Habitat and Watershed Caretakers v. City of Santa Cruz

Filing Date: 2010
Case Categories:
Principal Laws:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Description: Challenge to environmental impact report to allow city to provide water and sewer service to new development.
  • Habitat and Watershed Caretakers v. City of Santa Cruz
    Docket number(s): H037545
    Court/Admin Entity: Cal. Ct. App.
    Case Documents:
    Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary
    02/19/2013 Opinion Opinion issued reversing trial court's judgment for respondents. A community group filed a lawsuit alleging that the City of Santa Cruz failed to comply with CEQA when it certified an EIR to amend the city’s “sphere of influence” to include an undeveloped portion of the University of California at Santa Cruz campus to provide water and sewer services to a new development.  Among other things, the petition alleged that the EIR did not adequately address the impacts of the project on the environment, including climate change.   The trial court dismissed the petition.  On appeal, the appellate court reversed, holding that the EIR inadequately addressed feasible alternatives to the project.