FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Patterson Statement on Superior Court Decision
PATTERSON, CA – February 4, 2026 – The City of Patterson has reviewed the Superior Court’s Statement of Decision in the litigation brought by the Building Industry Association of the Greater Valley and Keystone Ranch, LLC challenging the City’s development impact fees. The Court’s ruling prohibits the City from imposing the development impact fees adopted by the City Council in 2024, fees that had not been updated in almost two decades. The decision has an immediate impact on the City’s long-term planning efforts that support Patterson’s infrastructure, public safety, and quality of life. The Court’s decision focused on questioning calculations and data assumptions prepared by an independent consultant that utilizes similar methodology for a large segment of cities in California. The Court also called into question the City’s noticing procedures and public access to documents, despite evidence that stakeholders participated on numerous occasions as part of the City’s adoption process.
“While we are discouraged with the decision and disagree with several of the Court’s conclusions, we take seriously the concerns raised in the Statement of Decision,” stated Mayor Michael Clauzel. “The City has always acted with the intention of ensuring that new development contributes fairly to the infrastructure and services our residents rely on. These fees are essential tools for maintaining parks, roads, public safety facilities, and other critical components of a growing city,” he added.
Over the coming weeks, the City Council will be conducting a thorough review of the ruling, including each of the legal, procedural, and policy issues identified by the Court to determine the next steps forward. “This review will ensure we fully understand the implications for our development impact fee program and for future planning efforts” stated City Manager Fernando Ulloa.
The Court has not issued a final judgment in the case, and the City will continue to keep the community informed and engaged as the process continues.
For any further media inquiries, please contact Victoria Castro, Public Information Officer, at vcastro@pattersonca.gov or 209-876-2683.
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