In January of 2015, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved the Anton Arcade Project, a Project consisting of 148 affordable housing units on 5.16 acres in Sacramento County. A petitioner subsequently filed a CEQA lawsuit alleging that the Anton Arcade Project, which only required design review pursuant to the County Code, did not constitute a ministerial project pursuant to CEQA. On December 30, 2015, the Sacramento Superior Court upheld the County’s determination that the Project only required ministerial design review and denied a petition for writ of mandate.

The Project was completed in 2016 and now offers housing for Sacramento residents with household incomes no greater than 60 percent Area Median Income. The Anton Arcade also offers services provided by a non-profit tailored to the needs of residents such as after-school programs, teen services, family/adult programs, or social events/enrichment activities.  In recognition of the Project benefits to the region, on November 19, 2014, the SHRA Commission unanimously adopted a Housing Authority Resolution declaring the intention of SHRA to provide tax-exempt revenue bonds to assist in financing the Project. Representatives from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) and Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (SMAQMD) also testified in support of the Project during the Board hearing citing the Project as a good example of a project consistent with the policies of the region’s Sustainable Communities Strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Legal Services of Northern California filed an Amicus Brief at trial in support of the County’s determination that the Project only required a ministerial approval.

Tina Thomas and Chris Butcher represented the developers of the Project during the County approval process and the subsequent successful litigation.

For more information about the project, see www.antonarcade.com