Land use planning and zoning refers to the vast body of laws that help local governments regulate the orderly use of land in an efficient way. The goal of land use planning is to maximize the environmental, economic, and social benefits and efficiency of development and ensure the health and well-being of urban and rural communities.
Zoning laws are a subset of land use planning laws and set the ground rules for determining what type of development can take place in a certain locale.
Lawyers at the Law Offices of Stephan C. Volker represent clients who challenge environmentally harmful projects and land use decisions that conflict with planning and zoning laws.
We have challenged residential, commercial and industrial projects that did not comply with local or regional land use plans or city or county zoning ordinances regulating building size, density or intensity of use, traffic and parking demands, noise and aesthetic impacts, water use, grading of soils or steep slopes, and protection of streams, riparian areas, heritage trees or other sensitive plants or wildlife habitat.
Land Use and Zoning Cases the Firm Has Handled Include:
- Vineyard Area Citizens for Responsible Growth v. City of Rancho Cordova, 40 Cal. 4th 412 (2007).
- Save Our Neighborhood v. Lishman, 140 Cal.App.4th 1288 (2006).
- Friends of the Santa Clara River v. Castaic Lake Water Agency, 123 Cal.App.4th 1 (2004).
- Friends of the Eel River v. Sonoma County Water Agency, 108 Cal.App.4th 859 (2003).
- County of Amador v. El Dorado County Water Agency, 76 Cal.App.4th 931 (1999).