ABSTRACT
Private landowners have engaged in quasi-zoning efforts to protect the use and values of their properties and those around them. These covenants and easements add another layer in discussions about the future development of affected properties. The Planning Commission has asked people to review some major land use issues that have occurred in the city that have been caused by various covenants. Covenants are mostly concerned today with looks and behavior, particularly as it affects property values. In some places, covenants are used as substitutes for public land use controls. In Houston, Texas, the city has not adopted a zoning ordinance. The conservation easement often permanently restricts what can be done with the land. The enforcement of the restrictive agreements by the state courts in these cases was directed pursuant to the common-law policy of the states as formulated by those courts in earlier decisions.
