This month the California Supreme Court ruled that mega-mansion homes are not subject to the same standards set for commercial real estate under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), thereby significantly restricting the circumstances in which single-family homes can be subject to costly environmental reviews.
Ed Casey, partner in Alston & Bird’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group, said the decision is poised to give municipalities more authority to determine whether a planned project should be exempt from CEQA review and noted that some very large and unusual homes might still require further analysis.
“The lead agencies, they’ve got the boots on the ground,” he continued, “so they really are in the best place to make the determination.”
Ed Casey, partner in Alston & Bird’s Environment, Land Use & Natural Resources Group, said the decision is poised to give municipalities more authority to determine whether a planned project should be exempt from CEQA review and noted that some very large and unusual homes might still require further analysis.
“The lead agencies, they’ve got the boots on the ground,” he continued, “so they really are in the best place to make the determination.”