• Imperial County: Lithium Valley Specific Plan (LVSP). Imperial County is preparing the Lithium Valley Specific Plan, which provides planning for 52,000 acres of land which provides for geothermal energy, lithium extraction, battery production, and restoration of the Salton Sea. Tyson provides advice related to land use, planning, and the environmental analysis for the LVSP.
• U.C. Riverside: Long Range Development Plan. The 2021 LRDP is the physical development and land use plan which outlines the University’s academic and institutional objectives. The 2021 LRDP supports nearly 14,000 additional students and faculty by the year 2035, and includes an additional 7,500 beds and 5.5 million square feet of space. Tyson advised in the development of the LRDP and successfully defended the 2021 LRDP from legal challenges related to population and housing, recreation, transportation, air quality, agricultural resources, and renewable energy. (University Neighborhood Association v. The Regents of the University of California (Riverside Superior Court Case No. CVRI2105682.)
• City of Seaside: Campus Town Center Specific Plan. The City of Seaside entered into a Purchase and Sale agreement with the KB Bakewell Development Partnership to develop 122 acres on the former Fort Ord Army Base. This development is directly south of the California State University Monterey Bay campus, and is designed as a pedestrian oriented mixed-use village with 1,485 housing units, 250 hotel rooms, 150,000 square feet of Retail, Dining, and Entertainment, and 50,000 square feet of Office, Flex, Makerspace/Light Industrial. Tyson provided strategic legal advice and in-depth legal reviews of both the Specific Plan and associated EIR, and successfully defended the project from legal challenge. (Committee for Sound Water & Land Development v. City of Seaside (2022) 79 Cal.App.5th 389.)
• City of Coronado: Recycled Water Project. In November 2020 the City of Coronado conceptually approved a recycled water and turf care facility to ween its municipal golf course off of potable water. Tyson assisted in the preparation of the CEQA analysis for the project and successfully defended the project from legal challenge under CEQA, the Seismic Hazard Mapping Act, and the Alquist Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone Act. (Coronado Citizens for Transparent Government v. City of Coronado (4th App. Dist. 2024) Case No. D082360.)
• Los Angeles World Airports: LAX Landside Access Modernization Program and Litigation. As part of a long-standing role as special CEQA Counsel to the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), Tyson reviews planning documents and associated EIRs for critical LAWA projects, including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), a multi-billion-dollar update to the ground transportation system at LAX, with an emphasis on providing alternative modes of transportation for accessing LAX. The project includes an Automated People Mover designed to connect to (1) Metro’s 96th Street Connector Project and Green line extension, (2) Intermodal Transportation Facilities, and (3) a new Consolidated Rental Car facility.
• City of Pasadena: Hill at Colorado Hotel Project. Reviewed General Plan, Zoning, entitlements, and associated EIR for compliance with CEQA. The project involved a mixed-use development in a Transit Priority Area, and was therefore exempt from specific CEQA analyses under SB 743. The project was also the first development project in the City to implement Pasadena’s new Alternative Transportation CEQA significance thresholds, which eliminated Level of Service and focused upon (1) Vehicle Miles Traveled, (2) VT Per Capita, (3) Proximity and Quality of Bicycle Network, and (4) Proximity and Quality of Transit Network, and (5) Pedestrian Accessibility. Our firm also coordinated modifications to the project entitlements to address the concerns of the applicant and the City, including the allowances for multiple land uses and modifications to the conditions of approval.
• City of Redondo Beach: South Bay Galleria Mixed Use Project. Reviewed the EIR for CEQA compliance on a 1.9 million square foot commercial/residential development (including 650 homes and 150 hotel rooms). The proposed project consists of modifications and additions to the existing 29.85-acre South Bay Galleria enclosed mall property in the City of Redondo Beach.
• Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion, et al. v. City of Los Angeles (LAWA/SPAS). Successful defense of the City of Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Airports in a case involving challenges to the Environmental Impact Report for the LAX Specific Plan Amendment Study, which analyzed multiple alternatives to LAX’s long-term plans. The Court rejected all of petitioner’s arguments in a 118-page decision, including rejection of arguments related to the project description, alternatives analysis, cumulative analysis, recirculation, air quality analysis, traffic analysis, and safety.

Amicus Briefs / Publication Requests

• Westside Los Angeles Neighbors Network v. City of Los Angeles(2024) 104 Cal.App.5th 223. Successful publication request related to the proper CEQA certifying body and growth inducement.
• Claremont Canyon Conservancy v. The Regents of the University of California(2022) 92 Cal.App.5th 474. Successful amicus support on behalf of the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties related to adequacy of a project description for regulatory documents.
• Save the Hill Group v. City of Livermore(2022) 76 Cal.App.5th 1092. Filed de-publication request on behalf of the League of California Cities and California State Association of Counties related to analysis of the No Project Alternative for housing developments.
• Stopthemillenniumhollywood.com v. City of Los Angeles (2019) 39 Cal.App5th 1. Amicus brief and de-publication request filed on behalf of the California State Association of Counties.
• High Sierra Rural Alliance v. County of Plumas(2018) 29 Cal.App.5th 102. Successful publication request filed on behalf of the California State Association of Counties related to project description for a general plan.
• Covina Residents for Responsible Development v. City of Covina(2018) 21 Cal.App.5th 712. Successful publication request filed on behalf of the California State Association of Counties related to partial CEQA exemptions for aesthetics and parking in transit priority areas.
• Georgetown Preservation Society v. County of El Dorado(3rd App Dist. Case No. C084872). Amicus brief filed on behalf of California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities related to noise and traffic safety analyses for a winery.
• Banning Ranch Conservancy v. City of Newport Beach(2017) 2 Cal.5th 918. Amicus brief filed in the California Supreme Court on behalf of California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities related to analysis of non-CEQA regulatory programs in CEQA documents.
• Citizens Opposing A Dangerous Environment v. County of Kern (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 360. Successful publication request related to reliance upon federal aviation regulations to avoid hazardous impacts.
• San Francisco Tomorrow v. City and County of San Francisco (2014) 228 Cal.App.4th 1239
• South County Citizens for Smart Growth v. County of Nevada (2013) 221 Cal.App.4th 316
• Save Cuyama Valley v. County of Santa Barbara (2013) 213 Cal.App.4th 1059
• Save The Plastic Bag Coalition v. City and County of San Francisco (2013) 222 Cal.App.4th 863