The Case for Temporary Permits

Abstract

Most municipalities approve developments without being able to accurately assess either the full range of off-site impacts generated by a large land use or by the collective impacts of smaller land uses. But, by the time the develop-ment is built out and these negative impacts are realized, the landowner's rights to continue the land uses may have per-manently vested. Unless the uses are deemed nuisances by virtue of their impacts, the community is helpless to remedy the problem. Many of these unanticipated consequences could be managed better by using temporary permits.