The State of Virginia wants to put up 2/3rds of the cost of a new private railyard in Montgomery County. County officials say it doesn't fit the character of the rural area, and have sued to stop it from being built.
The case is currently before the Virginia Supreme Court. Montogomery County hopes the decision will be to invalidate the public-private funding structure created by the state. The case was thrown out in a lower court, so the county pressed on to the higher court.
Reporter Jeff Sturgeon writes, "In spite of being the target of a lawsuit, the railroad bought some of the land for the project and demolished two houses, a barn and silo. But since those preliminary steps, it paused efforts to construct the Elliston yard."
FULL STORY: Elliston intermodal rail yard remains source of discord
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
City of Costa Mesa
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Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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