goldblatt hempstead argued decided may individual appellant owned tract within town hempstead corporate appellant mining sand gravel continuously since first year excavation reached water table leaving crater since widened deepened became lake average depth feet around town expanded within radius feet homes public schools combined enrollment pupils town amended ordinance regulating excavations prohibit excavating water table although concededly prohibited beneficial use property previously devoted state granted town injunction enforce prohibition held record case appellants sustained burden showing depth limitation onerous unreasonable result taking property without due process law violation fourteenth amendment pp affirmed milton newman argued cause appellants briefs john bennett edward miller william mattison argued cause appellee briefs richard charles mario matthew cuomo john lane jerome powell filed brief national crushed stone association amicus curiae urging reversal justice clark delivered opinion town hempstead enacted ordinance regulating dredging pit excavating property within limits appellants engaged operations prior enactment ordinance claim effect prevents continuing business therefore takes property without due process law violation fourteenth amendment trial held ordinance valid exercise town police power misc appellate division affirmed app div new york appeals divided opinion affirmed noted probable jurisdiction heard argument affirm judgment appellant goldblatt owns tract within town hempstead time present litigation appellant builders sand gravel corporation mining sand gravel lot use lot put continuously since end first year excavation reached water table leaving crater widened deepened point lake average depth feet town expanded around excavation today within radius feet homes four public schools combined enrollment pupils present action one series steps undertaken town effort regulate mining excavations within limits ordinance provided pits must enclosed wire fence comply certain berm slope requirements although appellants complied ordinance town sought injunction excavation violative zoning ordinance failed appellants found conducting prior use premises issue town appeal town amended ordinance prohibit excavating water table impose affirmative duty refill excavation presently level new amendment also made berm slope fence requirements onerous town brought present action enjoin mining appellants grounds complied ordinance amended acquired mining permit required appellants contended inter alia ordinance unconstitutional regulatory business completely prohibitory confiscated property without compensation deprived benefit favorable judgment arising previous zoning litigation constituted ex post facto legislation however trial agree appellants enjoined conducting operations lot obtained permit complied new provisions ordinance concededly ordinance completely prohibits beneficial use property previously devoted however characterization tell us whether ordinance unconstitutional truism every regulation necessarily speaks prohibition ordinance otherwise valid exercise town police powers fact deprives property beneficial use render unconstitutional walls midland carbon hadacheck sebastian reinman little rock mugler kansas see laurel hill cemetery san francisco pointed mugler kansas supra present case must governed principles involve power eminent domain exercise property may taken public use without compensation prohibition simply upon use property purposes declared valid legislation injurious health morals safety community sense deemed taking appropriation property public benefit legislation disturb owner control use property lawful purposes restrict right dispose declaration state use one certain forbidden purposes prejudicial public interests power prohibiting use individuals property prejudicial health morals safety public consistently existence safety organized society burdened condition state must compensate individual owners pecuniary losses may sustain reason permitted noxious use property inflict injury upon community say however governmental action form regulation onerous constitute taking constitutionally requires compensation pennsylvania coal mahon see central eureka mining supra set formula determine regulation ends taking begins although comparison values relevant see pennsylvania coal mahon supra means conclusive see hadacheck sebastian supra diminution value upheld far regulation may go becomes taking need decide evidence present record even remotely suggests prohibition mining reduce value lot question indulging usual presumption constitutionality infra find indication prohibitory effect ordinance sufficient render unconstitutional taking otherwise valid police regulation question therefore narrows whether prohibition excavation water table valid exercise town police power term police power connotes conceptional limit public encroachment upon private interests except substitution familiar standard reasonableness generally refrained announcing specific criteria classic statement rule lawton steele still valid today justify state interposing authority behalf public must appear first interests public require interference second means reasonably necessary accomplishment purpose unduly oppressive upon individuals ordinance question passed safety measure town attempting uphold basis evaluate reasonableness therefore need know things nature menace protect availability effectiveness less drastic protective steps loss appellants suffer imposition ordinance careful examination record reveals dearth relevant evidence points one fair inference arising evidence since holes burrowed fence surrounding lake might attractive dangerous children indication whether lake stood actual danger public whether deepening lake increase danger terms dollars objective standard showing much anything imposition ordinance cost appellants short evidence produced clearly indecisive reasonableness prohibiting excavation water table although one imagine preventing deepening pond already feet deep de minimis effect public safety say conclusion compelled facts take notice even draw conclusion unable say ordinance unreasonable know ordinance may de minimis effect appellants past cases leave doubt appellants burden reasonableness bibb navajo freight lines exercise police power presumed constitutionally valid salsburg maryland presumption reasonableness state carolene products exercise police power upheld state facts either known reasonably assumed affords support burden met prohibition excavation tract must stand valid police regulation turn attention remainder lot acres surrounding present pit yet mined excavated appellants contend area mined say surface space necessary processing operations incident mining space obtainable urged important factor contention upholding depth limitation ordinance confiscate entire mining utility property however upheld validity prohibition even supposition depth limitation relation deepening existing pit valid follows fortiori limitation constitutionally permissible applied prevent creation new pits also note even appellants able obtain suitable processing space geology tract prevent excavation water table appellants admit close ground surface permit commercial mining face depth restrictions ordinance impossibility mining makes unnecessary us decide extent berm slope excavation limited ordinance appellants contentions warrant passing word claim rights acquired previous litigation undermined completely unfounded successful defense imposition one regulation erect constitutional barrier regulation first suit brought enforce zoning ordinance present one enforce safety ordinance fact relevant issues presented decided first suit therefore need consider extent issues come protective wing due process appellants also contend ordinance unconstitutional imposes penalty fine imprisonment affirmative duties refilling existing excavation construction new fence claim founded principally constitutional prohibitions bills attainder ex post facto legislation provisions severable nature express declaration prohibition excavation since enforcement provisions sought present litigation principles time undertake decide constitutionality ohio tax cases cf raines determination must await another day pass provisions ordinance invoked probabilities us extent judgment affirmed justice white took part consideration decision case footnotes ordinance town may deny permit proposed excavation violate provisions ordinance similar scarcity evidence relative value processing machinery event mining operations shut although adjudicated time appellants made substantial improvements lot fact indicative loss appellants presently suffer mine closed perhaps improvements commercially salable appellee asserts grounds properly preserved due disposition arguments unnecessary reach question