Judge also says city can't rely on greenhouse gas reduction plan that was kicked out by appellate court.

In a small town in Kern County, a water district is using California Environmental Quality Act litigation to fight the city's plans to create more housing as required by the Regional Housing Needs Allocation process. 

The city had denied the project, claiming it was inconsistent with the general plan. But the judge, a former city council member, said the inconsistency was not identified during the "shot clock" period under the Housing Accountability Act.

Hollister's incumbent council was voted out, then passed a vast expansion of the city's sphere of influence as lame ducks. An referendum was threatened and, after three months, the new council pulled the plug -- threatening the city's ability to meet its RHNA obligations.

Agreement on Village at Palisades Tahoe -- formerly Squaw Valley -- ends 14 years of legal wrangling over the expansion of one of the nation's largest ski resorts. 

The fact of the matter is that nobody quite knows. Will developers be required to pay into the state's new fund? Will regional VMT mitigation banks emerge? How do you measure the mitigation?  It's on LCI -- formerly OPR -- to figure it all out. 

From infill housing exemptions to streamlined approval under the Permit Streamlining Act to a reduced administrative record, here's what you need know about the Legislature's sweeping actions.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed major infill housing reform with the budget, meaning the changes take place immediately. But on the non-residential side, it's still "Swiss-cheese CEQA," and there's no relief for greenfield proejcts.