San Bruno Comm. for Econ. Justice v. City of San Bruno

*526 Plaintiffs San Bruno Committee for Economic Justice, Unite Here Local 2, Mary Dowden, Leif Paulsen, Sheral Marshall, Beatriz Johnston, Kathleen Semenza, Lilibeth Bonifacio, and Molly Gomez appeal from the order and judgment of the trial court denying their petition for peremptory writ of mandate. Plaintiffs had unsuccessfully sought to place a referendum on the ballot concerning a resolution passed by the City of San Bruno (City). The resolution approved the sale of real property to a hotel developer, defendant San Bruno Hotels, LLC. The trial court held, among *527 other things, that the subject resolution constituted an administrative act and was therefore not subject to referendum. We agree and we affirm.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

The basic facts in this case are not in dispute.

In 2001, the City Council certified an environmental impact report approving the U.S. Navy Site and Its Environs Specific Plan 1 (Specific Plan). The Specific Plan called for development of a seven-story, 500-room full-service hotel, with up to 15,000 square feet of meeting and retail space on what was, at that time, a five-and-one-half-acre site. The site is on a former U.S.…