Zoning and Land Use – Entitlements & Litigation

With regard to land use and zoning, California is the most regulated state in the Union.  Developers need integrated and comprehensive strategies to clear the hurdles of local and state government permits and get their projects shovel ready as quickly as possible.  The overriding goal of Newmeyer Dillion’s Zoning and Land Use team is to find the shortest route to get projects to construction. That requires out-of-the-box strategies that embrace a range of disciplines and coordinate them into a cohesive project management team capable of delivering on development goals.

The Zoning and Land Use team has depth and breadth.  We handle conditional use permits (CUPs), subdivision approvals, variances, zone changes, general plan amendments, initiative and referendum (“ballot box planning”) and the range of peripheral issues invariably associated with those entitlements. Our expertise extends to every step of the zoning and entitlement process, from the pre-application phase to the final decision on the permit applications, to litigation in state and federal court.  Our services extend to providing counsel and strategy regarding compliance issues often associated with land use, such as the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (see separate practice description link), the Coastal Act, the federal and state Endangered Species Acts, the Clean Water Act, and other resource law issues (see separate practice description link).

Our clients include developers of all categories of projects, from commercial to industrial to residential and everything in between.  We also frequently provide special counsel to local governments on land use issues.  We understand that the zoning and entitlement process can be fraught with challenges, both legal and political.  The development community requires a sophisticated and integrated approach to resolving those challenges and achieving project approvals.  That’s what we do best.