Neilson

Appellants challenged the validity of redevelopment plan amendments adopted by respondents City of California City (City) and City of California City Redevelopment Agency (Redevelopment Agency) that resulted in the building of an automobile test track facility on desert land. Appellants claim Redevelopment Agency erroneously determined that the 24.4 square miles of vacant land added to the redevelopment area was urbanized and blighted within the meaning of California’s Community Redevelopment Law (CRL) (Health & Saf. Code, § 33000 et seq.). As a result, appellants contend, the land was improperly included in the redevelopment area.

Redevelopment Agency found the land was urbanized and blighted based on “[t]he existence of subdivided lots of irregular form and shape and inadequate size for proper usefulness and development that are in multiple ownership.” (Former § 33031, subd. (a)(4).) Appellants contend that Redevelopment Agency misconstrued and misapplied the statutory terms “irregular form and shape” and “inadequate size.” Specifically, appellants argue that the statutory conditions concerning a lot’s “irregular form and shape” and its “inadequate size” cannot both be…