land use and planning

Our attorneys collectively have nearly seven decades of experience in state and local land use matters, including expertise with local coastal programs under the California Coastal Act, the Subdivision Map Act, the Williamson Act, county and city general plans, zoning ordinances, and municipal codes. The firm also handles coastal access issues and general real property matters such as boundary and neighbor dispute resolution and quiet title actions.

Sierra Club, Watsonville Pilots Association & Friends of Buena Vista

We won a significant victory in the California Court of Appeal in overturning the City of Watsonville’s approval of a new General Plan. The General Plan did not comply with CEQA because it failed to analyze lower population growth alternatives consistent with the City’s true needs, and failed to comply with the state aeronautics laws because it would authorize hundreds of homes under the flight safety path for the Watsonville Airport. (Watsonville Pilots Assoc., et al. v. City of Watsonville, et al. (2010) 183 Cal.App.4th 1059).

Coalition to Save Cambria and San Simeon

We appeared before the California Coastal Commission and sued the County of San Luis Obispo to stop the Hearst Corporation’s original plan to spoil some of California’s most precious coastal and scenic resources with a resort and residences.