Environmental & Energy
Nov. 26, 2025
Oilfield reuse: What about the property owners?
Plans to convert Baldwin Hills from oil production to parks or housing overlook the constitutionally protected property rights of current owners, raising the prospect of regulatory overreach and the need for compensation under established law.
Michael M. Berger
Senior Counsel
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP
2049 Century Park East
Los Angeles , CA 90067
Phone: (310) 312-4185
Fax: (310) 996-6968
Email: mmberger@manatt.com
USC Law School
Michael M. Berger is senior counsel at Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, where his practice focuses on appeals with a particular interest in constitutional land use. He has argued four takings cases in the U.S. Supreme Court.
A recent edition of the Los Angeles Times carried this provocative, front page, headline: "Baldwin Hills' next act: Park, homes or both?" (Los Angeles Times, Nov. 9, 2025, p. 1.) The article posits the following uses as potential for Baldwin Hills: wildlife habitat (with such attendant uses as hiking trails and sports facilities), multi-million-dollar mansions with incredible views, a village of affordable housing, or a combination of these uses. The push for alternative uses...
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