YCS Investments v. County of Santa Clara CA6

I. BACKGROUND

YCS is an owner (or agent of an owner) of a 2,150-acre property known as Young Ranch, which is partly in Santa Clara County and partly in the City of San José (San José). YCS has been seeking to develop residential lots on Young Ranch since 2012. The ranch also contains a valuable habitat for an endangered species of butterfly, which is important to the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan, a joint conservation plan under the federal Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. § 1531 et seq.). A. The Settlement Agreement In 2012 YCS applied for approval of a residential development project on Young Ranch. Because the proposed development was on a hillside, it was subject to density limitations in the County’s General Plan. To satisfy these limitations, YCS proposed to leave open space, including the habitat for the endangered butterfly, on the portion of the ranch in San José. In 2013 YCS sued to enjoin implementation of the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan. In addition, after the County Planning Commission denied YCS’s application, finding the proposed project inconsistent with the County’s General Plan, YCS appealed the denial. Shortly after the appeal was filed, the County…