Transactional
Overview
Working as members of the client team, we help our public agency clients update their general master plans, adopt specific plans and zoning ordinances. We review draft plans and environmental impact reports, prepare all necessary findings and resolutions and work with staff and elected officials to assure our clients’ actions comply with all applicable federal, state and local land use regulations.
We develop, implement and ensure appropriate land use and environmental compliance for multi-million dollar capital improvement projects, including city buildings, major sewer and storm water infrastructure, major airport and port expansions, railways and other transportation projects. We also defend actions approved by public agency clients against legal challenges.
Meyers Nave helps our public agency and private clients process general plan, zoning, subdivision map, conditional use permit and variance applications to assure that such actions are consistent with applicable general plans, are supported by appropriate findings and are safe from legal challenge. We also have special expertise in annexation, detachment and incorporation proceedings, including negotiations for property-tax sharing agreements.
Representative Transactions
Representative examples of our transactional experience are provided below.
The Port of Los Angeles. The Port of Los Angeles is one of our most comprehensive, large-scale engagements in the area of land use and environmental law. We advise the Port on complex and novel land use, air emission and environmental issues for major planning and infrastructure projects. Significant projects include advising on compliance with CEQA and NEPA for joint EIS/EIR for crude oil terminal and container terminal projects.
Los Angeles International Airport. Represented the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in connection with its approval of a $13 billion airport expansion. We advised LAX on a broad range of land use and environmental issues, including CEQA, NEPA, the California Coastal Act, the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, and the federal and state endangered species laws. For example, we served as lead outside land use counsel for the CEQA review of the South Airfield Improvement Project, the first project to be implemented under the LAX Master Plan.
Regents of the University of California. Represent the University of California on multiple campus expansion projects, including the University of California Santa Cruz, North Campus Expansion and the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Solar Energy Research Project.
Hollywood Park Specific Plan, City of Inglewood. Advised the City and its Redevelopment Agency on all land use and environmental issues relating to the redevelopment of the Hollywood Park racetrack. The project is a large-scale mixed-use development of 3,000 residential units, over 600,000 square feet of retail, a hotel and a casino. Assisted in drafting entitlements and approval findings for the general plan amendment, specific plan, development agreement, owner participation agreement, and EIR.
Oyster Point Ventures Life Science Campus and Oyster Point Marina Ferry Village, City of South San Francisco. Assisted the City and its Redevelopment Agency with preparation and negotiation of a general plan amendment, specific plan amendment, zone change, development agreement, subdivision map and owner participation agreements for a 2.25-million square foot life sciences campus including office and research facilities and commercial project. The project also includes a hotel, ferry village retail and community open space development near the planned South San Francisco Ferry Terminal. The project is being developed by SKS and Shorenstein.
Southern Pacific/Union Pacific Rail Yards Redevelopment, City of Sacramento. Advised developer on a major redevelopment project involving the historic Southern Pacific/Union Pacific rail yards. This urban infill project involves 12,000 residential units along with adaptive reuse of historic rail yard buildings to create a city within a city. We assisted in the negotiation of development agreement (addressing significant infrastructure financing costs) and provided advice on legal adequacy of supplemental EIR.
Georgia Pacific Mill Site Re-use Plan, City of Ft. Bragg. Assisted the City and its Redevelopment Agency in the entitlement process associated with the re-use of the 425-acre Georgia Pacific Mill Site located on a coastal site. This project involved: CEQA compliance; site remediation; Coastal Act compliance; negotiation of a development agreement; conveyance of open space; and preparation of redevelopment documents.
Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores. Represent Lowe’s in connection with applications for land use entitlements and CEQA review for several new stores in California. We advise on formulating planning and zoning entitlements and CEQA documents and findings.
Best Rock Products Corporation, Aggregate Mine Expansion. Represent Best Rock regarding application to County of Ventura for major expansion of aggregate mining operation and related CEQA review.
Rio Del Oro Project, City of Rancho Cordova. Assisted the City in the analysis and development of entitlement documents for a 4,000-acre master-planned community consisting of 11,000 homes, 111 acres of regional commercial uses, office uses, schools and parks. The entitlements include an EIR/EIS, development agreement, specific plan, affordable housing agreement, and finance plan. Major issues included biological resources, wetlands and water supply.
Trans Bay Cable Project, City of Pittsburg. Advised the City and the Pittsburg Power Company on CEQA environmental review of project to extend approximately 56 miles of power transmission cable beneath the Bay sediment between the cities of Pittsburg and San Francisco.
Northern California Power Agency (NCPA). As general counsel to NCPA, provide land use and CEQA compliance advice on NCPA’s power projects, including projects at the Geysers geothermal field and numerous solar PV and landfill gas projects.