04
Dec
2020
Beyond LEED: Exploring the Front Edge of Sustainable and Profitable Developments in Washington State
Posted On December 4, 2020  By NAIOP Washington State Sustainable Development Committee  And has 2 Comments

What is the first thing many developers or investors think when they hear the words “sustainable” or “green” as their architects describe their building design? For decades, the common perception has been that it is difficult (if not impossible) to make a deeply green building pencil […]

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16
Sep
2020
Push is on For Army Corps Wetlands Determinations
Posted On September 16, 2020  By Alex Ford  And has No Comment

NAIOP members and their firms may have a brief opportunity to secure exemptions from federal water regulations, following the recent overhaul of a landmark environmental statute. The new regulatory regime, which went into effect on June 22, narrows the scope of federal jurisdiction over the nation’s […]

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06
May
2020
Five Things Commercial Real Estate Must Know About the Updated Navigable Waters Protection Rule
Posted On May 6, 2020  By Bill Acton, Rob Geho and Stephanie Miller  And has No Comment

This clock is now ticking on the final version of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule. The updated regulation takes effect 60 days after its April 21 publication in the Federal Register, meaning it will become the law of the land beginning June 22. The move is the […]

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22
Jan
2020
New Rule May Speed Infrastructure Permitting
Posted On January 22, 2020  By Alex Ford  And has No Comment

Even as an impeachment trial moves forward in the U.S. Senate, official Washington remains at work. Policymakers are issuing decisions and lawmakers are taking actions that will have ramifications for commercial real estate. Already in 2020, for example, the Senate has voted overwhelmingly to approve the […]

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20
Nov
2019
NAIOP’s California Chapters Meet to Discuss Strategy
Posted On November 20, 2019  By Toby Burke  And has No Comment

California is by far the most populous state in the country, which gives it the ability to have an influence beyond its borders. To help sort out what’s happening in the Golden State, representatives from four of California’s NAIOP chapters met for a legislative summit last […]

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21
Aug
2019
Pass Portman-Shaheen to Improve Energy Policy
Posted On August 21, 2019  By Rich Tucker  And has No Comment

When lawmakers return to a divided Washington next month, they’ll have plenty to discuss. There’s the pending U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal, a much-needed Qualified Improvement Property tax fix, a transportation spending measure to consider, and the 2020 federal budget to enact. Clearly, a lot of legislative business […]

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19
Dec
2018
U.S. EPA and U.S. ACE Propose New Definition of “Waters of the United States”
Posted On December 19, 2018  By William T. Acton  And has 3 Comments

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (U.S. ACE) proposed a new definition of “Waters of the United States” (WOTUS) on December 11, 2018. The significance of this proposal is that WOTUS are the waters that these agencies […]

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01
Nov
2017
“Pollution Diet” for Bay Enters Final Phase before 2025 Deadline
Posted On November 1, 2017  By Toby Burke  And has No Comment

The Chesapeake Bay watershed – covering 64,000 square miles and with tributaries within the District of Columbia and six states – has been designated among the nation’s “impaired waters” due to nutrient pollution, leading to extensive and long-term efforts to improve the health of the bay. […]

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17
Aug
2016
Northern Long-Eared Bat Listing as Endangered Species Impacts Commercial Development
Posted On August 17, 2016  By William T. Acton  And has No Comment

The January 2016 listing of northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) as federally threatened and the continued evolution of regulatory management practices for protecting federally endangered Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) both require early attention in the commercial planning and development process. Both of the species rely heavily […]

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04
Nov
2015
EPA Water Rule Stuck in Limbo as Courts Weigh In
Posted On November 4, 2015  By John Bryant  And has No Comment

For the past year, industry interests have decried the administration’s water rule as a federal power grab affecting millions of acres of water around the country. While the assertion may be a stretch, the realities of which types of water bodies will receive federal protection is […]

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