A California appeals court refused to require an environmental review of Planned Parenthood’s permit to rent a downtown office building in the city of South San Francisco for a medical clinic.
Respect Life, an antiabortion group, failed to convince the First District Court of Appeals Monday that a full-blown study is required based on the potential for protests at the site that could affect traffic, parking and public safety.
“We are not persuaded,” said Justice Jim Humes. “By pointing only to evidence that the permit will lead to protests, Respect Life fails to establish, as it must to prevail, that the city prejudicially abused its discretion by making an implied determination that there were no unusual circumstances,” he said.
Planned Parenthood indicated that it intends to provide an array of medical services, one under consideration is medical abortion, according to the court.
The city planning commission granted the application following a public hearing to determine the project fell within a categorical exemption for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
“The record fails to reveal any substantial evidence supporting a fair argument that there is a reasonable possibility that impacts arising from protests will have a significant effect on the environment,” Humes wrote.
Joining him in the opinion were Justices Sandra Margulies and Robert Dondero.
Case: Respect Life v. City of South San Francisco, No. A145992
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