Title insurance is issued using standardized forms of policies and endorsements. The most commonly used forms for commercial properties are those promulgated by the American Land Title Association (ALTA), a nationwide title...more
“It’s like déjà vu all over again.” Yogi Berra - In a (mostly) published opinion filed October 24, 2024, the Second District Court of Appeal (Div. 2) affirmed the trial court’s judgment denying a writ petition in a CEQA...more
On October 29, 2024, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners approved a new ordinance that will temporarily suspend all comprehensive plan text and map amendments, rezonings, and special exceptions, but provides a...more
In a July 17, 2024 Opinion, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decided in AUUE, Inc. v. Borough of Jefferson Hills Zoning Hearing Board, No. 28 WAP 2022, ___ A.3d ___ (Pa. 2024), that the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code...more
On Aug. 15, 2024, the New York City Council approved the Bronx-Metro North Neighborhood Plan, the first New York City Department of City Planning-led neighborhood plan certified and approved under the Adams administration....more
On June 27, 2024, the California First District Court of Appeal affirmed the denial of a writ petition challenging the City of Lafayette’s determination that a 12-unit residential condominium building qualified for the Class...more
On July 16th, the County Council took a significant step toward modernizing Prince George’s County’s zoning ordinance, when it adopted a comprehensive zoning omnibus bill following a months-long legislative process....more
The Office of Planning (OP) has been working with residents, community stakeholders and Washington, D.C., government agencies to develop the Draft Nannie Helen Burroughs Corridor Small Area Plan (NHBCSAP). This plan is...more
After the Charter amendments suggested by the Orange County Charter Review Committee discussed in “Proposed Charter Changes Threaten Orange County's Economic Future” were blocked by the Florida Legislature as discussed in...more
The City of Gaithersburg has adopted a comprehensive new zoning ordinance that reorganizes and modernizes the ordinance while making it more user friendly. Substantively, the new ordinance adds a new potential zoning category...more
The Osceola Board of County Commissioners is proposing a 90-day county-wide moratorium on applications that would allow residential development on land zoned for non-residential uses, among other restrictions. The proposed...more
AB 1893 (Wicks) is currently making its way through the state legislature and would modify the Builder’s Remedy under the Housing Accountability Act. This legal alert summarizes the significant amendments made to AB 1893 in...more
A California Supreme Court ruling will allow student housing at University of California to be built at Berkeley's historic People's Park. In February 2023, a state appeals court in San Francisco had sided with the opponents,...more
Boston is continuing its commitment to planning-led rezoning with the recent release by the Boston Planning and Development Agency ("BPDA") of a draft zoning text amendment and zoning map to implement the PLAN: Downtown...more
Last month, we delved into the fundamentals of zoning as they relate to developers and builders. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into specialized zoning topics that merit closer examination....more
In March, the Prince George’s County Council acted on zoning legislation that will influence the County’s development trajectory for years to come. ...more
While at first glance the Michigan Supreme Court case of Long Lake Township v. Maxon, appears to be a simple zoning dispute with a Fourth Amendment twist, the real impact of the case may ultimately fall on drones and air...more
On March 28, 2024, the Adams Administration announced that its City of Yes for Housing Opportunity zoning proposal would, if approved by the City Council, introduce new, higher-density residential zoning districts to New York...more
What is zoning and how does it work? In simple terms, zoning refers to a city’s ability to regulate property owners’ use of their land within its corporate boundaries. For instance, a city may prohibit commercial...more
On March 6, 2024, the Florida State Legislature passed SB 1420 in an effort to block regulations proposed by the Orange County Charter Review Committee (CRC) that would have drawn a new rural boundary that would have heavily...more
The Florida Legislature on Feb. 28, 2024, passed Senate Bill 328, which amends the Live Local Act (Amended Act). It becomes effective upon becoming law (except as otherwise provided). While most of the 2023 Live Local Act...more
As covered in prior PSH Client Alerts on June 26, 2023, August 22, 2023, and November 27, 2023, this past year included numerous major reforms to the Rhode Island zoning and land development statutes, all aimed at spurring...more
We would not blame you if you said that dealing with attorneys is not your favorite part of being a municipal official. However, in our defense, people use attorneys because they need help with complicated legal processes and...more
Recognizing that Downtown San Francisco is “struggling” post-pandemic, State Senator Scott Wiener has announced new legislation to exempt certain projects in the area from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review...more
Recently proposed Florida legislation, HB 1053, seeks to increase the distance requirement between businesses providing on-premise consumption of alcohol and both schools and religious centers....more