On March 4, 2025, the La Cañada Flintridge City Council voted to discontinue its efforts in the California Court of Appeal to challenge trial court decisions related to a project at 600 Foothill Blvd. The City was facing the prospect of placing $14 million into a bond fund to continue the legal efforts and has determined that the financial cost associated with the appeals process outweighs the potential outcomes of further litigation.
The City of La Cañada Flintridge has consistently promoted responsible development that protects the community’s character by working closely with developers and understanding shared needs. Despite our good faith efforts to align the City with State housing requirements, the City was served with three lawsuits related to housing policy by Californians for Home Ownership, 600 Foothill Owner, LP and the California Housing Defense Fund, the last of which was later joined by the State of California. The driving force behind the lawsuits is a property purchased by 600 Foothill Owner, LP, which is managed by former council member and mayor Jonathan Curtis, who played a key role in purchasing the property while still serving on the LCF City Council.
“We sought to defend against these litigations as best we could, but continuing the lawsuits is no longer in the best interest of the City,” said Mayor Mike Davitt. “The City and community will need to chart a pathway forward that integrates the 600 Foothill project as reasonably as possible, and we hope going forward the developer will work with us to minimize any detrimental impacts on the City.”
During the legal process, the Court ruled that the City did not act in bad faith. However, the Court also determined that Builder’s Remedy does apply to the 600 Foothill project, subject to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) compliance.
“No one on the City Council wanted this outcome. In the last year, the developer has refused all negotiation efforts and requests made by the City,” continued Mayor Davitt. “This has been an uphill battle, and as our path narrows with recent litigation setbacks and recent State law changes that could be retroactively applied, we need to adjust course to sustain the long-term health of the City.”
The City continues to make meaningful strides in housing. From 2018-2023, La Cañada Flintridge ranked 15th of 88 cities in Los Angeles County for issuance of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) permits and has pending permits for a 7-unit mixed multi-use housing development. Additionally, the approved housing element zoned 935 units including ADUs, above and beyond the required 612 units.
The next step for the 600 Foothill project is CEQA review. The project has been eligible for CEQA review since May 26, 2023, but the developer has yet to take the necessary steps to move forward.
For up-to-date and extensive documentation about the history of this development and legal efforts leading to the withdrawal of litigation are available to the public at LCF.ca.gov/LCFHousingPolicy-LegalMatters.
