Law Commons^™

At A Crossroads In The Charm City: Northern Central, United Railways And Power Politics At The Dawn Of Twentieth Century Baltimore - Northern Central Rr Co. V. United Railways & Electrinc Co. 105 Md. 345, Andrew R. Mccarty, David S. Warner

Legal History Publications

In June 1905, attorneys for the Northern Central Railway Company filed suit in Baltimore Superior Court against the United Railways and Electric Company. The suit charged that United Railways owed Northern Central for a portion of the expenses incurred by Northern to repair two bridges in the City of Baltimore, Maryland. Northern Central’s railroad lines ran under the bridges and United Railways’ streetcar lines ran across them. The amount claimed was relatively small for a company the size of the Northern Central and the possibility of collecting somewhat remote even if the case were decided in its favor. However, the …

Land Use Cases Highlight Lessons, Evolving Patterns: The Year In Review, John R. Nolon, Jessica A. Bacher

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

New York courts busily decided a multitude of land use cases in 2008 due to the increased growth in magnitude and complexity of land use issues. This year, as in the past, the authors summarize some of the most important cases. This year’s cases include the following topics: judicial deference to land use board decisions, zoning boards of appeals discretion, standard local practice, the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, statute of limitations, affordable housing, and eminent domain.

Shifting Ground To Address Climate Change: The Land Use Law Solution, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

This article conceives and describes a Land Use Stabilization Wedge: a strategy that aggregates these five wedges and further organizes strategic energies. This builds on Socolow’s optimistic assertion that “an excuse for inaction based on the world’s lack of technological readiness does not exist.” I assert that the existing legal authority of state and local governments to regulate and guide land use and building is a powerful “technology already deployed somewhere in the world.” The Land Use Stabilization Wedge aggregates several of Socolow’s initiatives and employs multiple mitigation techniques available to citizens in every locality in the country.

Slides: Linking Growth, Land Use And Water, Jim Holway

Shifting Baselines and New Meridians: Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West (Summer Conference, June 4-6)

Presenter: Jim Holway, Global Institute of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Arizona Water Institute, Arizona State University

29 slides

Slides: Threats To Biological Diversity: Global, Continental, Local, J. Michael Scott

Shifting Baselines and New Meridians: Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West (Summer Conference, June 4-6)

Presenter: J. Michael Scott, U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, University of Idaho

38 slides

Slides: Incorporating Community Values Of Sustainability Into Resource Management: The Red Lady Case Study, Wendy Mcdermott

Shifting Baselines and New Meridians: Water, Resources, Landscapes, and the Transformation of the American West (Summer Conference, June 4-6)

Presenter: Wendy McDermott, Executive Director, High Country Citizens' Alliance, www.hccaonline.org

33 slides

Crime Doesn't Pay And Neither Do Conflicts Of Interest In Land Use Decisionmaking, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

Conflicts of interest, bias, and appearance of impropriety continue to plague players in the land use game whose conduct, as public sector officials, must be beyond reproach. This article provides an annual review of reported cases and opinions involving allegations of unethical conduct in land use decision making. Conflicts of interest cases focus on attorneys, and address issues including of counsel relationships, disqualification and fees. Conflicts based upon financial interests for board members are explored, as well as unique relationships that may arise when colleges and universities seek approvals. Criminal aspects of decision maker conduct are also reported. Appearance of …

Law Of The Land – Year In Review, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

This column reviews trends and interesting cases in land use law as reported on “Law of the Land” during the last half of 2007. “Law of the Land” is a blog created to be of interest to land use lawyers, planners, developers, professors, and students. The blog is updated daily with a review of a recent land use case decided by a state or federal court. In addition, the site has reported on relevant gubernatorial executive orders, offered book reviews, and occasionally starts a discussion on current events issues, such as climate change and has led to robust debate about …

The Future Of Our Land: Presidential Leadership, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

Open letter to the President.

Kelo V. City Of New London And The Prospects For Development After A Natural Disaster, Carol N. Brown

Law Faculty Publications

The tension between private property rights, human rights, and community are at an all time high in many parts of the world. Social and political changes along with the pressures of globalization call for a new look at the role of private property and its place within the framework of democratic societies.This book addresses the current status of eminent domain and takings law jurisprudence. The focus is the relationship between private property, individual rights and community. The work covers a variety of points of view with respect to the legal, economic, and socio-legal aspects of property and of takings law, …

Municipal Regulation Of Formula Businesses: Creating And Protecting Communities, Patricia E. Salkin

Scholarly Works

People have been trying to exclude chain stores from their communities for decades. This includes "big-box" chains - the behemoth retailers that prefer an architecture of rectangular, single-story unadorned structures reaching 200,000 square feet or more - as well as national and international businesses including well-recognized fast food restaurants, drug stores and clothing retailers. The reasons for restricting these large corporate businesses include concerns over community character and aesthetics, local economics and self-reliance, and corporate ideologies. Over time, many municipalities have been forced to accept that "formula retail" and "franchise architecture" are simply part of the American economy. In many …

Land Use Law And Active Living: Opportunities For States To Assume A Leadership Role In Promoting And Incentivizing Local Options, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

Obesity, asthma and nutrition are just three public health challenges facing children and adults that can be addressed through land use planning and zoning. States must take a leadership role in providing statutory authority and guidance for local governments to enact and implement laws and ordinances designed to promote active living. Land use policies, transportation policies, redevelopment policies and open space and recreation policies are key areas where reform is needed. This paper highlights existing examples from various states and offers lawmakers, policymakers and advocates options for reforming state laws to incentivize and influence local actions.

Understanding Community Benefits Agreements: Equitable Development, Social Justice And Other Considerations For Developers, Municipalities And Community Organizations, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

The opportunity to develop a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) typically arises when a developer announces plans to construct a major project, such as a stadium or a theater complex. Local residents and business owners may often welcome these projects, but they may also have legitimate fears, such as: Will the project displace local residents and local businesses, either physically or through gentrification? Will it cause traffic problems and generate noise, pollution, or other nuisances? Will the economic development benefits espoused by the developer actually create jobs that pay a living wage and offer decent benefits for residents in the neighborhood …

Negotiating For Social Justice And The Promise Of Community Benefits Agreements: Case Studies Of Current And Developing Agreements, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

A community benefits agreement (CBA) is a private contract negotiated between a prospective developer and community representatives. In essence, the CBA specifies the benefits that the developer will provide to the community in exchange for the community's support, or quiet acquiescence, of its proposed development. The promise of community support may be especially useful to a developer seeking government subsidies or timely project approvals. The CBA is a relative newcomer to the toolbox of strategies that communities may utilize to ensure that development occurs consistent with the sometimes more narrow goals and desires of neighborhood residents, as opposed to the …

The Genesis Of Rluipa And Federalism: Evaluating The Creation Of A Federal Statutory Right And Its Impact On Local Government, Patricia E. Salkin, Amy Lavine

Scholarly Works

In 2000, Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), designed to provide protection from discrimination for the exercise of religion for incarcerated individuals and for those in need of various municipal permits or approvals in order to exercise their religion. With seven years of experience in the courts, this article examines the impact of RLUIPA on local governments across the country through an analysis of how the courts have been interpreting and applying statutory ambiguities and creating inconsistent doctrine in an effort to define terms and implement RLUIPA's protections. Whether an appropriate …

Losing Ground: Nation On Edge, John R. Nolon

Elisabeth Haub School of Law Faculty Publications

The primary objective of our book is to refocus attention on the mitigation element of this enduring debate. The chapters in this edited volume grow out of our multiyear program entitled Nation on Edge. The purpose of this program was to draw together leading scholars and practitioners in a collective conversation on the subject of disaster mitigation; that is, on questions of how government can better manage private and public decisionmaking and can more effectively regulate the use of private property in order to curtail damage from inevitable disasters. Our book stands alongside the expanding collection of government reports, essays, …

Plainly Wrong: The High Court Takes The Low Road, David E. Wilkins

Jepson School of Leadership Studies articles, book chapters and other publications

The court's most recent salvo in the Long case is no exception. I wrote about this case in April in this paper when the court had just heard oral arguments. My column was titled "A Matter of Disrespect" because in reading the transcript of the oral arguments, it was plainly evident in the questions raised by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Antonin Scalia that they had very little respect for the legitimacy of tribal courts or their decisions.

The question that must be asked: Why are tribal courts treated differently than non-Indian courts? Not willing to confront this head-on, …