Bentley Reappointed by APA to Amicus Curiae Committee
Mark Bentley, of Mark Bentley, PA in Tampa, has been reappointed by the American Planning Association to serve on the APA’s Amicus Curiae Committee. This will be Mark’s second term serving on the Committee. The Committee is made up of distinguished attorneys and planners from around the country.
The APA’s Amicus Curiae Committee files "friend-of-the-court" briefs in state and federal courts in cases of importance to the planning profession and the public interest.
In recent years, the committee supported the City of Morgan Hill, California's zoning ordinance against a RLUIPA challenge; the City of Glenn Heights, Texas's moratorium and rezoning actions against a takings challenge; the City of Littleton, Colorado's adult business regulation against a First Amendment challenge; and Kelo v. City of New London, wherein the Committee supported New London’s view that it is “important to preserve the ability of local governments to use redevelopment tools and techniques, including eminent domain when appropriate, to achieve well-defined public purposes to create communities of lasting value.”
In addition to serving on the Committee, Mark has an established law practice focusing on the areas of property rights, land use, and eminent domain. Mark has also authored numerous articles in related fields, and most recently authored “Understanding the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act,” which was published as the lead article in the 2008 Stetson Law Review – Local Government Symposium.