by Brian Strachan, VP Programs, East Bay
The San Francisco Bay Area Chapter hosted a case review on Thursday, February 17th at the DC&E offices in Berkeley. The state Supreme Court ruled on Sunnyvale West Neighborhood Assn., et al. v. City of Sunnyvale City Council on December 16, 2010, and the outcome of this ruling is already being realized in the CEQA process. The case stemmed from a road extension project in Sunnyvale that used projected traffic conditions from 2020 as a baseline for the preparation of the environmental impact report. The evening program addressed the outcome of the case, provided historical context for the issues involved, and identified the implication for future CEQA analysis. The speakers included:
- Jim Moose is a senior partner with the law firm Remy, Thomas, Moose & Manley. Jim provided legal and historic context to the review of the Sunnyvale case and fielded several questions as they related to the legislative process. He also added some insight on how the results of the case will have an impact on the CEQA process in general and will ultimately effect the preparation of EIR technical studies.
- Amy Skewes-Cox is the North Bay Manager for Community Development for Environmental Science Associates (ESA) and has over 25 years of experience. Amy was hired to review the transportation study in question in the Sunnyvale case, and provided the audience with unique insight on the project.
The evening program was very well attended with approximately 40 participants, most of whom were AEP members. The majority of attendees included consultants, planners, transportation engineers, and some public agency representatives.
We would like to thank all the volunteers and AEP members who made this program a success. We would also like to thank DC&E for hosting the event in their downtown Berkeley office, the site of several past AEP events. We greatly appreciate the presenters and their dedication to keeping AEP members informed about the ever-changing legislative landscape.
Tags: California law, CEQA, EIR, Event, Sunnyvale
