How Much Control?

It is not uncommon to find municipalities regulating the use of property through zoning codes so that issues of similarity of use in a specific area and traffic flow can be handled to benefit the public at large. Very few would argue that, in some measure, municipal regulation to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public at large, a.k.a., police power, is an appropriate use of the power of government, especially in light of monetary remedies, rather than a taking. However, perhaps as a backdoor to overcome public concerns over the perceived overuse of the powers of eminent domain and while the country waits for any action from Congress on takings, there appears to be an increasing trend in municipalities in the United States to regulate aesthetics and use through the development of 'chronic nuisance' statutes that permit property closure, and regulation of vacant properties.