The legal controversies over a zoning amendment approved in 2019 went all the way to the top court in the state of Maryland, but by the time the court ruled, the Bowie City Council had already repealed the amendment in question.
A decision by the Maryland Supreme Court would have cleared the way for the redevelopment of townhomes on land occupied by a struggling airport in Prince George County, if the Bowie City Council hadn’t already changed its mind about a zoning amendment required to make the project happen.
“Many community members opposed the amendment, which singled out the Freeway Airport property to allow for higher-density housing than some surrounding areas,” according to an article by Madeleine O’Neill. “A group called the Concerned Citizens of Prince George’s County challenged the text amendment in court after it passed in 2019.”
“The airport is intended to be the only property affected by the amendment — which the Concerned Citizens group pointed to as evidence that the change violated the ‘uniformity requirement’ by treating a single property favorably,” reports O’Neill.
The Maryland State Supreme Court found, however, that the zoning amendment “furthered a valid public purpose and did not discriminate between similarly situated properties” (because there are no similarly situated properties).
But this story has a twist: a change of elected representatives on the Bowie City Council began their tenures in the intervening years and rescinded the zoning amendment before the Supreme Court could rule.
“The Concerned Citizens group asked to dismiss the case because the new bill rendered the legal battle moot,” according to O’Neill. “But the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case anyway,” expecting that the issues at stake in the case would set precedent for future land use decisions.
FULL STORY: Md. Supreme Court upholds zoning amendment to allow PG County airport redevelopment
Landmark Climate Decision Rules in Favor of Montana Youth
The ruling in Held v. Montana is the first of its kind in the United States, according to reports.
$4.2 Billion in Washington State Transportation Funding Rescued by the Courts
The Washington Supreme Court struck down an initiative that would have cost state and local governments an estimated $4.2 billion in transportation funding.
Court Decision Clears the Way for East River Greenway Bike Bridge
A community group had sued to prevent the construction of a bridge in Clara Coffey Park in New York City. The court ruled in the favor of the city's plans.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association