150 years ago yesterday Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysses S. Grant and the Army of the Potomac, ending the Civil War. The ancestors of the Confederacy not live in a country protected by the First Amendment.
"Not surprisingly, the Sons of Confederate Veterans believe the controversy swirling around the memorial to Confederate war dead that they’re building in the east Texas city of Orange is overblown, if not entirely unfounded," reports Peter Holley.
Construction of the $50,000 monument, located near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, began in 2013, "despite strenuous objections from some locals," according to Holley. The controversy recently increased "after the Sons of Confederate Veterans announced that they have ordered eight custom-made poles for Confederate battle flags that will, Davis said, increase the visibility of the monument alongside Interstate 10, not far from the street named after King, the slain civil rights leader."
The local newspaper conducted a survey, finding that 77 percent of Orange residents support the memorial. "Many of them aided in its construction by purchasing bricks at $50, $300 and $500 and benches at $800, according to the group’s Web site."
Orange City Attorney John Cash "Jack" Smith does not support the memorial, but he also explains the constitutional issue at stake: "I don’t like it," he told the Beaumont Enterprise. "I think it’s a bad idea. But they own the property, and the First Amendment warrants them that right."
FULL STORY: These Texas rebels say the American flag is more racist than the Confederate flag
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Montana Passes Sweeping Legislative Package to Rescind ‘California-Style-Zoning’
The Montana State Legislature recently approved a package of zoning reform bills modeled closely on bills approved in West Coast states, including the state of California, in recent years.
San Diego Ponders How to Declare ‘Housing as a Human Right’
Landlords in the city believe housing rights shouldn’t supersede property rights.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
