California stands at a pivotal juncture in 2025, confronting an array of environmental and housing challenges. As usual, the California State Legislature is considering numerous strategies to address these issues. This year’s...more
6/24/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
California Coastal Commission ,
California Endangered Species Act ,
CEQA ,
Citizen Suits ,
Clean Energy ,
Demolition ,
Density Bonus ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Policies ,
Habitat Conservation Plan ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Impact Fees ,
Natural Disasters ,
Natural Resources ,
New Legislation ,
Real Estate Development ,
Sackett v EPA ,
Water Conservation ,
Waters of the United States ,
Wetlands ,
Wildfires
The San Diego City Council voted on March 4, 2025, to begin the process of revising its Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Bonus Program (ADU Bonus Program or Program), which has served, to date, as one of the state’s most...more
6/19/2025
/ Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) ,
Affordable Housing ,
California ,
City Councils ,
Housing Developers ,
Housing Market ,
Property Owners ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Proposed Rules ,
Real Estate Development ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Zoning Laws
Energy efficiency regulations may not be changing quite as fast as housing laws, but California has made notable changes over the last several years aimed at reaching its ever more ambitious carbon emissions reduction goals,...more
The City of San Diego’s popular infill development initiative, the Complete Communities – Housing Solutions program, has generated a flurry of transactions and project applications during its first few years of existence. ...more
In last year’s update, we provided an overview of federal and California regulatory actions designed to protect public health and the environment from the impacts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These actions...more
5/2/2023
/ California ,
CEQA ,
CERCLA ,
Clean Water Act ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Housing Developers ,
Office Space ,
Offshore Wind ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Safe Drinking Water Act ,
State and Local Government
With the end of the first quarter of 2021 approaching, we thought it timely to issue an update on selected recent developments and proposed changes in law and policy touching environmental, land use, and natural resource...more
The State Water Resources Control Board (Water Board) announced on March 26, 2020, that it does not anticipate bringing enforcement actions against water rights holders who are required to make annual filings by April 1,...more
In Union of Medical Marijuana Patients, Inc. v. City of San Diego, the California Supreme Court considered the definition of a "project" under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Court held that a lead...more
In Sacramentans for Fair Planning v. City of Sacramento, published on July 18, 2019, the California Court of Appeal rejected challenges to a project based on the principle of zoning uniformity, limiting its application to...more
The amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines described in our previous legal alert have been approved by the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) and filed by the Secretary of State. The OAL...more
Following a preparation process that has taken more than five years, amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines are poised to take effect shortly....more