Eminent Domain Report

A federal aid package that is aimed at improving aging infrastructure and stimulating new transportation projects is in the works. The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the federal initiative and what it could mean for California infrastructure and agencies. 

The article highlights a handful of the many California agencies and projects that would be vying for a portion of the funds, should the package get approved. For those of us in Southern California, there are a multitude of potential projects that would be aided by federal funds – upgraded passenger rails in anticipation ...

Infrastructure projects take years to develop:  the environmental review, funding, design, procurement, and construction of a public project is time consuming in any state, but even more so in California given the strict regulations and oversight any public agency must comply with.  During that lengthy process, private properties situated in the proposed project alignment remain in a state of flux.  When those impacted properties are slated for development, what are the parties to do?

According to an article in the Morgan Hill Times, Council OKs new housing in one of two ...

Good news California:  local projects are continuing to receive federal funding.  Caltrans announced last week that the U.S. Department of Transportation has granted nearly $35 million in TIGER funds to six local and regional projects throughout the state.

The projects receiving funding include:

• East Side Access Improvement Project ($11.8 million): This Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority project will create a network of bike lanes and sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians to access the new Regional Connector/1st Central Station in Los Angeles ...

In hopes of modernizing the nation's infrastructure, President Obama revealed a plan to invest $302 billion in transportation over the next four years.  As reported in Politico , the President hopes the additional funds will not only keep the Highway Trust Fund solvent in the short term, but provide a true long-term vision for a modern infrastructure.  But it is not just highways that will be improved.  The President's plan should also give a boost local agencies that are investing in light rail, street cars, and bus rapid transit.

The President will need support from both parties to ...

You know how sometimes you go to one of those educational seminars, and it sounds interesting, but then it turns out that a lot of it doesn't really apply to what you actually do?  We hate it when that happens, and so we are constantly trying to find that perfect seminar that covers exactly what we want it to cover. 

After months of careful searching, we didn't find what we were seeking, so we came up with a different plan.  We're going to host our own seminar and fill it full of exactly what we want to cover. 

On March 20, Nossaman will be hosting its first ever Eminent Domain Seminar.  It's going to be ...

Caltrans just announced that California will be receiving $155 million in extra funding for launching its new construction projects before federal deadlines.  Caltrans will receive about $97 million of that award, with local and regional agencies receiving the balance.  States that fail to meet federal deadlines lose funds, which revert to a pool that benefits states like California, that consistently launch projects on time.  This year, California received the largest share of that pool, with New York the next highest at $81 million.

"The federal government has rewarded Caltrans ...

The FHWA recently published a series of useful short videos on its website.  For those of you working on transportation projects involving federal aid, check them out below:

• Right-of-Way Coordination and Certification Requirements.  Before an agency gets to construct its project, it needs to coordinate and certify the right-of-way.  This video provides an overview of the initial coordination process when federal funds are involved, including what must be completed before putting a project out to bid, and the need to obtain physical possession of the impacted properties.

If you're an infrastructure and right of way junkie like me, you'll be interested in a few of the updates below.  If you're not a transportation nut (and understandably so), it still doesn't hurt to get caught up on the happenings in California and at the federal level.  So read on.

MAP-21:  This Summer, Congress passed the "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act."  If you ever hear the acronym MAP-21 thrown around, this Act is what's being referred to.  What does it do and why do you care?  In its simplest terms, the Act reauthorizes transportation funding through the end of 2014.  But it is ...

Want the scoop on what future challenges local government agencies face with respect to eminent domain and redevelopment?  Want to hear from some of the most well-recognized eminent domain attorneys across the nation?  Want to get some CLE credit?  Want to get all your questions answered?  Want to do it all from your desk, in a short one-and-a-half hour presentation?

Come join us on Thursday, December 1, at 10 a.m. (PST) for the online seminar, "Eminent Domain: Redevelopment Challenges for Local Government, Navigating Federal Funding Requirements, Challenges for Public ...

I'm at the IRWA Education Conference in Atlanta, and yesterday I attended a number of interesting sessions.  Since I don't have time to write about all of them, I want to focus on the presentation that discussed local agency practices where their projects receive federal dollars.  And even that one session contained far too much information to reduce to a single blog post, so I'll focus on two of the four speakers, FHWA Realty Specialist Marshall Wainwright and Oklahoma Department of Transportation Assistant Division Manager for Right-of-Way Kevin Stout. 

Mr. Wainwright started the ...