Law Seminars International Presents

A comprehensive two-day conference on

Growth Management in Georgia

Key Issues and Updates in Land Use

January 22 & 23, 2007
Sheraton Midtown Atlanta Hotel at Colony Square in Atlanta, GA
Register      Download PDF Brochure

Who Should Attend

Lawyers, real estate professionals, governmental officials, planners, policy makers, consultants and engineers

Why Attend

"This timely conference addresses the increasing pressures of growth and development in Georgia as the state’s economy and population explode. Find out what is being done legislatively and through state, regional and local regulatory agencies to manage this expansion. Listen to policy makers and leading attorneys address the pertinent issues of air quality, water supply, stormwater runoff, as well as variations in local regulations and procedures that form the framework within which development occurs in urban and rural areas. Additional topics, such as ethical issues for lawyers in dealing with administrative agencies and elected bodies, moratoria and U.S. Supreme Court rulings combine to create an informative and engaging two-day program that will further your understanding and deepen your expertise when grappling with growth issues in future practice. This conference brings together attorneys and other professionals all with extensive practical experience in addressing land use and development issues. While most seminars offer at most three such professionals, this conference offers over 15 individuals, from attorneys and engineers to elected and administrative officials, each with unique perspectives and insights into these important topics." ~ Program Co-Chairs: Thomas M. Mitchell, Esq. and Kathryn M. Zickert, Esq.

What You Will Learn

~Regulatory overview ~Legislative update ~Recent cases and their impact on growth management ~Air quality and resulting transportation issues as drivers for land use planning ~Water supply isues as drivers for land use planning ~Stormwater runoff issues as drivers for land use planning ~Forest set-asides and open land trusts ~Ethical issues for lawyers in dealing with administrative agencies and elected bodies ~Hot issues for urban development ~Hot issues for non-urban development ~Trend towards unified development codes in high growth areas ~Redevelopment of contaminated properties ~New developments in best planning practices ~Moratoria ~U.S. Supreme Court rulings on wetlands and their impact on land use

What Attendees Have Said About Similar Programs

~ Very informative, particularly for future reference ~ Brisk, interesting and thought provoking ~ Exceptional, very informed speakers and great subject coverage ~ I will make this CLE a priority to attend every year! ~ This is valuable to the better understanding of topics, especially those critical areas such as shorelines

Agenda

Monday, January 22, 2007
8:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Introduction & Overview
  Thomas M. Mitchell, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Carothers & Mitchell, LLC / Buford, GA
  Kathryn M. Zickert, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP / Atlanta, GA
8:45 am Special Address
  Is our planning local, regional or state?
  The Hon. Samuel Olens, Esq., Chairman of the Board
 Atlanta Regional Commission / Atlanta, GA
9:15 am Regulatory Overview
  Processes and procedures for legislative and administrative decisions; appeals from those decisions (including standing and other issues relating to participation)
  Thomas M. Mitchell, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Carothers & Mitchell, LLC / Buford, GA
  Georgia's Planning Act; local jurisdictions vs overlay districts, which entities have been the most active and what approaches they are taking
  Kathryn M. Zickert, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP / Atlanta, GA
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Legislative Update
  What happened during the last legislature, including property rights initiatives, and what's likely to be proposed during the next session
  Richard A. Carothers, Esq.
 Carothers & Mitchell LLC / Buford, GA
11:15 am Recent Cases and Their Impact on Growth Management
  Eminent domain; regulatory takings; zoning, sewer moratoria
  William J. Sheppard, Esq.
 Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP / Atlanta, GA
12:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm Air Quality and Resulting Transportation Issues as Drivers for Land Use Planning
  How transportation plans for non-attainment areas will influence future growth
  Kirk R. Fjelstul
 Georgia Regional Transport Authority / Atlanta, GA
2:00 pm Water Supply Issues as Drivers for Land Use Planning
  Reclamation and an update on the tri-state water war
  Charles Krautler, Director
 Atlanta Regional Commission / Atlanta, GA
2:45 pm Stormwater Runoff Issues as Drivers for Land Use Planning
  Other water quality issues; NPDES issues in permits and plans; stream buffers
  Brian K. Rochester, Executive Vice-President
 Rochester & Associates / Gainesville, GA
3:30 pm Break
3:45 pm Forest Set Asides and Open Land Trusts
  Conservation easements: Practicalities and ramifications
  Stephen E. O'Day, Esq.
 Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP / Atlanta, GA
4:30 pm Ethical Issues for Lawyers in Dealing with Administrative Agencies and Elected Bodies
  What can you say and not say to an agency or elected official; free speech? attorney-client privilege; conflicts of interest; conflicts for elected officials
  T. Mike Tennant, Esq.
 Alston & Bird LLP / Atlanta, GA
5:30 pm Reception for Faculty and Attendees Sponsored by Carothers & Mitchell, LLC and Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP

Tuesday, January 23, 2007
8:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Introduction and Overview
  Thomas M. Mitchell, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Carothers & Mitchell, LLC / Buford, GA
  Kathryn M. Zickert, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP / Atlanta, GA
8:45 am Hot Issues for Urban Development
  Annexation; issues arising from new religious facilities; Institutionalized Persons Act; Fair Housing Act
  G. Douglas Dillard, Esq.
 Dillard & Galloway, LLC / Atlanta, GA
9:30 am Hot Issues for Non-Urban Development
  Rural cluster development; Model Conservation Subdivision Ordinance; Uniform Conservation Easement Act; Transfer of Development Rights Act
  Jim Frederick, Director
 Georgia Department of Community Affairs / Atlanta, GA
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Trend Towards Unified Development Codes in High Growth Areas
  What they are and how they work
  M. Maxine Hicks, Esq.
 Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. / Atlanta, GA
11:15 am Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties
  How to develop cleanup, regulatory and risk allocation strategies which ensure the property is marketable upon redevelopment
  Gerald L. Pouncey, Jr., Esq.
 Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP / Atlanta, GA
12:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm New Developments in Best Planning Practices
  New Techniques: Practical tips for putting together an effective concept plan
  Daniel J. Reuter, AICP, Division Chief
 Atlanta Regional Commission / Atlanta, GA
2:00 pm Moratoria
  What do the cases tell us on when a jurisdiction can impose a moratorium?
  Simon H. Bloom, Esq.
 Powell Goldstein LLP / Atlanta, GA
2:45 pm Break
3:00 pm U.S. Supreme Court Rulings on Wetlands and Their Impact on Land Use
  Local jurisdictions response to the recent decisions in Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States narrowing the definition of a "wetland": How are local jurisdictions responding to the recent Supreme Court decisions?
  Edward "Skip" Kazmarek, Esq.
 McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP / Atlanta, GA
  Lee A. DeHihns, III, Esq.
 Alston & Bird LLP / Atlanta, GA
4:00 pm Evaluations and Adjourn

Tuition

Regular tuition for this program is $895 with a group rate of $795 each for two or more registrants from the same firm. For government employees, we offer a special rate of $695. For students and people in their job for less than a year, our rate is $447.50. All rates include admission to all seminar sessions, food and beverages at breaks, and all course materials. Make checks payable to Law Seminars International.

Cancellation & Substitution

You may substitute another person at any time. We will refund tuition, less a $50 cancellation fee, if we receive your cancellation by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 16, 2007. After that time, we will credit your tuition toward attendance at another program or the purchase of a homestudy. There is a $25 cancellation fee for Course Materials orders and $50 for Homestudy orders.

Continuing Education Credits

This program qualifies for 12.5 GA CLE including 1 ethics credits. Upon request, we will apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.

Location

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Midtown Atlanta Hotel at Colony Square at 188 14th Street NE in Atlanta, GA 30361. Call the hotel directly at (404) 892-6000 for reservations. Mention that you are attending a Law Seminars International workshop and ask for the "Legal Bar Rate." Rooms are on a first come, first served basis.

If You Cannot Attend

Our complete Homestudy Course, consisting of a VHS or DVD recording and the written course materials, is available for $905. The written course materials alone are available for $100. We will ship your homestudy order via UPS ground within two weeks after the seminar or the date we receive payment (whichever is later).
Order Homestudy

Faculty Bios

Thomas M. Mitchell, Program Co-Chair, is a partner at Carothers & Mitchell, LLC. He serves as the city attorney for the cities of Statham, Hoschton, and Snellville.

Kathryn M. Zickert, Program Co-Chair, is the head of the Zoning and Land Use Business Unit at Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP where she primarily represents developers both in administrative proceedings and litigation. She has written on zoning and other land use ordinances throughout Georgia and speaks regularly at land use seminars.
Full bio and contact info for Kathryn M. Zickert at Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP

The Hon. Samuel Olens, Esq., Special Address, Chairman of the Board of Cobb County, GA, and of the Atlanta Regional Commission, is experienced in government and civic associations affecting Georgia land use. His leadership experience spans community affairs, water planning, traffic congestion mitigation, health and community services, and environmental interest programs. In 2005, he led the successful campaign to re-establish the Cobb County Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax.

Simon H. Bloom, partner at Powell Goldstein LLP, has tried jury, bench, and arbitration trials in state and federal courts of Georgia and throughout the Southeast. He leads the firm's Real Estate and Construction Litigation practice and represents real estate developers, builders, owners, and brokers throughout the Southeast.
Full bio and contact info for Simon H. Bloom at Powell Goldstein LLP

Simon H. Bloom, partner at Powell Goldstein LLP, has tried jury, bench, and arbitration trials in state and federal courts of Georgia and throughout the Southeast. He leads the firm's Real Estate and Construction Litigation practice and represents real estate developers, builders, owners, and brokers throughout the Southeast.
Full bio and contact info for Simon H. Bloom at Powell Goldstein LLP

Richard A. Carothers, senior partner with Carothers & Mitchell LLC, focuses on land use, zoning law, governmental law and eminent domain. He has represented cities and counties throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area.

Lee A. DeHihns, member of Alston & Bird LLP's Environmental and Land Use Group, concentrates on regulatory matters and defensive litigation matters, including corporate audits, compliance program development, debarment, white-collar criminal defense, air quality, hazardous waste, water quality and wetlands matters for industrial and municipal clients.

G. Douglas Dillard, partner of Dillard & Galloway, LLC, specializes in the areas of zoning, planning and land use, local government law, land use litigation and eminent domain. He is on the Board of Directors for the Council for Quality Growth.

Kirk R. Fjelstul, Chief Counsel at the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) also directs the Land Use activities. He speaks regularly at land use seminars and makes presentations to elected officials at the GMA and ACCG training seminars.

Jim Frederick, Director of the Office of Planning and Quality Growth at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, focuses on helping communities with comprehensive planning, implementing smart growth best practices and other strategies for improving local quality of life. He previously worked for the City of Macon, Georgia on downtown revitalization and housing development.

M. Maxine Hicks, member of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., is managing partner of the Atlanta office and chair of the National Real Estate Practice Group, where she is experienced in acquisition, development, leasing, state and federal regulation of real property, mixed-use community governance and municipal matters.

Edward "Skip" Kazmarek, partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, is in the firm's environmental practice, which spans the full breadth of environmental law, including regulatory, transactional and litigation. He handles matters on behalf of sellers, purchasers, and lenders.

Charles Krautler is the Director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the metropolitan planning association for the 10-county, 63-city Atlanta region. He oversees and directs regional planning programs pertaining to transportation, air quality, the environment, land use, and water supply and quality,

Stephen E. O'Day, partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP, is in charge of the firm's Environmental Law Practice. Involved in environmental legislation and common law issues, he participated in administrative proceedings on state and federal levels in usage of real property to compliance with federal and state environmental laws.

Gerald L. Pouncey, Jr. heads the environmental law and land use section of Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP. His primary focus is the redevelopment of, and litigation concerning, environmentally impacted properties (including state and federal superfund sites), as well as corporate mergers/acquisitions involving such properties. He lectures nationally on these topics.

Daniel J. Reuter, Division Chief of Land Use Planning, Atlanta Regional Commission, leads comprehensive planning under the Georgia Planning Act including review of local comprehensive plans; Developments of Regional Impact; Regional Development Plan; implementation of the Livable Centers Initiative program; and coordination with local governments and greenspace and regional housing planning activities.

Brian K. Rochester, Executive Vice-President of Rochester & Associates, is responsible for strategic planning, marketing and business development. He assists clients with projects from the conceptual stage to the point of execution on issues such as zoning compliance, infrastructure requirements and other due diligence issues. Major projects include: Legacy Park, Lake Lanier Country Club and Chattahoochee River club.

William J. Sheppard, partner at Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP, belongs to the firm's environmental and construction practice groups. He advises clients in real estate-related litigation and transactions, primarily regarding environmental and construction law issues, land use, direct and inverse condemnation, and development issues.

T. Mike Tennant, a member of the Environmental & Land Use Group as well as the Real Estate Group at Alston & Bird LLP, concentrates his practice on real estate law, focusing on land use, zoning, property rights, condemnation, local government law, telecommunications as well as ad valorem tax law and real estate litigation.

Firm Links

Powell Goldstein LLP
Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP