Land Use, Zoning and Entitlements
The lawyers at HTW have thousands of hours of appearances in dozens of villages, towns and cities before legislative and administrative boards and councils. They regularly work with the myriad of public officials who govern and implement the land use or “entitlements” process at the state and municipal levels. HTW handles a broad array of projects throughout the Hudson Valley Region and Long Island, ranging from major regional developments to single-family homes. The projects have involved legislative actions, site plan approvals, special permits, subdivision approvals, variances and other zoning approvals and environmental permits, in what is often a convoluted process that requires compliance with the State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQRA"). Examples of such projects include, but are not limited to:
- Mixed Use Life-Style Centers
- Shopping Centers
- Hotel and Warehouse Developments
- Senior Living Facilities
- Single-Family, Multi-Family and Other Housing Developments
- Professional Offices
- Medical Offices
- Mixed Use Developments
- Golf Courses
- Signs
- Supermarkets
- Pharmacies
- Banks
- Restaurants
- Fueling Facilities
- Religious Uses
- Schools and Colleges
- Membership Clubs
- Approvals for Individual Homeowners
- Accessory Structures
- Family Estates
HTW’s attorneys recognize that representation involves far more than an understanding of the law and the ability to advocate on behalf of an application. It requires an integrated approach that is premised on project-specific attention to detail, the ability to manage the process and “quarterback” the client’s professional team and the exercise of the sound professional judgment needed to provide the client with the advice and information necessary to formulate effective development strategies.
At the outset of any representation, HTW’s lawyers strive to gain a full appreciation of the client’s objectives and comprehensive knowledge of the property which is the subject of an application, including its physical characteristics, environmental limitations and regulatory history, all of which they consider in devising the best approach to achieving the client’s goals and minimizing the delay and cost which is often attendant to the approval process.
HTW’s lawyers employ their vast experience, judgment and thorough understanding of applicable legal and constitutional principles, as well as the controlling procedural requirements, to overcome lurking pitfalls and effectively navigate the land use or “entitlements” labyrinth.
Decades of working with land use boards and professionals, including planners, engineers, architects, landscape architects, appraisers, economists, traffic engineers and environmental scientists, has enhanced the ability of HTW’s attorneys to understand “the big picture.” Their depth enables them to present compelling arguments in support of an application and to defuse those advanced by project opponents, while at the same time making a strong administrative record to protect the client’s interests in the event that litigation becomes necessary to defend an approval or annul denial of an entitlement.