Land use law

Before you get too excited by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit’s opinion in Catholic Healthcare Int’l, Inc. v. Genoa Twp., No. 22-2139 (Sep. 11, 2023), a spoiler up front: this may be a good ripeness decision, but this isn’t a takings case.

But you takings mavens may still want

IRWA 6-2023 summary jpg

Thanks to our co-authors for the latest issue of this recurring update.

The International Right of Way Association’s Real Estate Law Committee produces twice-a-year reports “which contain summaries of eminent domain decisions and legislation within the United States.” (This is the “international” right of way association, so that last qualifier is important.)

And what is

KS_aerial
According to the County, this is an “industrial” use,
incompatible with “agricultural” zoning

Note: sorry, this is one of those longer posts, but the topic is a serious one, so we felt it needed more than our usual cursory treatment.

How Can That Be?

We’ve been somewhat reluctant to post too much on the legal

Why is it, you ask, that the ALI-CLE Eminent Domain & Land Valuation Litigation Conference (scheduled next February 1-3, 2024, in New Orleans) is an event that seems to be growing in popularity and attendance. In recent years, we have standing room only in the Conference halls, and have sold out the hotel block.

Screenshot 2023-08-23 at 16-13-54 To tackle highest housing costs in the country Hawaii's governor declares YIMBY martial law

Here’s an excellent report on a situation we’ve been following, the Hawaii governor’s proclamation of a housing emergency. In “To Tackle Highest Housing Costs in the Country, Hawaii’s Governor Declares YIMBY Martial Law,” Christian Britschgi at Reason writes:

Developers with a [Beyond Barriers] working group [what we cheekily referred to as

Screenshot Capture - 2023-08-18 - 08-32-14
Where you can build 1-4 family residences by right

The Hawaii Zoning Atlas project has announced publication of the Hawaii Zoning Atlas, an “interactive map [that] explores how restrictive zoning laws can make it difficult to build diverse, affordable housing.”

The official announcement notes:

The map is based on an original dataset compiled by