The Ventura panel of the Second District Court of Appeal has issued two unpublished opinions, both favoring a city in Ventura County over claims made by local residents and property owners.

In a case from Tiburon, an appellate court said future housing projects are not "reasonably foreseeable".

A Berkeley citizen group lost its challenge to People's Park in the legislature and the California Supreme Court. But that didn't stop the group from claiming enough of a victory to seek $1 million in attorney's fees. An appellate court shot the idea down.

So, in the battle between the California Environmental Quality Act and the Housing Accountability Act, which law wins?

As the Legislature prepares to convene in January, another round of changes to the California Environmental Quality Act seems likely. The question is whether the 2026 changes will be incremental – clarifying, among other things, some of the “Swiss-cheese” holes punched in CEQA in 2025 – or whether someone in the Legislature will attempt a more comprehensive attempt at reform.

A local judge has ruled that the City of Dublin should have conducted an environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act before placing a measure on the ballot that would permit development in an area previous protected under the city’s Open Space Initiative.