WASHINGTON _ The Supreme Court's splintered decision on wetlands protection is likely to result in more litigation for federal agencies and new attention to California water boards' expansive jurisdiction over the state's waters. >>read more
A state District Court of Appeal has rejected a property owner's contention that design review permits for two houses in San Mateo County were "deemed approved" because the county failed to act on his applications within 60 days. >>read more
An important case involving the delivery of water to farmers and fish appears to have sputtered to an end with the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' short-order rejection of the farmers' claims. >>read more
The presence of ammonium perchlorate - an ingredient used in rocket fuel, military munitions and other applications - in underground aquifers is contaminating drinking water supplies in several high-growth areas around the state. >> read more
I tend to be skeptical about land use policy and development trends in California. Every time I leave the state, I see creative developments and practices that we Californians should be implementing. >>read more
As business at the state's shipping ports continues to grow rapidly, the movement of freight across urban areas has become a priority for the Schwarzenegger administration and local transportation planners. >>read more
"Thank God for hospitals," I said to myself a few weeks ago while speeding to the local emergency room, doubled over in the back of an ambulance. Only after the painkillers had deadened a hitherto-undetected kidney stone could I begin to think about hospitals from an urban-design standpoint. >>read more
After sluggish construction for a number of years, condominiums are back. Although it is difficult to pin down exact numbers, 27% of housing starts during the first three months of the year have come in the form of multi-family units, many of which are for-sale condominiums. >>read more
Now little more than a stopping point for truck drivers and weary travelers, Santa Nella may be on the verge of becoming the next bedroom community for Bay Area commuters. >>read more
A report on the state's Enterprise Zone Program receives rebuttle while another report indicates California's hazardous waste facilities lack appropriate financial assurances to protect the environment. Also, Mission Viejo is being sued by affordable housing advocates while Carpenteria adopts new, record setting in-lieu affordable housing fees. >>read more
Back in January, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger - still stinging from a unanimous round of losses in the 2005 special election - decided to focus on infrastructure as a way to change the subject and exhibit political leadership as he prepared to run for re-election. >>read more
A use permit condition limiting groundwater extraction to 12,000 acre-feet of water per year did not constitute a taking of property, the Fourth District Court of Appeal has ruled. >>read more
