Land Use Litigation and Mediation
Looking for an attorney with a broad range of experience and knowledge in land use law? Carol has spent the last 24 years handling land use administrative actions before city councils, hearing examiners, the Growth Management Hearings Boards, the Shoreline Hearings Board, Pollution Control Hearings Board, as well as land use litigation in the Washington and federal courts. During that time, Carol has represented clients in over 150 lawsuits involving appeals of local land use decisions, most involving substantial damage claims. Many of these land use lawsuits were successfully settled without payment of monetary consideration on either side. Read Carol’s article, “Settling Land Use Litigation: Swords into Ploughshares,” posted on this site.
Municipal Law
In the last 20 years, Carol has been city attorney in seven cities, and she was Gig Harbor’s city attorney for 14 years. Our office serves as city attorney for Ruston, with Jennifer Robertson as the primary attorney. Jennifer also has a unique perspective – she also serves on the Bellevue City Council and is Deputy Mayor. We’ve both provided assistant city attorney services or special legal counsel to more than 15 other cities, as well as other municipal corporations such as fire districts and community municipal corporations. Yes, we thought we had seen and done it all. And then the Washington voters passed the marijuana initiatives! So, we have been busy to provide our clients with the most up-to-date information and model ordinances to address cannabis as well.
Land Use, Zoning and Cannabis Law
Our land use and zoning legal services have ranged from code enforcement actions to the defense of city officials in a $66 million damage lawsuit based on land use decision-making. We can provide advice/opinions on permit processing, handle administrative appeals, assist city councils in land use hearings, draft the findings of fact and conclusions for a decision or provide land use training to your land use decision-makers and staff. Recently, Carol has drafted model ordinances for cities to address medical and recreational marijuana licensing and zoning. She also has written a “soup to nuts” article on Marijuana Regulation in Washington, which she frequently updates as new events unfold. Read Carol’s article “Medical and Recreational Marijuana Uses – Local Regulation,” posted on this site.
Model Development Code Service
Is your development code kept up-to-date with the latest legislative activity and developments in case law? With our Model Code Service you can keep the sections in your code that are unique to your city, town or county, while keeping current with the fast changing laws of Washington. Let us fold in a model code to deal with the language in the code that must be consistent with state law. We can also add language to make the code easier to understand and implement for the public, your staff and officials. And, the municipality can keep the code up to date by subscribing to a service that will provide model ordinances for adoption, when changes are made to the law by the Washington Legislature or the courts. Take a look at the Model Development Code Section on this site for more information and to get a cost estimate for your municipality.
Morris Law P.C.
We are now representing all clients, both private individuals as well as private and public entities. Our office has moved and the practice expanded to provide you with additional services.
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