Blogs

CEQA Developments

Miller Starr Regalia has been at the forefront of recent developments in cutting edge fields such as air quality and climate change-related laws, and its attorneys are established experts in environmental impact review of projects under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Miller Starr Regalia’s first blog, CEQA Developments, was created to highlight the firm’s expertise in the area of CEQA law.

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Land Use Developments

Miller Starr Regalia’s Land Use Practice Group has broad and deep experience obtaining and defending approvals required to successfully develop real property throughout California. The firm’s Land Use Developments blog was created to provide practical information, judicial, legislative, and regulatory updates, tips, and guidelines on cutting edge issues to those in the land use industry, including property owners, developers, public agencies, and technical consultants.

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CEQA Developments
April 13, 2021

Failure to Pursue and Exhaust Administrative Appeal Remedy Results In Forfeiture of CEQA Challenge To Categorical Exemption Despite Lower Body’s Defective Hearing Notice

By: Arthur F. Coon

In a published opinion filed on February 1, 2021, in an action arising from plaintiffs/appellants’ (“plaintiffs”) “potpourri” of unsuccessful legal challenges to the City of San Francisco’s decision to remove a controversial public monument celebrating California’s pioneer era, the First District Court of Appeal upheld dismissal of a CEQA claim for failure to exhaust administrative ... Read More...

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Land Use Developments
April 8, 2021

Santa Barbara Liable for Taking Private Property When its Permit Denial Made Clear no Development Would be Allowed

By: Bryan W. Wenter, AICP

In a case that exists only because of the choices a city made in both application decision-making and litigation, the Second District Court of Appeal held, in Felkay v. City of Santa Barbara, __ Cal.App.5th __ (2021), that multiple applications are not required where the permit denial makes clear that no development of the ... Read More...

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Land Use Developments
March 24, 2021

Supreme Court Wrestles with Line Drawing in an Important Property Rights Case Addressing Physical Taking Rules in the Context of Labor Union Organizing Laws

By: Bryan W. Wenter, AICP

During California’s strawberry harvesting season in the summer of 2015, union activists entered a nursery’s property under the authority granted by a California regulation that allows union organizers to enter the private property of agriculture businesses for three hours at a time, 120 days per year, to recruit potential new members.  The organizers entered the ... Read More...

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Land Use Developments
March 8, 2021

Game Changer: Public Agency Cannot Mandate Payment of Attorney Fees Under Indemnity Agreement Without Specific Statutory Authority

By: Bryan W. Wenter, AICP

In a low-profile but important new decision, San Luis Obispo Local Agency Formation Commission v. City of Pismo Beach, __ Cal.App.5th __ (2021) (Case No. B296968), the Second District Court of Appeal affirmed a trial court decision and held that the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act (Gov. Code § 56000 et seq.) does not authorize a ... Read More...

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