City of Morgan Hill v. Bushey

CUÉLLAR, J.

*1075 This case is about how to reconcile state land use law with the people's referendum power. To promote public deliberation and reasoned decisions about land use, state law requires cities and counties to develop general land use plans that function as charters for all future land use in that county or city. Government Code section 65860, subdivision (a) 1 requires *839 zoning ordinances to "be consistent with the general plan of the county or city." This provision renders invalid any change to the zoning ordinance that would make it inconsistent with the general plan, whether the…