
by Leslie Layton
posted April 2
The Valley’s Edge development group has filed a lawsuit in Butte County Superior Court against the City of Chico, arguing that the 2024 referendum that has blocked its project from going forward must be voided.
The Believe in Chico LLC says that the state’s Housing Crisis Act of 2019 is grounds for voiding the referendum and allowing the development of 2,700 housing units and 57 acres of commercial development on vacant land east of city limits.
In a March 5 election last year, more than 60 percent of Chico voters opposed two measures related to the planned development known as Valley’s Edge.
The lawsuit filed March 20 in Butte County Superior Court and received by the City of Chico today argues that “housing shortfalls have reached crisis levels,” and adds that this city is “no stranger to this emergency.” It states that the Housing Crisis Act legislation prohibits passage of any kind of policy that stops housing development in the jurisdiction of an “affected city.”