Cinema W., LLC v. Baker

220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 415, 13 Cal. App. 5th 194
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedJune 30, 2017
DocketA144265
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 415 (Cinema W., LLC v. Baker) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cinema W., LLC v. Baker, 220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 415, 13 Cal. App. 5th 194 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

STEWART, J.

*197This appeal concerns whether the construction of a movie theater built by Cinema West, LLC in Hesperia, California qualifies as a "public work" within the meaning of California's prevailing wage law ( Lab. Code, §§ 1720 - 18611 ) (the PWL), which provides that, with certain exceptions, the prevailing wage "shall be paid to all workers employed on public works." (§ 1771.) In administrative proceedings initiated by a labor union, respondent Christine Baker, Director of the State Department of Industrial Relations (Director),2 concluded that it did. Cinema *418West filed a petition for writ of mandate challenging the Director's decision, which the superior court denied. This appeal followed. Applying substantial evidence review to the superior court's factual findings and de novo review to its application of the PWL to the facts, we find no error and therefore affirm. *198BACKGROUND

Facts

In 2004, the City of Hesperia (City)3 began acquiring vacant property in its downtown to facilitate development of a Civic Plaza, which was to include a city hall, public library, other government buildings and "complimentary retail, restaurant, and entertainment establishments." The City's goal was "to develop a vibrant, participatory multi- and mixed-use civic/downtown environment."

Hesperia did not have a movie theater. From 2000 to 2010, it met with numerous theater operators in an effort to facilitate construction of a "state-of-the-art cinema experience in Hesperia." For predominantly financial reasons, no company had built a theater during that period. In 2010, the City met with appellant Cinema West, LLC (Cinema West), who "articulated a cogent plan to develop a new, 12-screen digital cinema immediately west of the Civic Plaza Park."

Cinema West's proposal, according to a City staff report, included the following "[d]eal points": the City would convey about 54,000 square feet of real property to Cinema West for $102,529, the property's fair market value; Cinema West would construct a "38,000 square foot, twelve-screen digital theatre"; the City would construct "the necessary parking lot and provid[e] reciprocal access and use of said parking lot," develop a water retention system for the theater and the parking lot, and install "off-site improvements including curb, gutter and sidewalks"; Cinema West would execute a ten-year operating agreement with the City.

The city manager and staff analyzed the fiscal impacts of the project.4 According to their September 7, 2010 report, development of the parking lot and related amenities would cost "approximately $1,443,834," and the fair *199market value of the property being conveyed was $102,529, resulting in a total cost to the City of $1,546,363. This amount would be paid out of the City's Economic Development Fund or other City resources. The project would have a negative rate of return, a negative net present value and a lengthy payback period. However, these costs would be partially offset by annual property taxes of $32,882, annual sales taxes of over $8,000 and development-related fees of approximately $227,486. Further, there would be *419other benefits to the City, including its ownership of and access to the parking lot for "the City and surrounding civic uses." Although "the net benefit of the DDA [Disposition and Development Agreement between the City and Cinema West] to the [City] is a negative number," the city manager and staff informed the mayor and city council that "the Project is worthwhile and will result in the development of a long-awaited entertainment amenity which will benefit the community," "catalyze future retail and restaurant development proximate to the Civic Plaza and downtown," and bring new jobs, increased foot traffic and associated spending to the area that would benefit local businesses.

On September 7, 2010, after reviewing the staff report and conducting a public hearing, the City adopted resolutions approving the DDA and authorizing its execution. Among the resolutions' recitals were that "the [City] desires to encourage commercial growth within the Project Area"; "in furtherance of the public purposes of the [City] and the Project Area, Cinema West, LLC (Developer) desires to enter into a [DDA] with the [City] in order to purchase 54,248 square feet of real property located at the southeast corner of Smoke and 9th, Hesperia, California (Site), in order to develop and operate a 36,000 square foot theater (Project)"; and "[i]n order to ensure the sustained economic viability of the Project, the Developer has requested certain forms of [City] participation as more fully described in the DDA."

On or about September 7, 2010, the City and Cinema West entered into the DDA and, as a part of it, a series of related documents and agreements, including an operating covenant; a reciprocal access and easement agreement; covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC&Rs); a promissory note; and deed of trust.

Under these agreements, Cinema West agreed (1) to purchase property from the City at a fair market value determined to be $102,529; (2) to develop the site with a 12-screen, 36,000 square foot movie theater; (3) to obtain financing for, and bear the costs of, construction of the theater and related facilities other than the parking lot; to obtain necessary entitlements, approvals and permits; to create at least 40 employment positions on the site; to maintain the property, including landscaping and the on-grade parking lot; and to operate the site as a movie theater for at least ten years.

*200The City agreed to convey fee simple title to the theater site to Cinema West; to approve or disapprove all conceptual site plans submitted by Cinema West; to ensure the project complied with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); to issue a certificate of completion after construction was satisfactorily completed; to deliver the property in buildable condition, including a rough graded pad for the theater; to develop an on-grade parking lot adjacent to the site for use by Cinema West, its assigns and invitees as a parking lot for the movie theater; to provide Cinema West a reciprocal access and parking easement for the parking lot; to process certain zone changes and plan amendments; upon issuance of a certification of completion for the theater, to provide an interest-bearing loan to Cinema West of $1,546,363 forgivable over ten years and a one-time payment of $102,529 as consideration for the operating covenant.

The DDA stated that the City was not "providing any financial assistance to [Cinema West] in connection with [Cinema West's] acquisition of the Site or development of the Project thereon" and that Cinema West "is paying fair market value to acquire the Site and is responsible for paying the full costs of all improvements *420

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 415, 13 Cal. App. 5th 194, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cinema-w-llc-v-baker-calctapp5d-2017.