by William Fulton

Mountain View approves 15-story project but Menlo Park and Beverly Hills resist.

The 682-unit project was declared exempt from CEQA and apparently met the city's objective design standards. The city council voted against it anyway.

Passage of SB 450 means L.A. judge will look again at whether the lot-split law applies to charter cities. 

City backed off of appeal after judge ordered that a $14 million bond be posted. 

SB 158, which lifts the CEQA exemption for some projects, apparently applies only to one project in the entire state: a proposed eight-story apartment building behind the iconic Santa Barbara Mission.

Appellate court concludes city should not have exempted car wash, which could lead to more Benzene emissions near school playground

Proposed 2026 ballot measure would create two categories of projects: "essential projects" subject to tighter timelines and other projects subject to current law. 

This year's CEQA reform will put more pressure on cities and counties to bulletproof their housing element EIRs. But it also creates a much "cleaner" exemption for infill housing than was previously available. 

Proponents request for a second review of signatures for ballot is deemed a protected free speech activity and the judge granted an anti-SLAPP motion against the City of San Diego

The city has won two ballot measures to raise the height limit around its longtime sports arena. Now, for the second time, an appellate court has struck down the associated environmental analysis -- and the ballot measure.

Reversing lower court, appellate justices say city acted properly in repealing previous approval and limiting new approval to administrative actions.

Most bills have to do with housing, seeking to further sweep away regulations that restrict housing approvals. One new law would subject cities to attorney's fees and additional fines if they violate housing reform laws.