» Monthly Archives: April 2008
Enduring lesson from 1980s – political tactics, not marketing, win land use fights
When I worked on my first land use political battle in Massachusetts in 1984, the developer wanted to tout his project’s features and benefits, writes Mike Saint, founder of The Saint Consulting Group. “It’s going to have Italian granite facades and a wonderful architectural design with an atrium in the middle of the building,” ...
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Land partnerships hit by lousy housing market, low land values, credit crunch
Plummeting values on large tracts of land are targeting partnerships that were once a common way to own and develop land in boom times, especially when demand for new homes has also shrunken.
Michael Corkery's recent story in the Wall Street Journal about LandSource Communities Development LLC sets out the challenges facing one such partnership, ...
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It’s chilly out there in the commercial mortgage market
Alex Frangos has provided a basic primer on how the credit crunch is pummelling high-flying property players in the commercial markets. His story in the Wall Street Journal, "Office investor Broadway Partners faces the music on short-term debt", spells out the challenge for those in today's frozen commercial mortgage market who borrowed heavily to buy ...
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Back by popular demand — How to kill a development project in 10 easy steps
Four years ago a tongue-in-cheek guide to killing development projects was published in the Real Property Section Review of the Los Angeles County Bar Association, written by Robert I. McMurry and Dwight H. Merriam, who are respected developer's counsel and land use lawyers. Mr. Merriam has kindly agreed to let The Saint Report reprint the ...
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Who are NIMBYs
We talk about NIMBY’s all the time. You know, the folks who say, “Not In My Backyard”. But who are they? Mike Saint, chairman and CEO of The Saint Consulting Group, looks at the groups who oppose development and why.
He also contrasts the findings of Saint Index research with a recent column by Joyce Barker ...
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Hitting back at SLAPP suits — Quebec to move against suits that silence protest
Last month we published a report on Legal Rights to Protect Citizens from Getting SLAPPed by Developers' Lawsuits and commentary from Jeffrey Gould, the general counsel for The Saint Consulting Group.
Now the Quebec provincial government plans to table anti-SLAPP legislation to protect citizens' rights to free speech as well as their right to protest a ...
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California to vote again on eminent domain restrictions — two views
The Saint Report looks at a upcoming vote in California in June to consider two statewide eminent domain proposals. Proposition 90, the Protect Our Homes Act that narrowly was defeated in 2006, was the first anti-eminent domain proposition to appear on the California ballot.
George Kroculick, a partner at Duane Morris with expertise on eminent domain, ...
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UK shortlists proposed eco-towns, MPs vow planning battle
The UK government has proposed 15 "eco-towns", the first new towns in England since the 1960s. The new settlements are intended to reflect environmentally friendly construction methods, provide good transport that minimises car use and promotes walking and exercise (see graphic courtesy of BBC). But opponents say the government is ignoring local protests to ...
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Upping the Anti-
April 1, 2008 Chain Store Age If you could choose between having a dump or a casino in your backyard, which would it be? It didn't take me but about a half-second to answer "neither," and I'm feeling pretty comfortable that you're in agreement. And a whole lot of Americans are with us. The ...
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Land of the NIMBYs – How Welsh Try to Send Developers Elsewhere
April 1, 2008 Western Mail CASINOS VIE WITH LANDFILLS AS MOST POPULAR Four out of five people in Wales have been classed as "Nimbys" by an annual survey that reveals hardening oppositions to new buildings, roads or industrial developments. The research also reveals another increase in the proportion of people who would oppose in ...
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