Mixing It up with Nonconforming Uses

Bio: Susan Connor has been a Professor at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago for 30+ years. She began her legal career in Honolulu, Hawaii, focusing on civil rights and land use law and thereafter served as an assistant state's attorney in Lake County (Illinois), where she was responsible for the county's land use litigation. Since then, she has practiced extensively in the areas of land use and civil rights. Professor Connor also is an urban planner and active with the American Planning Association for more than 40 years, serving for many years as co-founder and initial chair of its Amicus Curiae Committee. She has authored many books and articles on zoning and land development as well as civil rights, particularly housing discrimination, and employment discrimination. She has served on various municipal task forces concerning fair housing and zoning, drafted many land use plans and ordinances and serves as the Zoning Hearing Officer in McHenry County, Illinois.

Education: She received a B.A. from Albertus Magnus College, an M.A. in political science, a Master’s degree in urban and regional planning and a J.D. from The University of Hawaii.

Key Publications: Authored multiple chapters concerning zoning, planning and land use controls in Illinois Municipal Law, published bi-annually by IICLE since 1981; Zoning and Matters of Age, ABA; Zoning and Group Homes in Planning & Zoning Digest; Advocating for Affordable Housing (with others) in Jrnl. Urban and Contemporary Law; co-authored Performance Zoning published by APA.

Other Publications: .

Past Assignments: Routinely lecture to planners and lawyers locally and nationally concerning matters of planning and zoning particularly concerning fair housing and accommodation required under Fair Housing Acts.

Bio: Partner with Goldstine, Skrodzki, Russian, Nemec and Hoff law firm in Burr Ridge, IL. Veteran practitioner in the areas of land use, economic development, local government, real estate and eminent domain law. Works with real estate developers and local governments in the greater Chicago area on matters involving zoning, annexation, disconnection, planned developments, subdivision, and permitting.

Education: J.D. magna cum laude (Law Review, Order of the Coif); Master of Planning (concentration in Land Use Planning, Community Development and State and Local Tax and Finance); and B.A. summa cum laude (Honors Program, majors in Journalism and American Studies) from the University of Minnesota

Key Publications: Practical Guide to Zoning and Land Use Law in Illinois (NBI 2002); "Annexation and Annexation Agreements" in Municipal Law and Practice (IICLE 1997); "State Intervention into Local Land Use Regulation," 63 Minnesota Law Review 1259 (1979)

Other Publications: "Environmental Cleanup and the Foreclosure Dilemma" in Structuring Commercial Real Estate Workouts (Prentice-Hall 1991); "New Flood Plain Regulations: New Challenges for Developers," ISBA Environmental Control Law Newsletter (April, 1989)

Past Assignments: Presenter at National Business Institute Seminars on Zoning and Land Use Law (2002 - 2007); Presenter at APA Seminar on Impact Fees (1994); Presenter, HBAGC/APA Seminar on Development Trends (1994); Presenter, Illinois Municipal League Seminar on Zoning and Annexation (1995, 1998);

Bio: Ms. Rosenthal devotes her practice to land use and environmental law and litigation. She works extensively with land use and environmental issues in California, including wetlands, endangered species, takings, historic preservation, mitigation banking and hazardous materials. Deborah has also been involved in a variety of complex federaland state-coordinated environmental permitting programs for large private developments, including the negotiation of development agreements and preparation of development plans. Immediately before admission to the California bar, Deborah served as Executive Director of the Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois. In this capacity, she was responsible for supervising statewide preservation-advocacy programs. Prior to attending Yale Law School, Deborah acted as a special consultant to the National Trust for Historic Preservation on selected planning issues in Oklahoma and provided special media services to the Oklahoma Humanities Council and the Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies.

Education: J.D., Yale University, 1981 M.R.C.P., University of Oklahoma, 1978 B.A., University of Michigan, 1972

Key Publications: Author, "Breaking The Stranglehold of Single-Family Zoning: Strategies and First Steps Toward Modernizing Local Codes," Planning and Environmental Law, published by the American Planning Association, February 2013. Author, "Part One: Non-Conforming Uses," The Commissioner, published by the American Planning Association, Fall 2010. Author, "Part Two: Non-Conforming Uses," The Commissioner, published by the American Planning Association, Fall 2010. Co-Author, "Nonconforming Uses: Amortization, Enlargement, and Rebuilding," The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, published by the American Law Institute / American Bar Association, May 2010.

Other Publications: Author, "Breaking The Stranglehold of Single-Family Zoning: Strategies and First Steps Toward Modernizing Local Codes," Planning & Environmental Law, published by the American Planning Association, February 2013 Author, "Part Two: Non-Conforming Uses," The Commissioner, published by the American Planning Association, Winter 2011 Co-Author, "The Next Zoning Battleground: Trends and Challenges in Local Regulation of Medical Marijuana," Zoning Practice, published by the American Planning Association, July 2011 Author, "Part One: Non-Conforming Uses," The Commissioner, published by the American Planning Association, Fall 2010 Co-Author, "Nonconforming Uses: Amortization, Enlargement, and Rebuilding," The Practical Real Estate Lawyer, published by the American Law Institute / American Bar Association, May 2010 Author, "Enough is Enough: Amortization and the End of Uniformity," Planning & Environmental Law, published by the American Planning Association, April 2010 Author, "Religion and the Constitution," Religious Land Uses, Zoning and the Courts [Chapter One], RLUIPA Reader, published by the American Bar Association, April 2009 Co-Author, "Regulations for Condominium Hotels," Los Angeles Lawyer, published by the Los Angeles County Bar Association, January 2009 Co-Author, "NAFTA: Sleeping Giant or Just Sleeping," Urban Land, published by Urban Land Institute, October 2004

Past Assignments: December 19, 2012, Strafford Webinars & Teleconferences, Local Land Use: Recent Developments in Federal Laws, Regulations and Programs. November 16, 2012, ALI-CLE Webinar, Tax Treatment of Conservation Easements: Navigating the Changes. August 8 – 10, 2012, ALI-CLE Land Use Institute, updates on (i) Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, (ii) Americans with Disabilities Act, (iii) Historic Preservation, and (iv) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Flood Insurance; and (v) Creating the Record for Zoning Appeals, (vi) Animals, Urban Farms and Food, (vii) The Future of Redevelopment and (viii) Breaking the Stranglehold of Single-Family Zoning. July 20, 2012, MCLE presentation at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP,Whole Parcel Rule. April 14-17, 2012, American Planning Association's 2012 National Conference,Environmental Set-Asides and The Whole Parcel Rule. November 15, 2011, California Preservation Foundation Conference, Incentives that Work & the Case Studies that Prove It.