» Monthly Archives: July 2009

Let’s call opponents to wind power by real name – NIMBY
(Editor's Note: a WindAction editorial criticized an article by Ben Kelahan of The Saint Consulting Group as putting tactics over substance in countering opposition to wind farms. P Michael Saint responds below:)By P. Michael SaintChairman and CEO, The Saint Consulting GroupIn 25 years of being actively involved in battles over land use and in arguments made by ...
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Support for wind farms faces off against opposition to traffic
By Jay Vincent, Senior Vice President, Energy, The Saint Consulting Group When it comes to NIMBY issues, increased traffic in the neighborhood is commonly issue numero uno.  You typically hear about it associated with big box stores and other commercial developments that are regional draws for residents in surrounding municipalities. Those same uses also solicit complaints from neighbors ...
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Carolinas become new front in land use battles over wind energy
By Jay Vincent, Senior Vice President for Energy, The Saint Consulting Group Looks like land use politics is quickly following on the heels of wind energy's movement to the mountains and shores of the southeast.  The Carolinas are the new front in the midst of sometimes heated discussions about wind energy in locations considered sacred by many environmentalists, preservationists and ...
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Nuclear power still polarizes development attitudes across Europe
By Nick Keable, Vice President, UK Operations, The Saint Consulting Group The international nuclear story is an interesting one for many reasons. The long walk from pariah status to must-have clean technology, where even members of the Green movement are recanting and admitting they had it all wrong. But nuclear is still, even now, a ...
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Planning law moratorium runs into religious land use — legal briefing
By Dwight Merriam, Partner, Robinson & Cole, LLPWhat happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object – a moratorium to promote sustainable development runs into the constitutional right to the exercise of religion?The unstoppable force paradox is an exercise in logic that seems to come up in the law all too often. There is ...
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When lobby laws clash with land use laws
By Jeffrey Gould Vice President & General Counsel, The Saint Consulting Group  There is an increasing trend across the nation to expand the definition of lobbying to include grassroots efforts to organize people to support or oppose land use development projects. Many states, counties, and municipalities now require registration and onerous disclosures for efforts that should be ...
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Reach out to community after winning quarry permits, Part 2
(Chris Hopkins started a series for quarry owners based on what do you do, now that you have won your planning permit) [caption id="attachment_3027" align="alignleft" width="85" caption="You have quarry permit, now what do you so?"][/caption]By Chris HopkinsSenior Vice President for aggregates and mining, The Saint Consulting GroupYou have received your permits and you are ready to ...
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Wal-Mart effect – public can fight city hall and oppose development
By Patrick FoxPresident, The Saint Consulting Group Opposition to development is growing and has been for years.  Everyone involved in getting approvals to build anything in the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom has experienced it.  Developers who saw all of their projects approved ten years ago see half or fewer built today. The Saint Index, ...
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You have your quarry permit, now what do you do?
By Chris Hopkins, Senior Vice President for aggregates and mining, The Saint Consulting Group You have just finished a long and bruising permitting process. Your opponents were aggressive and some were even ruthless, but in the end you prevailed, you received all of your permits and are readying to open for business.  Before you open, some community ...
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Cities miss out on transportation funds from economic stimulus
By Owen Eagan, Senior Vice President for Transportation, The Saint Consulting Group The New York Times recently reported that cities missed an opportunity on transportation funding due to politics.  Specifically, the Times reported that despite the fact that two-thirds of the population lives in large metropolitan areas, these cities are seeing far less than two-thirds in transportation ...
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