August 15, 2011
White & Smith's Lake Maumelle Watershed Zoning Code Praised
White & Smith takes pride in its commitment to drafting codes that are easy to read and administer. We recently drafted a Zoning Code for the Lake Maumelle Watershed in Pulaski County, Arkansas. This implements a draft Land Use Plan prepared by the prime consultant on this project (Wallace, Roberts & Todd). The Land Use Plan covers 33,500 acres, including the water supply for 400,000 customers in the Little Rock region.
May 4, 2011
Lee's Summit Complete Streets Resolution Ranked #2 in the Nation
In a recent report, the National Complete Streets Coalition ranked Lee’s Summit’s Livable Streets Resolution, adopted on Nov 4, 2010, second in the nation compared to similar resolutions in other cities. (Ordinances were compared in a separate category.) Mark White served on the leadership team for the Livable Streets Committee that developed the resolution.
Visit the National Complete Streets Coalition online for a copy of the report.
April 26, 2011
APA Zoning Practice Article
Ross Appel and Tyson Smith's article "Land Use Compatibility Near Military Bases: A Planner's Perspective" will appear in the May 2011 edition of Zoning Practice. This article both explores the complex and increasingly relevant issue of encroachment near military bases and examines the role of local government.
Visit Zoning Practice online for more details.
April 4, 2011
Environmental Law and Development Code Presentations at National Business Institute
Mark White led presentations on environmental law, sustainability, and development codes at the April 4 National Business Institute seminar on Land Use Law: Current Issues in Subdivision, Annexation and Zoning. Click here to download a copy of his presentation on environmental law and sustainable codes, and click here for a copy of the presentation on development codes.
April 1, 2011
Infill Development Presentation in Austin, Texas
Mark White presented at the University of Texas School of Law Continuing Legal Education Land Use Planning Conference. The topic was Infill Development and Preservation, highlighting our work on design-based codes, development codes in built-out communities, and public-private partnership strategies. Contact us for a copy of the written materials, and click here to download a copy of the presentation.
March 28, 2011
APA PEL Update: National Defense Meets Local Zoning Law
The American Planning Association recently posted a blog entry regarding Ross Appel and Tyson Smith's forthcoming article in Planning & Environmental Law entitled "Compatible Land Use Near Military Installations: The Problem and the Local Government Response."
The blog post can be viewed here, and we invite your comments and questions on this increasingly relevant and complicated issue.
March 11, 2011
"Hot Topics in S.C. Environmental Law"
Tyson Smith will join the distinugished faculty of experienced environmental law practitioners and scholars for this South Carolina Bar sponsored CLE seminar. Mr. Smith will be presenting on recent developments in South Carolina planning and zoning law. Each registrant will receive a copy of the brand new and completely revised Environmental Law in South Carolina, Third Edition.
The seminar will be held on Friday, March 11 at the Bar Conference Center, 1501 Park Street, Columbia, SC 29201.
February 25, 2011
SCAPA/SCARC Winter Conference
Columbia, South Carolina
"Privatization of Infrastructure - This is Your Life"
Tyson Smith gave the keynote address during the conference's closing lunch, sharing his observations on the timeless American debate of "how much government is too much government?" and why this debate should be bringing us closer together instead of tearing us apart.
SCAPA/SCARC Winter Conference
Columbia, South Carolina
"The Role of Local Government in the Emerging Field of Renewable Energy."
Tyson Smith moderated this panel, which consisted of several experts in renewable energy, including:
Joel Evans, Senior Planner (Charleston County);
Elizabeth Kress, Principle Engineer: Renewable Energy (Santee Cooper);
Andrew Streit, Consultant (Sunstore Solar); and
Ross Appel, Associate Attorney (White & Smith).
For more information on either of these presentations, please contact Ross Appel.
January 2011
Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation
Tyson Smith has completed his training as a Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediator at the Conflict Resolution Collaborative in Tampa.
In South Carolina, residential foreclosures were up 31.4% in 2010 over the prior year, putting our state at Number 16 nationwide and Number 3 in the Southeast. Homeowners, banks, and investors increasingly are turning to mediation to resolve these complex disputes; often in ways that are faster and more likely to result in mutually-agreeable resolutions than the court system can provide.
If you or your client is facing foreclosure, or is involved in a foreclosure dispute, we are happy to discuss how this technique may work for you. Tyson can be reached at our Charleston office at (843) 937-0201 or at tsmith@planningandlaw.com.
January 18, 2011
National Business Institute Seminar
White & Smith, LLC partner Tyson Smith and associate attorney Ross Appel were among the distinguished faculty for NBI's seminar "Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law." This full day seminar was held on January 18, 2011 in Charleston, South Carolina and surveyed the field of planning and land use law in South Carolina. This course was accredited by the South Carolina Commission on CLE for 6.0 hours. To learn more and purchase the audio replay, please visit NBI's website here.
November 4, 2010
Lee's Summit, Missouri Adopts Livable Streets Resolution
The City of Lee's Summit, Missouri became the first jurisdiction in the Kansas City region to adopt a complete streets resolution. The resolution requires a summary of livable streets elements (such as street trees, connectivity, and end-of-trip facilities) for new capital improvements and discretionary development approvals. Mark White of White & Smith, LLC was on the leadership team for the City's Livable Streets Committee, and participated in drafting the resolution. Click here for a copy of the resolution.
Lee's Summit is home of White & Smith's Kansas City office. In addition to the Livable Streets accomplishment, the City recently won a 2010 Great American Main Street award, a Creative Community award from the Missouri Arts Council, the Gold Medal Award from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration/National Parks and Recreation Association, and recognition on Money magazine's Best Places to Live. White & Smith is a member of Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street, Inc., and its offices are located in an historic building overlooking Main Street. We are proud of our location in this historic and dynamic City!
July 27, 2010
American Planning Association Award
The City of Centennial, Colorado's Land Development Code was recently selected as a 2010 Colorado APA Merit Award recipient. White & Smith worked on the code as part of a team led by Kendig Keast Collaborative, along with the Community Planning and Urban Design section of HDR.
According to the Awards Committee, the project was chosen for a Merit Award because it completed an important "first step" to achieving new methods of planning in City of Centennial. Additionally, the Committee found the Public Buffer Builder and inclusion of sustainable technologies within the plan to be "quite innovative."
July 20, 2010
White & Smith heads Atlanta Regional Commission
Plan 2040 Implementation Project
White & Smith is undertaking a legal and planning review of the regional land use and transportation plan for the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). This involves a review of legal authority in Georgia, and a peer review of implementation by peer agencies. The project will culminate in a report with recommendations on implementation programs or actions that are legal and effective. As the lead firm, we are partnering with Parsons Brinckerhoff (Placemaking) in this effort.