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 California Court of Appeal’s recent decision in V Lions Farming, LLC v. County of Kern provides important clarity on the use of agricultural conservation easements (ACEs) for mitigating the conversion of agricultural land...more
2/5/2025
/ Agribusiness ,
Agricultural Sector ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Conservation ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) ,
Environmental Policies ,
Mitigation ,
Oil & Gas ,
Real Estate Development ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Urban Planning & Development
Various state housing bills are currently making their way through the State Legislature that are expected to benefit mixed-income multifamily housing developers. The following summaries reflect the status of the legislation...more
5/24/2024
/ Affordable Housing ,
California ,
CEQA ,
Conversion ,
Density Bonus ,
Endangered Species Act (ESA) ,
Housing Market ,
Multi-Family Development ,
Natural Gas ,
Office Space ,
Real Estate Development
On April 12, 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its much-anticipated ruling in Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, U.S. No. 22-1074 (petition for certiorari granted 9/29/23) (Sheetz). The case concerned the...more
4/16/2024
/ Building Permits ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Construction Project ,
Fifth Amendment ,
George Sheetz v County of El Dorado ,
Impact Fees ,
Popular ,
Property Owners ,
Real Estate Development ,
SCOTUS ,
Supreme Court Justices ,
Takings Clause ,
Traffic Impact Assessments
Senate Bill (SB) 1227, introduced by Senator Scott Wiener on February 15, 2024, would help speed the recovery of downtown San Francisco by creating a new CEQA exemption for qualifying commercial, institutional, student...more