Case
The Bridge Club v. Caltrans (1988) Sonoma County Superior Court
This case was the first handled by this office that addressed the application of CEQA to the built environment rather than natural resources.
The Sonoma County Superior Court issued a writ of mandamus preventing the demolition of the Guerneville Bridge. The California Department of Transportation had determined that the 1922 bridge was too narrow to safely accommodate modern traffic (pick-up trucks crossing the bridge in opposite directions were hooking rear-view mirrors.) Although the bridge was not yet listed on any historic register, the Court found that it was of cultural importance to the community, and an EIR was required to consider alternatives to demolition.
On remand, Caltrans decided to build a new parallel bridge for vehicular traffic and rehabilitated the old bridge for pedestrian use. It is now a recognized historic resource.
Guerneville Bridge
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