The city of Pontiac has filed a lawsuit over the illegal storage of hundreds of Volkswagen vehicles. The vehicles have mothballed at the Pontiac Silverdome as a result of the buy-back program necessitated by the 2016 emissions cheating scandal.

"The city of Pontiac has filed litigation against Triple Investment Group, owners of the Silverdome, for violations of the building and safety code, zoning ordinances and municipal code including the storage of used cars on the property," reports Natalie Broda.
The Silverdome land use lawsuit is a strange outcome of the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal. David Tracy broke the news in January that the Silverdome (the former home of the NFL's Detroit Lions) was housing hundreds of cars bought back by Volkswagen. The buy-back program also resulted in mothball fleets of Volkswagen vehicles at a decommissioned Air Force base in California and at a port in Baltimore.
Back to the land use controversy at hand: "The motions filed include violations to the city’s zoning ordinance, including one ordinance which states that a site plan review is needed for larger and intensive projects including new developments, major expansions and redevelopment." Another alleged violation of the zoning ordinance was for a lack of the special exemption permit for parking and exterior storage of vehicles.
FULL STORY: Pontiac files against Silverdome owners for building, zoning and municipal violations

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie