For 4,000 residents whose homes don't directly link to sewer mains in Portland, Oregon, the city has said that they will have to pay for any repairs needed on their sewer lines.
"Until now – and in a more aggressive way during the past three years – the city has been forcing homeowners who have party-line sewers, or sewers that are linked to a neighbor's line rather than to a sewer main, to abandon the lines when they need repair."
"They are telling people like Conroy to link their homes directly to a sewer main. But an estimated 4,000 people citywide have no adjacent sewer main to link to."
"Citizens in Portland have been spending thousands of dollars on solutions, in some cases financing on their own what are in essence public sewer projects. They face sums that cause sometimes impossible burdens. Meanwhile, a city plan to fix its sewer system's gaps is years away."
FULL STORY: Public good comes at private expense

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

In California Battle of Housing vs. Environment, Housing Just Won
A new state law significantly limits the power of CEQA, an environmental review law that served as a powerful tool for blocking new development.

Boulder Eliminates Parking Minimums Citywide
Officials estimate the cost of building a single underground parking space at up to $100,000.

Orange County, Florida Adopts Largest US “Sprawl Repair” Code
The ‘Orange Code’ seeks to rectify decades of sprawl-inducing, car-oriented development.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont