Jacob E. Aronson

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, PERMITTING, AND ENTITLEMENTS

California High-Speed Rail System. Advised the California High-Speed Rail Authority on compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act and other federal environmental laws for the high-speed rail system between San Francisco and Los Angeles/Anaheim.*

Solar Energy Project. Advised a developer of a solar energy project on private and federal land in Kern County, California, on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and California Endangered Species Act.*

Affordable Housing Development. Advised The Kelsey on an entitlement strategy for an eight-story, 109-unit 100% affordable housing development in San Francisco’s Civic Center neighborhood, with a quarter of the apartments reserved for residents with disabilities. The project successfully took advantage of the state density bonus law and the streamlined approval process created by SB 35.*

Great Wolf Lodge. Represented Great Wolf Resorts in a public-private partnership to develop a destination family resort with a 500-room hotel and indoor water park in Manteca, California. Representation included negotiating and drafting agreements to vest city entitlements, resolving real estate matters, advising on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act and other environmental laws, and obtaining natural resource permits from state and regional agencies.*

Telecommunications Facilities. Advised a telecommunications company on obtaining approvals to place infrastructure on federal lands under jurisdiction of the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Reclamation.*

Broadband Infrastructure. Assisted a telecommunications company with applying for grants from the California Public Utilities Commission to expand broadband internet to unserved areas, including advising on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.*

LITIGATION

Maacama Watershed Alliance v. Sonoma County. Represented Knights Bridge Vineyards in a lawsuit challenging the mitigated negative declaration and entitlements to develop a new winery, involving claims under the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Planning and Zoning Law.*

Helicopters For Agriculture v. Napa County. Represented vineyard and winery owners in a federal lawsuit challenging as unconstitutional in an initiative ordinance that restricted the use of helicopters for agricultural activities.*

Conserve Southwest Utah v. U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Represented the Utah Department of Transportation in litigation challenging a federal right-of-way grant for the Northern Corridor Highway near St. George, Utah, involving claims under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Historic Preservation Act.*

Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area. Represented the Sauk Prairie Conservation Alliance in an administrative contested case hearing and litigation in both state and federal courts regarding the master plan for the Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area in Wisconsin, involving claims under the National Environmental Policy Act and a similar state environmental review law.*

TRANSACTIONAL DUE DILIGENCE

Solar Energy Projects. Advised the purchaser of solar energy projects located in California with due diligence of environmental and land use permitting issues.*

Manufacturing Company. Advised a prospective purchaser of a mechanical hardware manufacturing company with due diligence of environmental permitting and site contamination issues.*

* Matters completed prior to joining Allen Matkins.