sabrina

Sabrina V. Teller

Partner

Ms. Teller joined the firm in 2001 and became a partner in December 2006.  Ms. Teller represents public agencies, private applicants, and citizens’ groups in a wide variety of land use and environmental law matters.  Ms. Teller handles all phases of the land use entitlement and permitting processes, from local agency administrative approvals through trial and appellate litigation.  Ms. Teller’s practice includes the California Environmental Quality Act, the State Planning and Zoning Law, the Subdivision Map Act, the Williamson Act, the California Coastal Act, the California Endangered Species Act, the California Water Code provisions relating to water supplies for development, the National Environmental Policy Act, the federal Endangered Species Act, the federal Clean Water Act provisions associated with wetlands permitting, and the federal Religious Land Uses and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Ms. Teller regularly teaches land use and environmental law continuing education classes and seminars for professional organizations such as the Association of Environmental Professionals, the California Continuing Education of the Bar program, CLE International, and Lorman.  She served as an editor for the California Land Use & Policy Reporter from 2005 to 2008.

Representative matters include:

  • Lead attorney representing the City of Santa Cruz in its review and approval of an application to Santa Cruz LAFCo for a Sphere of Influence expansion to provide water and wastewater service to a new development area on the University of California, Santa Cruz campus.  In 2010-2011, Ms. Teller successfully defended the City against a lawsuit challenging the City’s compliance with CEQA for the SOI expansion.
  • Lead attorney representing Renewable Energy Systems (RES) Americas in successfully navigating CEQA, CESA, and local land use entitlement processes to obtain a conditional use permit in November 2008 for a new 103-MW wind power project on private land in Shasta County.  Ms. Teller assisted RES in developing a strong biological and cultural resources mitigation program, working cooperatively with the County of Shasta, resource agencies, and environmental and tribal interests to avoid litigation following project approval.
  • Lead attorney representing Save Our Water Resources, an unincorporated citizens association, in successful petition for writ of mandate decided in Sacramento County Superior Court regarding the City of Orland’s CEQA compliance for approval of a new water bottling plant.
  • California Native Plant Society v. City of Rancho Cordova (2009) 172 Cal.App.4th 603.
  • Vineyard Area Citizens for Responsible Growth, Inc. v. City of Rancho Cordova (2007) 40 Cal.4th 412.
  • Friends of the Sierra Railroad v. Tuolumne Park and Recreation Dist. (2007) 147 Cal.App.4th 643.
  • Save Our Neighborhood v. Lishman (2006) 140 Cal.App.4th 1288.
  • The Pocket Protectors v. City of Sacramento (2004) 124 Cal.App.4th 903.
  • Sierra Club v. County of Napa (2004) 121 Cal.App.4th 1490.