Santa Margarita Area Residents Together v. County of San Luis Obispo

Santa Margarita Limited entered a development agreement with San Luis Obispo County (defendant), under which the county froze zoning on the company's land for up to five years in exchange for the company's commitment to submit a specific development plan complying with an area land-use plan, undergo environmental review, and dedicate land for public facilities including a pool and sewer plant; the county retained its authority to review and approve or reject the specific plan under existing land-use regulations. Local residents (plaintiff) petitioned for a writ of mandate to invalidate the agreement, arguing it improperly contracted away the county's police power in violation of California's Development Agreement Statute, and the trial court denied the petition.