TEL: 619.338.6524
FAX: 619.234.3815

Email | Download vCard

San Diego/Downtown
501 West Broadway
19th Floor
San Diego, CA 92101

Practices

Donna D. Jones

Print PDF

Partner  

Donna D. Jones is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use and Environmental Practice Group in the firm's San Diego office. She has spent her legal career specializing in land use in San Diego.

Representative Projects and Practice Area

Ms. Jones is a land use attorney and registered lobbyist, focusing on compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), permitting and entitlement issues, as well as CEQA litigation. Ms. Jones has entitled master planned communities; urban infill, multi-family and mixed use developments; shopping centers; municipal solid waste landfill expansions; peaker power plants; and more.  She also has defended developers in multiple CEQA actions, obtaining dismissals and successful resolution of the matters.

Since 1994 Ms. Jones has represented Black Mountain Ranch in development of the Santaluz and Del Sur communities in the City of San Diego. This representation has included obtaining entitlements for a transit-oriented, "smart growth" community of more than 3,000 dwelling units, a resort hotel, two golf courses, and commercial and institutional development. Ms. Jones' representation included negotiating development agreements as well as all development permits, maps, and associated entitlements, and assuring CEQA compliance for all discretionary actions. In addition, Ms. Jones worked with the developer and his team in crafting a ballot measure voters ultimately approved to redesignate the property and allow a significant increase in density. She also successfully defended the developer in a CEQA action brought to challenge the project EIR.

Ms. Jones has negotiated master and individual affordable housing agreements, school mitigation agreements, park agreements, road improvement, water, sewer and a myriad of other infrastructure and related agreements. Ms. Jones also has represented developers in formation of community facilities districts (CFDs), updates to Public Facilities Financing Plans, and permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Fish and Game, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board. 

In addition, Ms. Jones worked on CEQA and entitlement issues on the Padres' downtown Petco Park as well as the East Village Square Master Plan and other ancillary development; entitlements for expansion of the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Nigel; lobbying and land use advice on numerous residential and mixed use projects in downtown San Diego; entitlements for expansion of the La Jolla YMCA, conversion of a golf driving range to a condominium project for Shea Homes, and negotiations with the resource agencies and local government on zoning, habitat, and other land planning and entitlement issues for a 21,000-acre property in the County of San Diego, among other projects.

Education

  • J.D., University of Texas, 1990, with high honors, Order of the Coif, Grand Chancellor
  • B.A., Texas A&M University, 1981, with honors

Representative Clients/Projects

Allied Waste Industries, Inc./Sycamore,  Otay & Ramona Landfills, Master Plan Expansion and Planned Development Permit/Site Development Permit for the Sycamore Landfill and Major Use Permit for the Otay Landfill. This representation involves review and advice regarding environmental impact reports (EIR) and mitigated negative declarations (MND), drafting permit and CEQA findings, advising on traffic impacts and mitigation requirements, addressing SDG&E transmission line relocation and easement-related issues, street vacations, and defense of CEQA litigation.

Black Mountain Ranch, LLC/Del Sur Community and Santaluz, entitlements for more than 3,000 homes, 20 percent of which are affordable; commercial uses, two golf courses and more. This representation involved negotiating development agreements, facility financing documents, and ensuring CEQA requirements are met, from review of EIRs and addendum to preparation of candidate findings and defense of CEQA litigation. In addition, her work included advice regarding traffic mitigation, processing of all planned development permits, tentative maps and other entitlements; a successful ballot measure to increase density; formation of two community facilities districts (CFDs) and several maintenance assessment districts (MADs); transportation-related, multi-party agreements; park, fire station and other infrastructure agreements, and more.

The Rodney Company, land use advice on Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) Plan North, General Plan 2020 and other County of San Diego designations; annexation issues and general real estate and land use for 21,400-acre property.

Strategic Hotels & Resorts, Inc./Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, Coastal Development Permit/Site Development Permit and associated CEQA compliance for expansion of the hotel from the City of Dana Point and the California Coastal Commission.

Regency Centers/Costa Verde Shopping Center/California Crossings, Community Plan amendment for retail center expansion and associated permits and environmental review for Costa Verde Shopping Center; permits and airport consistency determination for proposed retail center in County of San Diego.

Cardinal Health, permit and CEQA-related advice related to new corporate headquarters in Torrey Hills area, and traffic and community plan-related issues.

Scripps Health, due diligence on zoning and permitting issues for a new medical facility in Rancho Bernardo/Carmel Mountain Ranch.

Shea Homes, Site Development Permit, negotiations on park fees and CEQA compliance for a multi-family development on former golf driving range in Carmel Mountain Ranch.

Graybill Ventures, land use advice for coastal development permit from Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) and general zoning issues, coordination with the City of San Diego and the Department of Environmental Health, and coordination with City of San Diego and Alpha Project on Winter Homeless Shelter.

JMI Realty, review for CEQA compliance of Subsequent EIR to the Master EIR for Centre City Redevelopment Project for the Ballpark and Ancillary Development Projects, including JMI's East Village Square Master Plan.

Sempra Energy, California Coastal Commission approvals involving the City of Carlsbad; advice on a variety of land use related issues including creation of a handbook on CEQA compliance with PUC Order 131-D.

Memberships

  • Chair, Downtown San Diego Partnership, 2008
  • Chair - Infrastructure Committee 2007-2008, Member - Land Use Committee, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Chaired the Chamber's Legal Committee from 2004-2006
  • Chair, Financial Reform Subcommittee of the City of San Diego Charter Review Commission
  • Mayor's appointee, San Diego's Downtown Implementing Committee, overseeing implementation of the Downtown Community Plan Update
  • Member, working groups addressing the City of San Diego's General Plan update
  • Member, Land Use Working Group, Building Industry Association's Metropolitan Legislative Committee
  • Former member, City of San Diego Historic Resources Board and Wetland Advisory Board
  • Former Co-Chair, Environmental Law/Land Use Law Section Committee, San Diego County Bar Association
  • Member, San Diego County Bar Association
  • Member, Sections on Land Use and Real Property, California Bar Association
  • Member, Lawyer's Club
 
Disclaimer | Site Map | Attorney Advertising | Site by Firmseek | © 2008 Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP