Placer Ranch Partners v. County of Placer

In what is often perceived to be the typical case involving the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (Pub. Resources Code, § 21000 et seq. [further undesignated statutory references are to the Public Resources Code]), a zealous citizens group challenges the approval of a development project by asserting that a government entity failed to consider possible adverse environmental effects of the projects, or otherwise failed to follow mandated CEQA procedures. This is not that case. Here, it is the developers who invoke CEQA’s protections to challenge the government agency’s actions.

After receiving input on a draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for its general plan update, the Placer County Board of Supervisors (the County) opted to modify its plans and, instead of permitting the development of four new towns in rural portions of the county, decided to meet forecasted housing needs through the use of in-fill projects in existing towns. This option, which had been presented as an alternative in the DEIR, was incorporated into the final environmental impact report (FEIR).

Plaintiffs Placer Ranch Partners, Placer Ranch 160, and Stanford Ranch, Inc., developers for…