California
Environmentalists call this project ‘the worst ridgeline development in Northern California’ — and just got it delayed
CONTRA COSTA — Fearing the development of a major ridgeline just outside Pittsburg, environmentalists are hoping to convince local officials and the developer to create an open-space buffer between them.
Twice approved by the Pittsburg City Council, the Discovery Builders’ Faria project proposes to build some 1,500 homes in the hills southwest of Pittsburg overlooking Thurgood Marshall Regional Park in Concord, where the former Naval Weapons Station was once located.
But before any work can begin, the 606 acres of land must first be annexed into Pittsburg. The Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees such boundary changes, was set to do that this week, but the item was continued after the small agency was flooded with hundreds of emails and letters, mainly from members and supporters of the nonprofit Save Mount Diablo who have environmental concerns about the proposed project, according to Lou Ann Texeira, executive officer of LAFCO. On its website, Save Mount Diablo calls the planned development “the disastrous Faria project that would bulldoze the top of Pittsburg’s hills.”
Texeira said she reached out to the involved parties to arrange a meeting before the project comes before the agency again on June 12.
“I’m just encouraging them to talk to one another and maybe work something out, to preserve permanent open space in that area,” she said.
In an April 3 letter to LAFCO, Juan Pablo Galván Martínez, senior land use manager at Save Mount Diablo, laid out the group’s concerns, including the project’s potential grading and development of the major ridgeline between Pittsburg and Concord. The project, they say, “would damage resources and agricultural land,” and mitigations are “not sufficient.”
In the 10-page letter, the nonprofit said the Albert Seeno III development group “never provided project-level environmental review as LAFCO has repeatedly said it requires,” nor has it submitted a detailed grading plan or an engineered subdivision map with house lots and streets — something that routinely happens everywhere else at the beginning of environmental review.”
The environmental group also wants the developer to provide more detailed “information that would allow analyses of what would be visible and what would prevent drastic visual and biological impacts.”
In addition, the group is asking for a 400- to 500-foot buffer from Faria’s western fence line to reduce aesthetic and biological impacts, reduce fire hazards and “offset negative impacts of carbon pollution due to project construction, and serve as mitigation for impacts to agricultural land.”
Seth Adams, land conservation director for Save Mount Diablo, said the buffer zone would help.
“I think a whole bunch of issues can be resolved by making a bigger buffer on this county unincorporated land between the development footprint and the edge of Concord,” he said.
Louis Parsons, president of Discovery Builders, said on Monday that Save Mount Diablo “is confused about the Contra Costa LAFCO’s role or is attempting to confuse the public and decisionmakers.”
“The fact is the shape and scope of the project is already approved by the city of Pittsburg,” he wrote in an email.
As for LAFCO’s role, it is to approve the city’s boundaries and “is limited to determining whether the project site can be served by public facilities and services, and related matters,” Parsons wrote. All service providers have already confirmed that they can provide necessary services, he said.
“The agency has enough information to make this decision,” he added. “State law is very clear that LAFCO only needs, and only can demand, adopted zoning plans and general policies to make a decision in these circumstances.”
Parsons further called the project’s environmental review “robust, encompassing thousands of pages” and said the proposed development “satisfies all environmental regulations, including important habitat conservation policies adopted by various local cities and the Contra Costa County Habitat Conservancy.”
He called Save Mount Diablo’s challenge “meritless.”
Plans to develop the hills date back to 2005 when voter-approved Measure P moved the Faria site within Pittsburg’s urban boundary. The city then approved an agreement with Seeno that established guidelines for a permanent greenbelt buffer along the inner edges of the boundary.
The developer filed an application in 2010, modified it in 2014 and again in 2017. The council first approved a version of the project in 2021. But months later, Save Mount Diablo sued, challenging the city’s approval of a planned 1,500-home project.
A judge in 2022 ruled that the city’s environmental review failed to properly analyze the project’s effects on air quality, traffic, water supply and possible impacts of the proposed 150 accessory dwelling units. The developer’s request for a new trial was rejected, and the city later revised some of the environmental documents.
The project was dealt another blow in early 2023 when the city’s planning commission failed to recommend it. But in April of that same year, the City Council gave it a green light.
Pittsburg city officials could not be reached for comment.
Adams said the nonprofit is not against all development but noted there are ways to protect the ridgeline, and the Faria development could be improved to do that.
As it is, Adams called the project “the worst ridgeline development in Northern California.” It not only would be overlooking park open space, “it would be next to it in various places,” he said.
Discovery Builders, meanwhile, said they previously agreed with the East Bay Regional Park District “to better harmonize the proposed development” with the district’s recreational plans. The developer had sued EBRPD in 2020, saying the new regional park would cause undisclosed impacts on the environment and their planned 606-acre Faria housing development. But after lengthy discussions, the parties settled, and the park district agreed not to object to annexation.
Adams blames any delays on the developer.
“All of the delays were caused by Seeno, primarily, because they’ve never, ever actually revealed the true nature of the project,” he said.
Texiera, meanwhile, said that if LAFCO approves the project in June, there will be a 30-day reconsideration period before approvals would be finalized, unless there are more challenges.
Huntington Beach police are vowing to prevent a potential “takeover” event being promoted across social media that they believe could get out of control.
Police said they became aware of the event from a flyer online advertising an “end of summer beach bash” in the city.
“Dear ‘Beach Bash’ organizers…” police said in an Instagram post Thursday. “Thanks for the flyer. We’ve seen it too.”
They continued, “We have no intention of allowing that to happen here.”
No further details were provided about when the event was planned to take place or the exact location.
Police and the city of Huntington Beach said they’re working to prevent the event following similar events in Southern California that resulted in violence, vandalism and other criminal activity.
One chaotic event that was held in Newport Beach on the Fourth of July ended with more than 400 people being arrested, according to police. Some partygoers were seen fist fighting, while others allegedly vandalized property and local businesses, including a Pavilions grocery store.
Newport Beach police said social media posts drew a large influx of people to Newport Pier in a short amount of time, and the event got out of control.
Huntington Beach PD warned that anyone who organizes, promotes or participates in criminal activity associated with a takeover event may be arrested or prosecuted. Charges may include incitement to riot, vandalism, theft, assault, reckless driving, unlawful assembly, conspiracy or other applicable offenses.
They also warned that juveniles would not be exempt from punishment, and parents or guardians may also be liable for damages caused by their child’s actions.
The HBPD Special Investigations Bureau has already identified individuals believed to be involved in organizing and promoting the event, according to police.
If you have information regarding this event, you are urged to contact Huntington PD’s Special Investigations Bureau at 714-536-5991.
California
Popular California Fast-Casual Chain Mendocino Farms Opens 100th Location in Santa Barbara – edhat
Santa Barbara has become home to a milestone location for a popular sandwich and salad chain.
Mendocino Farms has officially opened its doors at La Cumbre Plaza, marking the company’s 100th location.
Located at 3851 State Street, the restaurant is Mendocino Farms’ first location in Santa Barbara.
Announcing its new store in a social media post, Mendocino Farms said the restaurant offers chef-curated sandwiches and fresh salads using seasonal ingredients.
“Whether you’re fueling your next adventure or settling in for a sunny lunch with friends, we can’t wait to be part of your community. Here’s to our next chapter, together!” the business wrote on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
The restaurant features a custom mural by local artist DJ Javier, as shared by Mendocino Farms in an Instagram post.
The store opened on June 30 and marked its first day with a host of activities to celebrate its launch.
The opening day featured a live DJ, activities such as ‘Rodeo Riviera’, a hat bar, live sandwich-making sessions with the chefs, and a postcard station.
The location is open daily between 10:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., according to its website.
Diners can enjoy a special summer menu along with the regular options of sandwiches and salads that Mendocino Farms is known for.
View this post on Instagram
In addition to its menu options, the restaurant also offers catering services with deliveries available from 10 a.m. onwards.
The space occupied by Mendocino Farms earlier housed Panera Bread, which closed in 2025, per the Restaurant Guy.
About Mendocino Farms
The Los Angeles-based fast-casual chain is known for its selection of freshly made sandwiches, salads, wraps, and soups.
Founded in 2005, Mendocino Farms offers classic as well as limited signature items.
The company opened its first location below the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and has since expanded into a regional brand, according to the Restaurant Guy.
In addition to California, Mendocino Farms has locations in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Texas, and Washington, the company’s website shows.
The restaurants feature a rotating menu of items, along with a range of kids’ menu items that are served with a beverage and a choice of side.
Additionally, the chain offers a variety of dessert options, packaged chips, and packaged beverages.
The company is known for sourcing all its ingredients from ethical local farms and small producers.
All meat and poultry items served are antibiotic-free and humanely raised, while eggs are sourced from cage-free farms, according to its website. Fruits and vegetables are hand-picked, and bread is locally and freshly sourced.
The menu includes a range of items to accommodate all types of diets, such as flexitarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
California
Toddler sustains brain injury in fall after California childcare worker threw him into the air, lawsuit says
A fitness club is being sued after an employee at one of its childcare facilities in Southern California threw a 23-month-old child in the air and failed to catch him, resulting in a traumatic brain injury, according to the complaint.
Matthew and Elena Kittle filed the lawsuit July 2 against The Bay Club, an upscale club with multiple locations, including one in El Segundo, just south of Los Angeles.
They allege that while their son, identified by the initials C.K., was at the daycare center at The Bay Club El Segundo on March 17, 2025, an employee tossed him into the air — 6 feet above the ground — but failed to catch him, the lawsuit says. C.K. fell to the ground and hit his head on the hardwood floor, and the employee fell backward and landed on top of him, the suit says.
It says The Bay Club downplayed the severity of the fall to the boy’s parents. C.K. sustained a concussion and still experiences side effects from the fall, the suit says.
The complaint, filed against The Bay Clubs Co. LLC and Bay Club South Bay LLC, alleges negligence; negligence per se; negligent hiring, retention and supervision; negligent infliction of emotional distress; fraud — intentional concealment; intentional infliction of emotional distress; and battery.
The Bay Club said it is unable to comment on ongoing litigation.
“At the Bay Club, the safety of our members, team members, and the families we serve is our highest priority,” it said in a statement.
The Bay Club LLC owns and operates private fitness and country clubs across the West Coast, including locations in Oregon, Washington and California.
Its El Segundo location has the El Segundo Clubhouse, which the club’s website describes as a 14,000-square-foot childcare center, where kids participate in activities under supervision.
The day of the incident, C.K.’s father dropped him off at the El Segundo Clubhouse. He told staff members he would be at the Bay Club Manhattan Country Club, a mile away, for the next three hours, according to the complaint.
C.K. was injured at 9:20 a.m., the suit says.
Security video, which was included in the lawsuit, shows a female employee holding a child by his hands and swinging him between her legs. She then throws the boy over her head, letting go of the child’s hands, and fails to catch him. The child falls to the floor behind her, and the employee falls backward and appears to land on top of him, the video shows. The employee then appears to hold the child while they are on the floor.
Other staff members react with shock and concern after the fall, the video shows.
The club called C.K.’s parents separately afterward. Matthew Kittle picked up the call at 9:30 a.m. and was told that C.K. had “fallen” and had since “calmed down,” the lawsuit says. He called back and said he would pick up his son at the end of his session.
At 9:45 a.m., the club called him again, suggested C.K. needed to be picked up and said that “they had not been able to settle C.K. down,” the filing says.
When Matthew Kittle picked up C.K. at 10:10 a.m., he found his son’s face was “badly bruised,” with his right eye swollen shut and his mouth swollen, the suit says. Once he was at home, C.K. was “extremely drowsy, lethargic, and irritable,” and his parents became concerned, the suit says.
Elena Kittle spoke with an employee, who described herself as the aquatics director, at 10:44 a.m., according to the filing.
The aquatics director said that C.K. “was being held by an employee who fell over while she was in a squatting position” and that “C.K. was only about ‘1.5 feet above the ground’ when the fall occurred,” the suit says. She also said that C.K. wanted to “go to sleep immediately after the fall” and that employees “had trouble keeping him awake,” the suit says.
An hour later, C.K. was checked into the emergency room at a medical center in Torrance. There, the medical staff also questioned the accuracy of The Bay Club’s description of the incident, “because the injuries weren’t consistent with a fall from 1.5 feet,” the suit claims.
C.K. underwent a CT scan and a neurological exam and was diagnosed with a concussion, blunt head trauma and facial abrasion, the complaint says.
At 2:22 p.m. that day, Elena Kittle spoke with The Bay Club’s general manager, who said she reviewed video of the incident and also claimed C.K. fell from 1.5 feet, according to the filing.
The parents asked for the video, which they received March 21, 2025 — which left them “shocked” by the “severity of the fall” and by “the fact that the Bay Club tried to cover up the true nature of the incident,” the suit says. The complaint says the video showed the child was at least 6 feet in the air — not 1.5 feet, as the club had said.
Weeks after the incident, C.K. had symptoms including sensitivity to light and sound, irritability, irregular sleep, lethargy and attachment issues, the suit says. A neurology specialist who examined him in April 2025 said C.K. was still experiencing concussion symptoms, the filing says.
“It was assessed that C.K. suffered a ‘definite concussion with a discrete enough force and clinical signs that indicate he’s in pain and behavioral changes,’” the complaint says. The filing says C.K. continues to experience symptoms, including loss of hearing.
The suit also alleges that the daycare center was not operating legally.
Under California law, childcare centers require licenses from the state Department of Social Services. Some child daycare programs can be exempt from licensing if parents and guardians are on the same premises and if they are not operated on certain sites, including malls or ski facilities.
The suit alleges The Bay Club does not fall under that exception because parents are not necessarily always on the premises. Children can be left at the Bay Club El Segundo Clubhouse while parents go to The Bay Club’s Manhattan Country Club a mile away, the suit says.
The club’s website says a parent or guardian has to be on-site during a reservation.
The parents, represented by the law firm Rosen Saba, demand a jury trial, exemplary and punitive damages and civil and statutory penalties.
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