CP&DR

Water Analysis Survives Court Scrutiny — But Only Briefly

Oct 16, 2007

California Environmental Quality Act, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Paul Shigley, Vol. 22 No. 11 Nov 2007

A water supply analysis for a proposed development in the Santa Clarita Valley has passed a California Environmental Quality Act test laid out earlier this year by the state Supreme Court. The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that the EIR for the West Creek project adequately addresses the likely availability of long-term water sources and the mitigation of a toxic pollutant in local wells.

San Pedro Infill Project Presents Conundrum

Sep 24, 2007

Local Watch, Los Angeles County, Paul Shigley, Regional planning, Vol. 22 No. 10 Oct 2007

Regional planning strategies are not necessarily compatible with local desires, especially when satisfying regional needs means putting a bunch more cars on already overburdened streets.

What's A Business Worth? City Says Not Much; Court Disagrees

Sep 24, 2007

CP&DR Staff, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Redevelopment, Vol. 22 No. 10 Oct 2007

An appellate court has upheld the awarding of $200,000 for lost goodwill to a business owner whose shop was taken by the Inglewood Redevelopment Agency, even though the business had mostly lost money.

Billboard Company's Lawsuit Tossed For Lack Of Standing

Sep 24, 2007

California Environmental Quality Act, CP&DR Staff, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Vol. 22 No. 10 Oct 2007

A billboard company may not bring a California Environmental Quality Act lawsuit over the City of West Hollywood's amended sign ordinance, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled.

Court Smacks Down EIR Request And Other Court's Different Ruling

Sep 24, 2007

California Environmental Quality Act, CP&DR Staff, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Vol. 22 No. 10 Oct 2007

A new environmental impact report is not required for a drastically modified high-rise project proposed in downtown Los Angeles, because there is substantial evidence that a 2005 addendum to a 1989 EIR was sufficient, the Second District Court of Appeal has ruled.

Second District Court Rejects EIR and Halts Playa Vista Development

Sep 24, 2007

CP&DR Staff, In Brief, Los Angeles County, Vol. 22 No. 10 Oct 2007

Playa Vista development in Los Angeles gets put on hold again, Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge tells city and UC to play nice, a San Luis Obispo landowner sues after winning approval to develop, State Auditor keeps busy with both good marks and ultimatums, and Glendale approves two residential towers downtown.

Permit Rejection Upheld; However, Court Allows Gates To Block Access

Aug 29, 2007

CP&DR Staff, Legal Digest, Los Angeles County, Vol. 22 No. 09 Sep 2007

The Coastal Commission's denial of an application for after-the-fact approval of a caretaker's mobile home, a storage shed and other facilities at the site of an antenna farm in the Santa Monica Mountains has been upheld by an appellate court. However, the court ruled that the commission could not prevent the property owner from erecting gates and "to trespassing" signs.

Parking Flexibility, Density Improve Infill Feasibility

Jun 1, 2007

Greg Goodfellow, Infill development, Los Angeles County, Research Reports, Vol. 22 No. 03 Mar 2007

The right combination of zoning changes and decreased parking requirements can make infill projects feasible in some of the state's most urban settings. That is the conclusion of Solimar Research Group, which continues to investigate land use options for crowded urban areas.

Housing Market Switcheroo: The Affluent Go Downtown, The Poor To Suburbia

May 29, 2007

Infill development, Insight, Los Angeles County, Vol. 22 No. 06 Jun 2007, William Fulton

A few weeks ago, I attended an Urban Land Institute event dedicated to hyping Los Angeles's newfound urbanity. It was a panel discussion on the windy roof of an old office building at 3801 Wilshire Boulevard, just across Western Avenue from the historic Wiltern Theater and catty-corner to the Red Line stop at Wilshire and Western.

Plan Would Turn L.A. River Green

May 8, 2007

Los Angeles County, Morris Newman, Parks and open space, Vol. 22 No. 04 Apr 2007

It may not be the parting of the Red Sea, but the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan is miracle enough. Sponsored by the Los Angeles River Committee of the Los Angeles City Council, the revitalization master plan may be the corner-turning event that actually kicks off the process of making a depressing culvert into a riparian green belt, studded with neighborhood parks, including several in the city's poorest neighborhoods.

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