Judge rejects several arguments and tells the city to adopt a housing element by September.

The state recently approved Beverly Hills' housing element, bringing a contentious situation to a close. Most other housing elements have also been approved and the state is negotiating with the remaining cities and counties to reach agreement.

In the latest ruling against a municipality, a Los Angeles judge said La Cañada Flintridge must move forward with a builder's remedy project because -- in his judgment -- the city did not have a compliant housing element when it refused to process the project. It's one of two lawsuits against the city on the same project.

After losing in appellate court and with a trial looming, the Fresno-area city reaches a wide-ranging settlement agreement including upzoning, inclusionary housing, a housing trust fund, and more.

But judge also says that, in the Coastal Zone at least, builder's remedy is overridden by zoning.

The state's action on housing has focused on making entitlements easier to get. But housing production hasn't gone up. Maybe there aren't enough developers and planners left in the state to get the job done.

The ruling came after HCD rejected the city's housing element for a third time. The city's attorney says Beverly Hills is appealing the case and therefore the suspension won't go into effect immediately.

But in a case from Redondo Beach, the L.A. County Superior Court judge also ruled that the vote requirement is pre-empted by state law. 

City claims it just didn't have enough planning capacity to meet RHNA deadlines.

City claims HCD has no legal authority to approve housing elements -- and also claims the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling knocks out AFFH argument