The California Court of Appeal reversed a trial court judgment in favor of the City of San Diego in a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) challenge to the City’s 2022 approval of a ballot measure to exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Planning area from the Coastal Height Limit Overlay Zone, which generally imposes a 30-foot height limit for buildings. The appellate court discussed “a few nonexhaustive examples” of how the CEQA review failed to consider potential significant environmental impacts of substantially taller buildings, including failure to consider increased construction-related air quality and greenhouse gas impacts as a result of increased building heights.

Challenge to the CEQA review conducted for the 2022 approval of a ballot measure to exclude the Midway-Pacific Highway Community Planning area from the Coastal Height Limit Overlay Zone, which generally imposes a 30-foot building height limit.

Save Our Access v. City of San Diego

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California Appellate Court Said CEQA Review for San Diego’s Removal of Building Height Limit in Coastal Zone Was Inadequate

Filed

United States of America

California

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California Appellate Court Said CEQA Review for San Diego’s Removal of Building Height Limit in Coastal Zone Was Inadequate

Policy instrument

Risk

Just transition

Fossil fuel

Greenhouse gas

Economic sector