Lighthouse Field Beach Rescue v. City of Santa Cruz

The principal issues in this case are whether the City of Santa Cruz (City) complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Pub. Res. Code, § 21000 et seq.) in preparing its initial study of the proposed revisions of the 1984 Lighthouse Field State Beach General Plan (revised general plan), adopting a negative declaration instead of preparing an environmental impact report (EIR), and approving the revised general plan. Appellant Lighthouse Field Beach Rescue (Beach Rescue), an unincorporated advocacy association, unsuccessfully petitioned for a writ of mandate on the ground that respondents City and City of Santa Cruz City Council (City Council) violated CEQA. The California Department of Parks and Recreation (Department) is named as a real party in interest.

The petition alleged that the City “abused its discretion and failed to act in the manner required by law” by (1) failing to adequately “describe the environmental setting, including the impacts and extent of the current off-leash dog use at the Beach” in its initial study, (2) failing to certify an EIR since the “administrative record contains a fair argument that the amendments to the Plan may…