Editor's Column

Lou Slade

Dear Colleagues,

The speakers at our George Washington Chapter luncheons cover a broad range of topics that occasionally address non-traditional land economics subject matter.  The history and culture of the city are critical components of the value of the land, so we’ve heard about Casey Trees, the endowed foundation established to restore, enhance and protect the city’s tree canopy.  Casey Trees maintains a GPS-based inventory of every tree in the city.  We often have speakers address preservation issues such as the how the development of the 14,000  employee Homeland Security Administration on the historic St. Elizabeth’s west campus has been carefully planned and negotiated to respect that property.

In that vein, my column this month is about efforts to embrace scenic and natural beauty in the city under the premise that those qualities contribute greatly to the value of life here. Washington D.C. is laced with scenic parkways that were created though land reclamation in the early decades of the 20th Century as part of the implementation of the 1901 McMillan Plan for the Nation’s Capital.  Many of those linear parkways never included road construction, but instead include trails that provide access to and through their natural beauty.  All of these parkway lands are managed by the National Park Service.

Other similar landscapes are part of the grounds of major institutions, or were once part of private estates that were given over to institutional uses and where, in some cases, the extensive land holdings are also part of the National Park Service land portfolio.

Some of the more notable designed naturalistic landscapes have not been maintained.  Ten years ago, the Washington National Cathedral Foundation funded the restoration of the Olmsted Woods on the Cathedral Close.  Olmsted had defined the ideal visit to the Cathedral to include a carriage ride around the Close to enjoy all the views of the Cathedral in its landscaped setting, and then a walk up Mt. St. Albans through the Woods to the Cathedral. 

A trend is developing where community-based conservancies are being created as stewards of other historic landscapes with the objective of restoring the original design and maintaining it in perpetuity.  Two of these are underway.  The Tregaron Estate includes a 13 acre naturalistic valley landscape designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman over a 25 year period starting in 1912.  The Friends of Tregaron saved the property from development, and the Tregaron Conservancy founded in 2006 took on the job of restoring the Shipman Landscape. That work, which is nearing completion has unearthed many of the original stone stream crossings and culverts, has removed the invasive plant species, and is managing the restoration and replacement of specimen trees. The property remains in private ownership, but is open to the public at all times. It is adjacent to and linked to the trails in Rock Creek Park, which is a National Park.

A second, similar conservancy effort is just getting underway at another historic naturalistic garden.  Confidential negotiations are underway on that project, so I’ll report more when they have progressed.
Independent of these initiatives, but closely linked to them is the recent formation of City Wildlife, a non-profit organization that is implementing initiatives to support and enhance the welfare of the wildlife population that inhabits the city’s naturalistic parks and open spaces.  City Wildlife is developing and supporting protection of wild places and wildlife habitat, creation of educational initiatives, development of an injured and sick wildlife rehabilitation center, and the creation of Lights Out D.C. to reduce bird/glass accidents caused by nighttime lighting of buildings during migration.

These special places in our cities achieve what Frederick Law Olmsted had hoped: to help to counteract the “heart-hardening” effects of city life, as “A park is a work of art, designed to produce certain effects upon the mind of men.”

Lou Slade
International LAI Editor
louis.slade@goroveslade.com

 

A special plea to all Chapter officers

We need your help in getting the word out on the great experience that the Land Economic Weekends (LEWs) provide. These include important looks behind the real estate scenes in every city they are held in – with the local development community providing information that you won’t get anywhere else – I am sure that all of our colleagues who went to Vancouver are feeling that as they watch the Olympics!  The LEWs provide an incomparable opportunity to talk in depth with professionals from across the globe and also learn much more of the role LAI plays in the real estate scene by attending the LAI Board meeting.   These conversations include hearing about hot discussion topics and ways other chapters do their work.
Please try taking printed registration forms to your meetings and spend a few minutes talking about the upcoming LEW in Minneapolis! You might also consider sending this KeyNotes to your membership so they can read what the Minneapolis – St. Paul community will share with us. And do plan to join us this May! 

Lou Slade, International LAI Editor

 

Chapter Corner

Baltimore Chapter:

“Going Green Saves You Green” was the message members heard at their February lunch meting with David Woodley-Wilson, Executive Director of the Green Building Institute. He described in detail the nonprofit institute’s sustainable building practices and educational offerings.  GBI is conducting a walking tour from 10 a.m. to noon on April 3rd in Chevy Chase, Maryland -- one of the greenest neighborhoods in the Mid-Atlantic.  Conducted in partnership with Bethesda Bungalows, walkers will visit an enclave of 8 unique custom homes including one at 5133 Fairglen Lane that is the first in the country to be awarded both the coveted emerald status by the NAHB National Green Building Standard, and LEED platinum.  Register on line for the tour. http://www.greenbuildinginstitute.org/ 

The Baltimore LAI chapter meets in a classroom at the downtown campus of the Johns Hopkins University.  JHU had just announced that the School of Medicine had received a LEED commercial interior silver certification for its renovated Dept of Facilities Management offices and clinical Information Systems Education Center. This is the first location in the university to achieve LEED status of any kind. University officials say that these facilities may be the first, but not last, as four more buildings have been submitted for LEED certification.  JHU announced it would spend almost $74 million over the next 15 years as part of an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions by half and make the school more energy efficient.  LEEDing its way to a greener institution, JHU’s Facilities Management saw the certification process as an opportunity to foster the school’s sustainability effort.   

Expanding on what Woodley-Wilson cited as the benefits of a green building to the environment, JHU’s manger of Energy Management and Environmental Stewardship and Chair of the Johns Hopkins Sustainability Committee, Davis Bookhart said, “these buildings tend to be healthier buildings.  You reduce the amount of toxins in the work environment that can be potentially harmful. The lighting levels in LEED buildings also are better and efficient.  All these benefits have shown to reduce absenteeism and increase productivity.  People are simply happier working or studying in a building that they know is green.”  

The City of Baltimore agrees, having adopted in 2007 a green building law.  Considered as one of the most sweeping in the nation, the law requires commercial and multifamily buildings as small as 10,000 square feet to be built to meet the “silver” rating under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED standards or some equivalent set of requirements set by the city.  LAI member and architect Kim Schaefer, TerraLogos: eco architecture pc, http://www.terralogos.com/ was hired to create alternative “green star” building standards.  The City has not yet published the regulations to implement the law but is expected to do so soon.   

Tara Balfe Clifford, Chapter Scribe

Ely Chapter:

FEBRUARY LUNCH PROGRAM - INDUCTION OF STUDENT MEMBERS, AND GUEST SPEAKERS FROM TRACY CROSS & ASSOCIATES AND APPRAISAL RESEARCH COUNSELORS DISCUSS CURRENT RESIDENTIAL MARKET

The Ely Chapter's February Lunch Program was another well attended event.  At the event the membership welcomed 14 new student members from John Marshall Law School, located in Chicago. The students were accompanied by Celeste M. Hammond  Professor and Director, Real Estate Law Program and Director, LL.M. Program in Real Estate Law at The John Marshall Law School.

After the induction we were fortunate to have two of the premier experts in the field of real estate market analysis in the Chicago area to speak to us regarding the Chicago residential market.  Allen Joffe, VP of Programs, introduced G. Tracy Cross of Tracy Cross & Associates, and Gail L. Lissner of Appraisal Research Counselors.  We should also note that Mr. Cross and Ms. Lissner are both Ely Chapter Members, so we were especially proud to have them speak to a room of almost 200 members and guests. 

Mr. Cross painted a sobering picture of current market conditions for new construction housing sales. He reported that we have seen an 85 to 90% drop in new construction homes sold in the Chicago Metro area.  This number was similar for new construction town-homes and condos with an 87% Drop in sales.  In his opinion he felt that there would be a possible recovery by 2013, but that the level of volumes would be similar to 1993-96.  Ms. Lissner had a similar message  as it related to the Chicago city condo market.  Ms. Lissner illustrated through the "Case Shiller Condo Index" data that Chicago didn't have the high's in appreciation like  markets such as Los Angeles and San Fransisco. On the positive side however, Chicago did not experience the extreme low's that both of those markets did. Ms. Lissner also suggested that in terms of future condo sales, "conversions" will rebound first.   The reason being that projects that initially were meant for condo sales and later turned into rentals will be inventory opportunities as new construction condos have for the most part stopped. 

As a new initiative of the chapter we recorded the audio of this meeting to post on our website.  We will hopefully have it up prior to March's Keynotes.  It is our hope that we can share these lunch presentations and other Ely Chapter meetings with the rest of our membership.  

For all Ely Chapter members regarding 2010 membership nominations.
The deadline for membership nominations is set for March 5th.  If you have any questions regarding applications for consideration please call Linda Goodman at (312) 755-3003 or Barbara Morris at (630)260-0115

Todd Cabanban, Chapter Secretary

Los Angeles Chapter:

The Los Angeles Chapter presented its 2010 Skyline Award to the University of Southern California at a luncheon on February 17 at the elegant Town and Gown facility on the campus of USC.

USC Trustees recently adopted the University Park Campus Master Plan 2030 to help guide as much as 5 million net new square feet of potential future building development in a manner that provides sufficient new academic, housing, retail, recreation and campus life facilities promoting a 24/7 living/learning environment.

Bill Goodglick (center) with board members Allyn Lean and Gil Escobeda

Major goals guiding this planning process include: accommodating the physical growth of the campus in support of USC’s role and mission; creating a safe, attractive, sustainable, residential campus and neighboring urban community; extending and enhancing the park-like feel of the University Park campus; acting as a catalyst for public and private non-university investment in the surrounding communities, including non-university-owned residential, commercial and open spaces; valuing the rich architectural heritage of the campus and surrounding communities; improving a comprehensive campus and public street circulation system serving pedestrians, bikes and vehicles; and improving resources and management of parking and transportation systems.

President Millard Lee presents Skyline Award to Curtis D. Williams

Los Angeles Chapter President Millard Lee presented the award to Curtis D. Williams, Vice President, Campus Development and Facilities Management Services, John Soffa, USC University Architect and Brian League, Director of Entitlements on behalf of USC (both Soffa and League are members of the Los Angeles Chapter).  Dr. Kevin Starr, University Professor and Professor of History at USC, and California State Librarian Emeritus, provided the keynote address.  Professor Starr discussed his current book, Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance 1950-1963, and each luncheon guest received a complementary signed copy of the book.

Professor Kevin Starr signs copies of his new book for guests

The Skyline Award was originally conceived by our distinguished member Bill Goodglick of the Goodglick Company and was designed to honor projects that demonstrate good design and that also contribute to the greater social fabric of the community.  Bill's vision was to create an award that reflected the best ideals of Lambda Alpha, and the Skyline Award concept has now inspired other chapters to make similar awards culminating in a biennial international Skyline Award.  We thank and congratulate Bill Goodglick on such a wise concept.

Tim Kawahara, Chapter Scribe

Minnesota Chapter:

Land Economics Weekend—May 13-15, 2010—Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
Two Cities—One River

From the panoramic views atop the IDS Tower to spectacular vistas from a Mississippi River paddleboat, we’re rolling out the red carpet for the upcoming Land Economics Weekend.  Highlights will include tours of the world-famous Guthrie Theater; Target Field, what many critics are already calling the "Best Urban Ballpark in America; and the Central Corridor Light-rail Line currently under development.

We’ll explore everything from suburban revitalization in upscale Edina to stately Summit Avenue, designated as one of America’s Great Streets by the American Planning Association, to urban redevelopment on the riverfronts in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. For a change of pace, we’ll lunch at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum featuring over 1,000 acres of magnificent gardens, model landscapes and natural areas from woodlands to wetlands to prairie-with extensive collections of northern-hardy plants, all just minutes from the downtowns.

Our base of operations is the elegant Westin Hotel in the heart of Minneapolis, recently converted from a 1940s bank with the help of historic tax credits.

Detailed information and registration becomes available late March. Plan to come early and stay late!

Pat Arnst, Chapter Scribe

Phoenix Chapter:

Arizona Town Hall Community Outreach Program
Riding the Fiscal Roller Coaster:  Government Revenue In Arizona

Join us for a presentation and an action-focused discussion on the recommendations
from the 95th Arizona Town Hall.
Speakers:
Steve Pierce, Senator District 1 - Prescott
Kill Huh, Project Director, Pew's Center on the States
Tara Jackson, President, Arizona Town Hall
Elliott Pollack, President, Elliot D. Pollack & Co.

Sacramento Chapter:

Capitol Mall is the gateway to the State’s Capitol; it is finally in queue to get the upgrade it deserves.   The American Institute of Architects, AIA, is hoping by year’s end to host an international design competition for the redesign of Capitol Mall.

 “As a City and State, we have significantly underutilized Capitol Mall and I am excited about the prospect of seeing some creative ideas of how we can better utilize it,” said David Taylor, Lambda Alpha member and winner of Sacramento’s 2009 Best Building of the Year award for completion of 621 Capitol Mall, a 25 story office building, 3 blocks away from the Capitol.

The Capitol Mall streetscape begins where the Tower Bridge crosses the Sacramento River and it extends eight blocks to a fountain in front of the domed Capitol building. An eclectic mix of private and state owned buildings face the avenue but there is no cohesive link to the street, its capitol, or the people who work and visit there.  An estimated one million visitors come to the Capitol each year. Beyond being a tourist site, a thoroughfare, and a symbolic common ground, Capitol Mall is a place where people come from all over the state to give voice to their commitment and support their cause. It is a place to celebrate the cultural diversity of the State’s people or to just plain relax in the arboretum that surrounds the Capitol.

Chase and Lambda Alpha International (LAI) member, Bruce Starkweather AIA, have been involved in shaping a new vision for Capitol Mall for over a decade. The local chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) gifted a master plan for Capitol Mall to the City in 1999.  The design was the culmination of meetings that took place during the 100th year anniversary of the ASLA.  In 2006, it was suggested that a design competition be held using AIA standards.  

Sacramento city councilmen Ray Tretheway and Steve Cohn, recognized the context of its value to the cultural and economic influences as well; good design contributes to good business for the people of the region by providing a visual image consistent with the vibrant reality. In November of 2009 the Sacramento City Council adopted a resolution selecting the AIACV as the private sector group to plan for the future of the thoroughfare. AIA is known for its ability to manage design competitions of this scale, and it will be the overseer of the process as well.  Over the next several weeks, the first of a series of workshops will be scheduled. The public is invited to share their ideas for change, helping assure that the designed elements reflect the desires of the people.

Roberta Burke, Chapter Sribe

San Diego Chapter:

Annual Installation Dinner and Crystal Globe Award

The San Diego Chapter held its thirty-second annual Initiation and Installation Ceremony on February 23, 2010 at the University Club atop Symphony Towers in downtown San Diego.  San Diego LAI also awarded its 15th Crystal Globe Award to John G. Davies. The dinner was attended by 119 people, including 58 LAI members and their guests.  The Class of 2010 included 27 individuals who were selected based on their outstanding contributions to the fields of land economics, including development, planning, law, engineering and public service.
           
The Crystal Globe Award was awarded to John G. Davies in recognition of his outstanding legal career with an emphasis on community and public service.  Our guest presenter of the award was the honorable Pete Wilson, former Governor of the State of California, U.S. Senator, and Mayor of the City of San Diego.  Pete regaled the attendees with stories of his long association and friendship with John, who served as Governor Wilson’s judicial appointments secretary, and subsequently as chairman of Senator Wilson’s California Judicial Qualification Committee.  John Davies has contributed his talent and expertise to numerous public and community service positions, including as member and chairman of the San Diego City Planning Commission; director and president of the Centre City Development Corporation, which is responsible for the successful redevelopment of downtown San Diego; and, member and chairman of the University of California Board of Regents.

San Diego LAI March 9, 2010 Lunch Meeting: Mediating Land Use Conflicts

The topic of discussion at the March meeting was a panel discussion moderated by Cary Lowe, Ph.D., AICP, a land use lawyer for land development throughout Southern California, and a certificated mediator with the National Conflict Resolution Center.  As presented by the panel, land use disputes provide a particularly attractive opportunity for mediation, or a variation such as a facilitated group negotiation.  Developers, public agencies and citizen groups may resolve disputes over land use policies and specific development projects through mediation, rather than undergoing arbitration or litigation, both of which are riskier, more costly and slower, and generally produce less satisfying results for the parties.

The panel discussed this in the context of specific past disputes, and they commented on how mediation might be applied to land use disputes currently taking place in the San Diego region.

PANELISTS:
   •   Cary Lowe, attorney/mediator, National Conflict Resolution Center
   •   Michael Jenkins, attorney/mediator, National Conflict Resolution Center
   •   Michael Beck, Director, Endangered Habitats League and Chairman, San Diego County Planning Commission

Trish Butler, Chapter Secretary

Simcoe Chapter:

On February 9, 2010  Simcoe Chapter  hosted a panel discussion and dinner meeting entitled:
 “Employment Lands: Do They Deserve/Need Special Protection?"

The issues regarding employment lands are extensive. Ones that are largely ‘non-economic’ in nature include (in no particular order):

• Urban Design This issue largely focuses on whether a non-industrial project – box retail or residential – be designed to fit into its urban fabric context.
• Retail Competition The main question here is will the new large scale retail project on existing/planned employment lands undermine the planned function of nearby retail areas – main street or shopping centre
• Transportation  This category of issues relate to:
  • will the development, that the employment lands are being converted to, be able to be serviced in terms of traffic?
  • will the conversion result in a detrimental shift to auto travel versus public transit?, and
  • will the conversion result in traffic infiltration problems in surrounding areas?

The issues that are largely economic in nature are (again, in no particular order):

• Municipal Employment Land/Building Supply This issue centres around whether any conversion of employment lands will detrimentally undermine a municipality’s employment land supply and how should qualitative distinctions in employment lands be accounted for?
• Economic Viability of Reuse/Redevelopment of Vacant or Marginally Used Employment Lands  If employment lands that are currently vacant or marginally used prevented from conversion to non-employment land use, this question is what other uses are economically viable, especially when there are no existing substantive buildings?
• Economic Impact On Viable Operating Industries  This, often critical, issue is to what degree should existing viable industrial firms and their off-site impacts be accounted for in considering a possible conversion.
• Comparative Economic Benefits and the ‘Contagion’ Effect  This issue looks at the economic benefits of the existing/future employment uses compared to those involved with a conversion in terms of  job quality, assessment value  and the, as used in a recent Board decision, ‘contagion’ effect on the stability of adjacent and nearby employment lands.
• Competition Between Existing/Planned Employment Lands In Different Municipal Jurisdictions  It is not uncommon that employment lands are in the same or similar ‘ business location watershed’ but in different municipalities.

The Provincial government has recently seen these questions as a critical planning issue. They have included provisions in the PPS, and most recently the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, to prevent the conversion of lands within employment areas only through a municipal comprehensive review.  These actions by the Province can be characterized as giving employment lands/uses an ‘elevated’ policy status.  This then begs the question of whether the current ‘elevated’ policy status of  existing/planned employment lands is justifiable in all cases or should the future of employment lands/uses be addressed as part of ‘good planning’.

In order to ensure a lively evening we asked our panel to address the issue from two perspectives:

• EMPLOYMENT LANDS ARE SUPERBLY SUITED FOR A VARIETY OF EMPLOYMENT-GENERATING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE A CRITICAL COMPONENT TO A MUNICIPALITY’S ECONOMIC BASE AND THAT DUE TO BASIC LAND ECONOMICS MUST BE PROTECTED BY HIGH LEVEL POLICY
  
  
• EMPLOYMENT LANDS HAVE EVOLVED ACCORDING TO MARKET FORCES AND HAVE CONTINUED TO MAKE  SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO A MUNICIPALITY’S ECONOMIC BASE – THEY DO DESERVE POLICY ATTENTION, THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TREATED AS ONE OF PLANNING’S ‘BASIC’ LAND USES. THERE IS NO COMPELLING REASON WHY THEY REQUIRE HIGH LEVEL POLICY WHICH, BY DEFINITION, IS SLOW TO ACCOMMODATE HEALTHY MARKET DRIVEN CHANGES

Four members of Simcoe Chapter spoke on each perspective and this was followed by a ‘lively’ open Q&A discussion. Needless to say there was no consensus by the end of the evening.

Scott Burns, Director of Communications

Land Economics Foundation (LEF)

LEF Grant Program   

Ron Buss, LEF Vice President

Announcements

Administration Matters!

LAI on Linkedin.com

Lambda Alpha International (LAI) has recently created a group on Linkedin.com.  Linkedin is an online professional network of more than 60 million professionals in over 150 industries.  Linkedin is a great place to exchange information, ideas and opportunities.  Linkedin allows you to:

• Stay informed about your contacts and industry,
• Find the people & knowledge you need to achieve your goals, and
• Control your professional identity online.

Our LAI Linkedin group will provide a means to further promote communication and networking among LAI members.  Please join us at LAI’s newest place to network!

http://www.linkedin.com/

Attention LAI Members! Forgot how to login? No Problem 
Please visit the LAI Website at www.LAI.org. On the left hand side click on the Members Only Tab. Here you will need to use your email and the password is lai.

New LAI Brochures Available!
Please contact LAI@LAI.org to order the New Brochures.

Save the Date ! ! !

Minneapolis, Minnesota, Spring Land Economics Weekend
May 13-15, 2010
The Westin, Minneapolis, MN
Hotel Reservations Rates:
*$119.00US + taxes Single/Double
Phone: 1-888-627-8343
Watch for more information in the coming months!

Future Land Economics Weekends (Subject to Change)

2010
Fall: New Mexico, Zia Chapter, October 21-23, 2010

2011
Spring: Scotland, June 1-4, 2011
Fall: TBD

New Members

San Diego Chapter: