Sierra Club v. California Coastal Commission

This case requires us to consider the California Coastal Commission’s (Commission) exercise of permit authority under the California CoasM Act of 1976 (Coastal Act) (Pub. Resources Code, § 30000 et seq.) in connection with a proposed development project that straddles the coastal zone boundary. In issuing a permit in this case, the Commission found that as conditioned, the part of the proposed project within the coastal zone is in conformity with the Coastal Act’s policies and requirements. The opponents of the permit request contend that the Commission, based on an incorrect construction of the Coastal Act, improperly refused to consider impacts within the coastal zone of the part of the proposed project outside the coastal zone. The Court of Appeal upheld the Commission’s reading of the Coastal Act and its decision. We affirm the Court of Appeal’s judgment.

Factual Background

Respondent Catellus Residential Group (Catellus) proposed to build a development with 114 houses on a 44-acre parcel of property in the City of Los Angeles (City), approximately one mile from the ocean and near the Baliona Wetlands. All of the new houses would be built on top of a bluff that is…