Keith v. Volpe

618 F. Supp. 1132, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16289
CourtDistrict Court, C.D. California
DecidedSeptember 3, 1985
DocketCiv. 72-355-HP
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 618 F. Supp. 1132 (Keith v. Volpe) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, C.D. California primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Keith v. Volpe, 618 F. Supp. 1132, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16289 (C.D. Cal. 1985).

Opinion

TABLE OP CONTENTS

FACTS ...................................... H36

JURISDICTION .............................. H45

ANALYSIS .................................. 1147

Title VIII .................................. 1147

Plaintiffs’ Prima Facie Case .............. 1148

Supplemental Defendants’ Justifications ... 1152

California Government Code § 65008 ........ 1157

Discrimination on the Basis of Race ...... 1157

Discrimination on the Basis of Income ____1158

Discrimination on the Basis of Government

Assistance ............................... 1159

CONCLUSION ............................... 1160

APPENDIX A ...............................1160

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER ENJOINING HAWTHORNE FROM VIOLATING TITLE VIII, 42 U.S.C. § 3604(a), AND CALIFORNIA GOV.CODE § 65008(b), (c) & (d).

FACTS

PREGERSON, Circuit Judge.

In February of 1972, persons living in the path of the proposed 1-105 or Century Freeway, the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and others 1 filed this environmental and civil rights lawsuit against state and federal governmental officials. 2 In April of 1972, the *1137 plaintiffs amended the complaint to add the city of Hawthorne, located in the path of the freeway, as an additional plaintiff. The First Amended Complaint requested injunctive and declaratory relief that would require governmental officials to comply with federal and state laws designed to (1) protect the environment; (2) assure the availability of decent, safe, and sanitary replacement housing to displaced homeowners and tenants; and (3) eliminate discrimination against minority and poor persons seeking replacement housing.

In July of 1972, this court preliminarily enjoined further work on the freeway project until federal and state officials complied with environmental protection and relocation assistance statutes. Keith v. Volpe, 352 F.Supp. 1324 (C.D.Cal.1972), aff'd en banc sub nom. Keith v. California Highway Commission, 506 F.2d 696 (9th Cir.1974), cert. denied, 420 U.S. 908, 95 S.Ct. 826, 42 L.Ed.2d 837 (1975).

After this court’s decision, the parties entered into negotiations that culminated in the Amended Final Consent Decree (the Consent Decree). On September 22, 1981, this court approved the Consent Decree, dissolved the preliminary injunction, and permitted further work on the freeway project pursuant to the decree’s provisions. Under paragraphs VI and VIII of the decree, this court retained jurisdiction to enforce or amend the decree until the court enters a Judgment of Dismissal after full compliance with all terms of the decree. Amended Final Consent Decree at pp. 15-16.

One of the purposes of the decree is “to provide for the housing needs of those living in the area of the proposed path of the freeway.” 3 Amended Final Consent Decree at p. 3. In particular, the decree requires that state and federal defendants provide freeway displacees with 3700 units of decent, safe, and sanitary replenishment housing either by rehabilitating existing structures or constructing new units. Id., Exhibit B at pp. 1-4. Replenishment housing is to be provided in accordance with the decree’s “Housing Plan.” Amended Final Consent Decree at pp. 4, 15. The decree incorporates an Exhibit B entitled “Development and Implementation of Housing Plan,” detailing the state and federal defendants’ commitments to “the provision of housing as part of the 1-105 project in order to replenish the housing stock of communities affected by the freeway and to relocate persons now residing within the right-of-way.” Id., Exhibit B at p. 1. The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is the lead agency responsible for coordinating and implementing the Housing Plan. Id., Exhibit B at p. 9. The decree also establishes a Housing Advisory Committee, which includes representatives of each of the cities affected by the freeway, to assist HCD in preparing the Housing Plan. Id., Exhibit B at pp. 11-14.

Exhibit B sets out certain basic parameters HCD must follow in preparing the Housing Plan. Amended Final Consent Decree, Exhibit B at p. 16. Under the Housing Plan, 55% of all replenishment units must be affordable to low income households and 25% must be affordable to moderate income households. 4 Low and moderate income households displaced by *1138 the Freeway must be given first priority to occupy the replenishment rental units. 5 Finally, the Housing Plan must place as many of the units as possible in the “primary zone” — i.e., a zone six miles on each side of the proposed Century Freeway right-of-way. 6

The freeway, when completed, will run through the northern edge of Hawthorne, affecting census tracts 6017, 6020.02, 6021.01, and 6027. Although the freeway will reduce Hawthorne’s housing stock by approximately 1,104 household units, the Housing Plan allocates only 275 units of replenishment housing to be built in Hawthorne. 7 Moreover, to date, there are only two Century Freeway-related housing projects pending construction in Hawthorne: a 44 unit condominium development and a 26 unit apartment development, neither of which required any zone changes, lot divisions, or special use permits from the city. Exhibit 202 at pp. 3-4. There is also a 42 unit condominium development on property that the city is presently in the process of annexing and 16 single family dwellings outside the city limits, but within Hawthorne’s sphere of influence. Id. Even including the developments outside of Hawthorne’s city limits, there are only 128 units of housing pending development out of a total of 275 units allocated.

The litigation presently before this court concerns two Century Freeway apartment developments proposed to be constructed in the Moneta Gardens area of Hawthorne.

The first, the “Cerise Development,” located at 14330 Cerise Avenue, consists of 32 apartment units. On January 26, 1984, the developer, Shapell Housing, Inc., filed applications with Hawthorne’s Planning Department for a change of zone from M-l (limited industrial) to R-3 (high density residential) and for a site development permit. The Century Freeway Housing Program had approved the project and the State had agreed to fund it pursuant to the decree. 8 Exhibit 6 at p. 2.

The Planning Department recommended approval of the applications, stating that:

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
618 F. Supp. 1132, 1985 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16289, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/keith-v-volpe-cacd-1985.