Description: Challenge to development plans near Ormond Beach wetlands area.
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Sierra Club v. City of Oxnard
Case Documents:
Filing Date Type File Action Taken Summary 10/15/2012 Order Download Order issued granting peremptory writ of mandate. The court set aside the City’s certification of the final environmental impact report (EIR) and required the City to prepare a “focused” EIR that addressed a list of issues identified by the court, most of which concerned the impacts of future sea level rise and related wetlands migration. In particular, the court said that the EIR’s description of the environmental setting had to be augmented “to analyze scientifically expected sea level rise during the life of the … project” and to consider the effects of the sea level rise on wetlands migration. The court also required revision of the EIR to consider impacts related to sea level rise and wetlands migration on wildlife and on the development plans. In addition, the analysis was required to estimate and quantify “additional risk potential” due to polar ice cap melt over the life of the project. 07/28/2011 Petition for Writ of Mandate Petition for writ of mandate filed. Three environmental groups commenced a lawsuit in California Superior Court challenging the City of Oxnard’s approval of plans that would redevelop an area near the Ormond Beach wetlands area for residential, school, park, commercial, and light industrial uses. Petitioners alleged that the plans violated the California Environmental Quality Act and California planning and zoning law. Petitioners asserted a number of deficiencies in the environmental review, including a failure to consider impacts from seal level rise.