Trends in Land Use, Environmental Law Examined
 A record 60 members of the Legal Action Network for Development Strategies (LANDS) attended NAHB’s 16th annual LANDS Roundtable & Workshop on May 14 and 15 in Mystic, Conn.
Members heard presentations by preeminent land use attorneys on Fifth Amendment takings law; due process and public use issues; water law issues with an impact on East Coast development, including a case study from New Jersey; barriers to affordable and workforce housing; and the latest on the Endangered Species Act. The LANDS program provides educational and networking opportunities for land use and environmental attorneys so that the building industry can secure better decisions across the country from courts and government agencies that control the use of private land. During the lunch portion of this year’s program, NAHB First Vice President David Pressly made a special presentation to Eric Santini, of Santini Homes, Inc., in recognition of his valuable contributions to protect the civil rights of the nation’s home builders. The afternoon session involved a spirited moot court where distinguished LANDS members stood in the shoes of the Supreme Court to hear arguments for and against land development issues raised in the San Remo Hotel, L.P. v. City & County of San Francisco case that is currently pending before the High Court. Nine LANDS members agreed to be part of the “judicial” panel and two members took on the roles of attorneys to present both sides of the case. (For an NBN story on this case, click here.) As with past conferences, presentations and programs provided up-to-date information on legal trends in land use and environmental law for attorneys who represent NAHB members in jurisdictions across the United States. For more information on the LANDS program, e-mail Felicia Watson at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8229. | 
