A developer submits a housing application for a 50-unit residential project in a city with a non-compliant housing element. The site is properly zoned. The application is complete. A few weeks later, neighbors begin appearing at city council meetings. Local officials start discussing whether the century-old craftsman bungalow on the property should receive historic designation…. Read more »
California property owners and developers often run into the same pattern. A permit application goes in complete. The city requests additional studies. Then supplemental responses. Hearings continue without resolution, and new issues surface late in the process. Meanwhile, carrying costs increase and project timelines stretch beyond what the financing can support. Delay alone is not… Read more »
When a city or county denies a housing project, the developer can challenge that decision in court through a Writ of Administrative Mandate under Code of Civil Procedure § 1094.5. The court then reviews the agency record to determine whether the decision followed the law, used proper procedure, and had support in the evidence. In… Read more »
California’s housing shortage has pushed Builder’s Remedy California 2026 into active use across development disputes. What was once a rarely discussed provision in planning law now plays a direct role in how cities review housing projects. If you own land in California, plan to develop property, or are dealing with a city’s housing element decisions,… Read more »
Developers in California often encounter a common condition during project approvals. Before moving forward, the city requires them to sign an indemnity agreement. If someone files a lawsuit to challenge the project, the developer must defend the city and cover legal costs. At first glance, this may seem like a routine requirement. In practice, however,… Read more »
Today the land use law firm of Kassouni Law filed the opening brief in an important case challenging the Plan Bay Area’s Sustainable Communities Strategy adopted by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). Kassouni Law represents Michael Shaw of Freedom Advocates, Rosa Koire, and the Post-Sustainability Institute. MTC and ABAG were… Read more »
