The first court hearing in the dispute between the Colusa County Board of Supervisors and the Colusa City Council over the housing development project at Colusa Industrial Properties has been set for Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Colusa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Thompson has ordered the county’s attorney to appear before the bench to show cause why the court should grant a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order to stop the project.
Colusa County officials are attempting to block the further construction of Sunrise Landing until a full environmental and public safety review can be conducted on the expanded project.
The City Council approved the development of 180 single-family homes in 2018 after CIP was annexed into the city limits (an increase from 84 the Colusa County Board of Supervisors approved in 2008), without formally notifying the Airport Land Use Commission of the changes, according to the complaint.
The county served the City of Colusa and CIP, named as a party of interest, with the lawsuit on Jan. 25, which asks for the court to issue a restraining order pending disposition of the case.
After conferring with their attorney in a special closed session meeting on Feb. 1, the City Council issued a joint statement that the project was fully reviewed by the city, including environmental compliance and multiple public hearings before the Colusa Planning Commission and the Colusa City Council, from 2016 through 2018.
“During that public input period, there were no comments from the county related to their current allegations,” the statement reads. “The City of Colusa’s highest priority is to represent the best interest of our residents; the Colusa Sunrise Landing project helps create a better quality of life for our community. We regret that this matter could not be resolved internally, and hope that this litigation is resolved in a timely manner.”
Tuesday’s hearing is scheduled for 9 AM. ■