Stevens v. City of Cannon Beach

Plaintiffs own two vacant lots in the dry sand area of the city of Cannon Beach (city). They applied to defendants city and Oregon Department of Parks & Recreation (department) for permits to build a seawall as part of the eventual development of the lots for motel or hotel use. City and department denied the applications on a number of grounds.

Plaintiffs then brought this inverse condemnation action, asserting that city’s and department’s decisions, and the regulations on which they are based, constitute uncompensated takings of plaintiffs’ property, in violation of the Fifth Amendment to…