Sweetwater Valley Civic Assn. v. City of National City

The National City Redevelopment Agency and City Council of National City declared 130 acres of land a “blighted area” under the Community Redevelopment Law (CRL) (Health & Saf. Code, § 33000 et seq.) and-approved á redevelopment plan for a 70-building shopping center to be constructed on the site. Petitioning for writ of mandate to set aside the approval, the Sweetwater Valley Civic Association, a group of 600 taxpayers, residents, and property owners of Sweetwater Valley, allege that the property is not an appropriate area for redevelopment. Following trial, the petition was denied, and the association appealed from the ensuing judgment.

The Bonita Golf Course, consisting of 18 holes, a separate driving range, and a putting green, comprises 103 acres of the asserted “blight area.” The golf course is part of a private club, but available for public use. The balance of the 130 acres remains unproductive. A single party owns 115 of the 130 acres. Seventeen acres lie in Chula Vista or in unincorporated territory and are zoned for open space and proposed for inclusion in Sweetwater Regional Park.

A small portion of the golf course was recently taken for freeway…