Aurora Real Estate Development: People, Principles, Processes
In California, when a real estate developer applies for permission to develop or re-develop land, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires the city or county agency responsible for approving the application to determine if the project has the potential for significant adverse environmental impact. If it does, then CEQA requires the agency to assess the potential envrionmental impacts of the project.
To assess potential impacts, the agency hires an outside consultant at the developer's expense. The consultant prepares an Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
CEQA also requires the lead agency to assess the environmental impacts of reasonable alternatives, including a "no project alternative."
The lead agency must identify the environmentally superior alternative. If the "no project alternative" is the environmentally superior alternative, then the lead agency must also identify the next best environmentally superior alternative.
The lead agency is free to choose whichever alternative it wants including projects with greater environmental impact, but when doing so must adopt a Statement of Overriding Considerations which states that although adverse impacts may result, specific overriding economic, legal, social, technological, or other considerations outweigh the project's significant, unmitigated impacts.
Photo is a placeholder only. We would do well to saturate right column on every page with photos of Aurora projects, design drawings, maps, etc.