A lawsuit was filed on grounds that the City did not comply with the law in approving the project. The project has been put on hold while litigation is proceeding. The Torrance Airport Association called on CPA for help in 1996 after the City of Torrance established the practice of violating federal airport grant agreements by unlawfully diverting airport funds on a massive scale to the city's general fund to be used for non-airport purposes, and by imposing unjustified charges and unreasonable fees on airport users. CPA's Airport Legal Defense Advocates assigned an attorney to the case. A lawsuit was filed against the City of Torrance in behalf of the Torrance Airport Association and airport users.
Litigation is currently in process.
Another contest took shape during 1996 in Northern California when Redwood City approved a tall building project near the San Carlos Airport. Pilots and homeowners in Redwood Shores formed a coalition to oppose the tall building. When negotiations with the City and the project developer broke down, CPA was called in. A lawsuit was filed on grounds that the City failed to conform to state law requiring a current environmental review. That brought the developer to the table and a settlement was worked out to the satisfaction of the pilots and the homeowners.