Lauren,
There would be no grounds for a lawsuit, either against the board or
individuals, as the property owner has a permit in process. In California, processing
the permit gives government staff the legal right to seek opinions of
government-appointed citizen boards. The permit applicant has to go along with the
process. Threatening a government official or board member with a lawsuit is
meaningless, as there is a stable of government litigators who would defend the
government process. I think this was simply a case of shopping around for the
opinion that best suits someone's needs.
Ron May
Legacy 106, Inc.