Dolan sues city

Speaking of Jane Dolan, she announced this week that she’d filed a writ of mandate—as an individual, not on behalf of the county—against the city of Chico.

At issue is the city’s handling of a 1.3-acre lot at the corner of Wisconsin and Boucher streets in the unincorporated Chapman neighborhood that the city purchased with redevelopment funds earlier this year. It was to be used as a site for self-help housing. Dolan and county officials protested the purchase, saying the city was paying too much and that it hadn’t conferred with the county on the deal. Councilmembers promised they would later hold hearings on the project.

They haven’t done so. Instead, Dolan charges in her suit, the city filed a grant deed on April 11 subdividing the property and a notice of exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act. It gave no notice of its action and held no public hearing.

Dolan has represented and worked on behalf of the Chapman neighborhood for nearly 30 years. “I want the city to follow its own rules,” Dolan said. “They need to put the subdivision map on hold until they do a full environmental review and hold hearings.”

Councilman Scott Gruendl, speaking generally, said the city can’t do a CEQA review until an actual project has been proposed for a site, and that hasn’t happened in this case.