Articles

Washington Supreme Court declines to address questions about science and property rights

June 06, 2012 | By BRIAN HODGES

Earlier today, Washington’s Supreme Court denied PLF’s petition for review in Olympic Stewardship Foundation v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board, a case that casts a shadow of doubt over the role that science plays in land use planning.  The Court’s refusal to hear the case adds to the growing conflict and conf ...

Articles

20 years of Pacific Northwest victories : the enduring impact of the HEAL decision

May 15, 2012 | By BRIAN HODGES

One way that PLF can assure that its property rights victories have a long-lasting impact is to “connect the dots” between past cases and current controversies.  A good example is the Washington Court of Appeals’ 1999 decision in Honesty In Environmental Analysis and Legislation v. Seattle, which stands out as the first Washingto ...

Articles

Reflecting on 20 years of PLF in the Pacific Northwest

February 21, 2012 | By BRIAN HODGES

This year marks the 20th anniversary of PLF’s Northwest Regional Center.  This is definitely a moment to celebrate, and we intend to do so.  But more than that, this is a time to reflect on two decades of PLF’s efforts in the Pacific Northwest. PLF opened its Northwest office in 1992.  Sir Mix-A-Lot was topping … ...

Articles

Finding a silver lining

February 08, 2011 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author: Brian T. Hodges Washington State requires local governments to continuously adopt, amend, and revisit their land use codes every 5-7 years to meet the moving targets of the state’s environmental and growth management policies.  For years, property owners have complained about the massive cost imposed by the state’s shiftin ...

Articles

Non-conforming use designations : “the new black” for bureaucrats?

October 19, 2010 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author: Brian T. Hodges Regulation for its own sake only leads to more regulation.  Case in point:  Washington State’s land use scheme.  The state’s Growth Management Act was adopted in 1990 and 1991 to require all local governments to engage in land use planning by requiring them to adopt comprehensive plans and devel ...

Articles

PLF : a modern day Cassandra

July 13, 2010 | By PACIFIC LEGAL FOUNDATION

Author: Brian T. Hodges In a decision filed last week, Washington’s Court of Appeals recognized that, like Cassandra, whose warning that the Grecian horse spelled doom for Troy, PLF’s successful litigation efforts to constrain government agencies to their strictly defined constitutional and statutory limits has fallen on deaf ears. PLF ...