Group sues to block city of Sacramento's general plan

A group is suing the city of Sacramento to stop its long-range development master plan from going into effect.

The lawsuit was filed April 1 in Sacramento Superior Court by a group called Citizens for Positive Growth and Preservation. It's seeking an injunction against the 2035 General Plan on the grounds that it contains “myriad substantive and procedural violations” of the California Environmental Quality Act.

The general plan anticipates future development based on anticipated needs and resources. Once adopted, all land use decisions must be consistent with its guidelines.

Not much information was available about the group behind the suit. Brown Rudnick LLP, whose Irvine-based office represents the plaintiffs, didn't respond to multiple requests for comment.

“I have not heard anything about it, which is a bit unusual,” said Ron Maertz, land use committee co-chair for the Environmental Council of Sacramento.

Others hadn't heard of Citizens of Positive Growth and Preservation. “It sounds like something that was made up for this suit,” said Preservation Sacramento President William Burg.

The case has been delayed over disputes about the city's administrative record and environmental impact report concerning the general plan. On October 16, attorney Geoffrey Willis of Brown Rudnick LLP accused the city in an email of “improper attempts to delete, separate, and change documents in a way that materially impacts the integrity of those documents.”

Attorneys representing the city said in court filings that Willis' accusations lack merit and legal standing and were raised to stall the case. An oft-postponed hearing, set for December 11, could determine which record the court certifies.

Jeff Heeren of the City Attorney's Office defended the city council's March 3 adoption of the plan. The council last week allocated $325,000 to the law firm helping with its defense, Stoel Rives LLP. The new general plan remains in effect pending the suit's outcome.