Decisions coming up

Davis Eastside's 1,250-home Willowgrove project on 232 acres north of East Covell Boulevard needs a citywide vote under the city's Measure J requirement. Five months earlier voters rejected Village Farms by 276 votes.

Measure H would replace the state-approved housing plan (8,174 units of zoned capacity) with one allowing about 2,900. Backed by SPON and the Newport Beach Stewardship Association; their appeal of the 2025 ruling that the council could adopt the housing element without a Greenlight vote is pending in the Fourth District.

Eight-story builder's remedy project behind the Old Mission. The writ claims were denied April 22, 2026; the city's motion on the remaining declaratory relief claim was continued to Nov 4. The city says full CEQA review is required before any hearing. A federal suit over SB 158 was dismissed with leave to amend in June 2026.

Council hearings on the 660-acre Baylands plan continue Oct 20, with Oct 26 and Nov 9 set tentatively; the hearing may close Nov 9 ahead of a vote. HCD revoked Brisbane's housing element compliance in a June 30, 2026 letter after the city missed its May 18 rezoning deadline, so the builder's remedy now applies.

Two suits over the citywide rezoning approved in December 2025: a CEQA challenge from Neighborhoods United SF and others seeking to undo it, and a suit from YIMBY Law and the California Housing Defense Fund arguing it falls short of the housing element and limits state density bonus tools. First merits hearing in the second case is Nov 18.

On May 18, 2026 the council voted 4-2 to pursue a negotiated version: 390 units (50 affordable) in towers up to 14 stories, down from the 17-story builder's remedy filing, which stays on file as a fallback. Architectural review, then a council vote later in 2026.

The council approved the seven-story, 80-unit builder's remedy project on April 8, 2025. Neighbors sued in May 2025 over CEQA, seismic study and the affordable unit mix; no ruling or construction reported.

The City Council's Land Use and Housing Committee was scheduled to take up the Disposition and Development Agreement for 4,254 apartments, at least 2,000 of them affordable, on Oct. 16, 2026, with the full council expected to vote in November and the negotiating agreement expiring Dec. 4, 2026. Save Our Access, whose CEQA suits twice overturned voter-approved measures lifting the height limit for the project, says it will keep looking for ways to push back.

The town sued its own applicants claiming their applications had expired. On Jan 29, 2026 Judge Helen Williams ruled for the developers, holding that each resubmittal restarts the 90-day window; in April the council granted the Luxe and Arya appeals. The town may appeal once judgment is final. Capri (119 units) is a separate pending claim.

The Planning Commission continued 3500 Paul Sweet Road (105 units) in January 2026; the developer then sued claiming it is approved by operation of law. Neighbors sued over the 57-unit 841 Capitola Road approval. The county asked HCD to backdate its housing element certification; no response reported.

Alta Housing filed its formal application in February 2026 for six stories and 72 affordable units on a city-owned parking lot. A lawsuit by the group Downtown Vibrancy produced an August 2026 ruling that local coverage described as boosting the city's effort. Council action on the development agreement has no date; construction would start in 2028 at the earliest.

The Fairgrounds board ended talks on Del Mar's fallback affordable site on Aug 18, 2026, which under the housing element triggers rezoning of North Bluff, the Seaside Ridge site. HCD had set a November 2026 deadline for the Fairgrounds lease. The developer's refiled suit is pending.

A judge ruled in July 2025 that Danville violated state law by deeming the application incomplete. The remaining fight is the owner's suit against the neighborhood HOA over the access easement; town staff say site studies cannot proceed until it resolves.

YIMBY Law and the California Housing Defense Fund sued in April 2025 after the city declared two builder's remedy applications expired. HCD issued a notice of violation in July 2025, and the Los Gatos ruling in January 2026 rejected the same legal theory. No Cupertino ruling reported.

Suisun City accepted the 22,900-acre annexation application in October 2025. The city says EIR studies finish in fall 2026, followed by public comment and a council vote; no draft EIR has been released. The Nov 3, 2026 mayoral race is being run partly on the project.

The court imposed $160,000 in penalties plus $50,000 a month from June 2026. The council adopted a housing element June 16 and had 120 days, to about Oct 14, to adopt the implementing zoning; the Attorney General has asked for up to $100,000 a month. Fines can triple, and the court can appoint a receiver if noncompliance continues.

The town has found the 16-story builder's remedy application incomplete four times (July, November and December 2025, April 2026) and says no hearing is required. Sewer capacity is the main issue. The developer disputes the findings and has warned of legal fees.

The appeals court invalidated Redondo Beach's housing element in October 2025; the city adopted a new one that HCD certified in May 2026. The developer settled one of six suits against the city in March 2026; five remain.

The council denied the 62-unit senior project on June 18, 2025, citing fire and evacuation risk. The California Housing Defense Fund and the owner sued Sept 15, 2025 under the Housing Accountability Act; no ruling reported.

Builder's remedy towers on the former Sunset Magazine campus. The developer sued Oct 2, 2026 alleging the city illegally delayed approval; on Oct 13 the council hired Goldfarb & Lipman to defend. The city found the project ineligible for AB 2011 streamlining and disputes its builder's remedy eligibility.

The state sued July 16, 2026 seeking a compliant housing element and rezoning within 120 days. HCD said in August the city's proposed revisions would suffice once adopted; on Sept 15 the council capped the Fairview site at 2,300 units. Formal adoption and certification are pending.