Saddleback Canyons Conservancy v. County of Orange CA4/3

INTRODUCTION

The Orange County Board of Supervisors (the Board) approved the Saddle Crest Homes area project (the Project), and also approved amendments to the Orange County general plan (the General Plan) and the “Foothill/Trabuco Specific Plan” (the Specific Plan), which covers the area in which the Project is to be built. Environmental and community groups brought suit. After a hearing, the court entered judgment against the County of Orange (the County) and the Board, preventing the Project from moving forward. Rutter Santiago LP (Rutter Santiago), the developer of the Project and a real party in interest, appeals from the judgment. We reverse. Having reviewed the Board’s actions in certifying an environmental impact report (EIR) for the Project, approving the Project, and amending the General Plan and the Specific Plan, we find no prejudicial abuse of discretion on the part of the Board. Its actions and findings were supported by substantial evidence, were not arbitrary or capricious, and were consistent with the General Plan.

STATEMENT OF FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The Project is located in an unincorporated portion of Orange County in an area subject to the Specific…