On March 2, 2015, in Berkeley Hillside Preservation v. City of Berkeley, the California Supreme Court held that the potential to cause a significant environmental effect was not an “unusual circumstance” that would prevent the City of Berkeley’s use of a categorical exemption to approve a large single-family home. Hillside Preservation sets forth a deferential two-prong standard of review for courts to apply in resolving disputes over the unusual circumstances exception. Click here to read more.