Saturday, January 31, 2015

Ventura Foothill Neighbors v. Cnty. of Ventura



Ventura Foothill Neighbors v. Cnty. of Ventura

Court: California Court of Appeal Docket: B254120
Opinion Date: December 15, 2014
Areas of Law: Construction Law, Environmental Law, Government & Administrative Law
The Ventura County Board planned a five-story ambulatory care clinic at the 40-acre Ventura County Medical Center. The 1993 Environmental Impact Report (EIR) stated that the building would be up to 75 feet high and included drawings that did not show building height. 
The Board filed a Notice of Determination (NOD) that mentioned nothing about height. Detailed plans showed the height to the roofline as 72 feet. Parapets rose to 88.5 feet. The county delayed until 2005 when Board decided to relocate the Clinic 200 feet north and 160 feet west, purportedly to reduce environmental impact and to more centrally locate the project around parking.
 The relocated building would be about 5 feet lower due to topography. The Board prepared an EIR "Addendum" and again filed a NOD that did not mention height. In 2007 the plans were modified to show a height of 90 feet, including parapets. In 2008, a neighbor saw an "auger rig" at the construction site and inquired. He was shocked to learn that the equipment was going to be used to construct a 90-foot high building and joined an organization that unsuccessfully sought an injunction. 
The court ordered preparation a supplemental EIR. Construction was completed in October 2010. The court of appeal affirmed.