Baldwin

These consolidated appeals involve challenges by three residents of the Wilmington area of the City of Los Angeles to an owner-occupied affordable housing project, consisting of thirteen duplexes, or a total of twenty-six residences, which real party in interest Habitat for Humanity, Harbor Area/ Long Beach, CA Inc. (Habitat) proposed to build on a two-acre parcel of property transferred to Habitat by defendant City of Los Angeles (City); the property had been dedicated to City by Southern Pacific Real Estate Enterprises (Southern Pacific).

In one appeal (No. B114270), the residents (Baldwin) appeal from a July 1, 1997, judgment confirming City’s return to writ of mandate and dismissing Baldwin’s prior writ of mandate wherein Baldwin challenged City’s adoption of a mitigated negative declaration for Habitat’s housing project and contended that City was obligated to prepare an environmental impact report for the Habitat project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA; Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq.).

In appeal No. B121348, City and Habitat appeal from a judgment granting a second petition for writ of mandate filed by Baldwin wherein Baldwin…