» Monthly Archives: September 2008

Maryland farmer wins fight to produce milk locally, avoid 360-mile truck haul
Dairy farmer Bobby Prigel faced neighborhood opposition in Baltimore County when he tried to win planning permission to make dairy products locally, without trucking milk 360 miles to Buffalo, NY, and keeping his carbon footprint down. Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks notes that some well-to-do neighbors didn't like Prigel's intentions and tried hard to persuade the ...
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Joshua Tree DOGs in classic land use battle to stop housing in national park
A classic land use battle is taking shape in Joshua Tree where citizens of the California national park community have mobilized a Joshua Tree Development Oversight Group (JTDOG) to battle a housing developer in decisions about land use. Joshua Tree is an unincorporated community, under the jurisdiction of San Bernadino County, and must compete against the ...
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California voters mull bullet-train Prop 1a — 200 mph, 800 miles, $9.9 billion
California voters may be about to launch the most ambitious rail project undertaken by any state -- a nearly 800-mile system of bullet trains that can top 200 mph. Steve Lawrence of the AP reports in the Huffington Post. On Nov. 4, California voters will decide whether to authorize the sale of $9.9 billion in ...
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Floating turbines offer strong sea winds, cheaper than fixed turbines
Given its lead in generating wind power in the United States, Texas is looking at off-shore turbines for more efficient, cheaper and less objectionable ways to harness wind energy. The Austin American-Statesman sent Shelly Emling to visit turbines floating 12 miles off-shore in the Mediterranean to look at more remote offshore windpower -- less expensive ...
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Hurricane Ike damage poses issues for Texas beach development
The devastating hit that Hurricane Ike delivered to the upper Texas coast has many experts questioning the breakneck pace of development along the beaches, Bill Hanna writes in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. With the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Island and Surfside Beach all hit hard by the surge from the Category 2 storm, scientists are again ...
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Miami-Dade County could lose millions in fight over urban development boundaries
Should Miami-Dade County fight the state over commissioners' decisions to allow new projects outside the urban development boundary, it could cost more than just time and attorneys' fees: funds for roads, water and sewer systems, and even storm and hurricane protection could be withheld, Miami Today reports. Against the advice ofcounty staff, commissioners voted in April ...
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Commercial real estate debt feels impact from Lehman bankruptcy — WSJ
Banks are feeling pressure to sell off commercial real estate debt ahead of the expected liquidation of Lehman's $30 billion property portfolio, Michael Corkery and Lingling Wei report in The Wall Street Journal. Thanks to Commercial Watch blog for publishing this report, as some investors in big apartment projects that Lehman backed in the South ...
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San Francisco should let markets sort out right retail mix, not micro-manage
They are at it again in San Francisco. Someone ought to hand out copies of Friedrich Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” at the City Council. They think government can better figure out the right retail mix for a neighborhood than the market can, writes Mike Saint, chairman and CEO of The Saint Consulting Group. They don’t get ...
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You Can Pay For It Now Or Pay For It Later
Fall 2008 Concrete Answers You Can Pay For It Now Or Pay For It Later by Saint Consulting's Christopher M. Hopkins Being a good corporate neighbor takes a lot of time and effort—but the rewards are significant. Rohrer's Quarry, Inc. experienced the benefits first-hand when it recently won permits for a new concrete plant in ...
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Woe awaits developers in California ballot initiatives to control growth
The Saint Report carried a Los Angeles Times report in August about Santa Monica's ballot initiative to curb commercial development for 15 years. The Los Angeles Business Journal notes that businesses and developers are fighting back against the November ballot measure. Owen Eagan, the Saint Consulting division manager for Southern California, comments on the woe ...
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