In the largest land-use judgment ever against Santa Barbara County, a Santa Maria jury on Monday awarded about $5.5 million to a farming company that was blocked from planting vegetables because the county designated 95 acres along Highway 1 as protected wetlands.
After a nearly three-week civil trial before a visiting Superior Court judge, jurors unanimously agreed that the wetlands designation and other decisions made several years ago by county planners preparing the Orcutt Community Plan had recklessly violated the rights of Adam Brothers Farming Inc. The jury assessed actual damages of $5.47 million collectively against the county Planning and Development Department, one of its paid consultants and three current or former employees who helped write the long-range planning document adopted by county supervisors in 1997.
Posted by gandlwoods at November 23, 2004 08:47 AM