El Dorado County continues to be the center of litigation over laws involving mining. In the latest case, the Third District Court of Appeal ruled that a mine operator may not sue the State Mining and Geology Board, its members and two employees for allegedly violating the miner's civil rights. >>read more

The City of Stockton has successfully defended against a lawsuit filed by a developer whom the city cut out of two downtown redevelopment projects. The Second District Court of Appeal ruled that the developer, Civic Partners Stockton, LLC, could not pursue its lawsuit alleging breach of contract because the developer did not present the city with a claim for damages before filing suit. >>read more

A legal battle between wealthy property owners on the shores of Lake Tahoe appears to have been won by a group wanting to build a new boat dock. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected all arguments against the proposed dock presented by the Glenbrook Homeowners Association and allied parties, and the court upheld the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency's approval of the project. >>read more

One of the most interesting phenomena of the urban-infill craze of recent years has been the conversion of industrial corridors, such as riverfronts and railroad tracks, into middle-class housing, "creative" office space and touristy retail. >>read more

Rep. Richard Pombo has been trying to revise the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) for nearly a decade, having been handed that seemingly Sisyphean task by the GOP leadership shortly after the party took control of Congress in 1994. The Tracy Republican has never made much headway in what he calls an effort to "improve"- critics typically substitute "cripple" or "gut" - one of the nation's key environmental laws. >>read more

From rural counties experiencing modest urbanization to California's fastest growing areas, regional transportation impact fees are being levied on new development. Nearly unheard of five years ago, the fees are bringing in hundreds of millions a year across the state for road work. >>read more

A state appellate court has thrown out the environmental study for the Cal-Fed Bay-Delta Program. The Third District Court of Appeal found that the study failed to identify what water would be used to carry out the program, did not consider reduced exports of Delta water, and failed to provide known details of an "environmental water account."

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ended the 2005 legislative year by vetoing one-quarter of the approximately 900 bills that lawmakers sent him. >>read more

Riverside is slowly inching into implementation of a redevelopment project at the city's western gateway. The city recently resolved litigation with Riverside County over the boundaries of the project area, and some small infrastructure projects are moving forward. However, a lawsuit filed by a group of project area residents is pending. Until it is resolved, full implementation of the redevelopment plan must wait. >>read more

The City of Bakersfield has proposed a 112-square-mile expansion of its sphere of influence, the first step toward a major expansion of the southern San Joaquin Valley city of nearly 300,000 people. >>read more

Construction of a sewage plant in the unincorporated San Luis Obispo County community of Los Osos has been halted following the successful recall of three elected officials who supported the plant. >>read more

With all the talk these days about New Urbanism in California these days, it is sometimes easy to overlook the old urbanists. These were planners of the 1950s and 1960s who worked in the context of urban renewal and Modernist architecture, trying to fight a rear-guard action against the rapid suburbanization of the time. >>read more

A settlement agreement between the City of Malibu and a developer has been thrown out by the Second District Court of Appeal because the agreement limited the city's police powers and was improperly adopted in closed session. >>read more

A developer that has fought a variety of government fees levied by numerous jurisdictions had its day in front of the state Supreme Court in October. But during an hour of oral argument, California's high court justices offered few hints of how they might rule. >>read more