Russian River, angering cities; CSU Monterey Bay agrees to mitigate some of its off-campus impacts; Lake County may get a fourth Indian casino.

With the election of President Obama and the emergence of a Democratic majority in Congress, it appears that the federal government may soon pass sweeping legislation to address greenhouse gas emissions. Based on a preponderance of research linking greenhouse gas emissions to urban sprawl and reliance on automobiles, a national program may usher in the next great trend in urban planning. If so, California may find itself well ahead of its fellow states.

A project that had become a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) lightning rod has apparently died. Nestlé Waters North America notified the McCloud Community Services District that it is dropping plans to convert a closed lumber mill in Siskiyou County into a water-bottling plant because it is building the facility in Sacramento instead.

A Kern County voter initiative prohibiting the disposal of sewage sludge on fields in the county has new life. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a federal District Court judge's ruling that the initiative violated the United States constitution's commerce clause.

Something seems to be missing from the site plan for Quarry Village, a 42-acre proposed housing development in Hayward. Here are orderly rows of streets, a scattering of small parks and a "village center" for neighborhood-scale retail. The 950 housing units are made up entirely of three-story townhouses, arranged in rows of four and six units. What's missing? Garages.