Everything between the idea and the approval.
Land use is a sequence of decisions made by agencies, boards and the public. We've spent our careers inside that sequence. Whether you need one permit or a full master plan, we handle the strategy, the paperwork and the room.
Entitlements
The full approval package for a project: applications, agency coordination, conditions of approval and the timeline to get there. We manage the process end to end.
Zoning & rezoning
When the current zoning doesn't fit your plan, we assess whether a rezone is realistic, build the case and carry it through the planning commission and council.
General plan amendments
Some projects need the jurisdiction's long-range plan to change first. We prepare and advocate for amendments that make your project consistent with the general plan.
Conditional use permits
For uses allowed only with discretionary approval, we prepare the findings, address neighbor and staff concerns and present at hearing.
Permitting
We map every permit your project needs across local, regional and state agencies, sequence them correctly and keep them moving.
CEQA & environmental review
We scope the right level of review, coordinate with environmental consultants and manage the document through public comment and certification.
Site feasibility
Before you commit capital, we tell you what a site can realistically support under current and achievable zoning, and what it would take to get there.
Public hearings
Preparation, staff coordination, stakeholder outreach and presentation before planning commissions, city councils and boards of supervisors.
Development agreements
Negotiated agreements that lock in entitlements and define obligations on both sides. We've drafted and reviewed them from the public side.
Public-private partnerships
Structuring, negotiation and approvals for projects where a public agency is a partner, landowner or funder.
Master plan development
Large, phased, multi-use sites. We build the planning framework and the entitlement strategy that lets each phase move.
Commercial tenant use
Helping landlords and tenants confirm a proposed use is allowed, and securing the approvals when it isn't.
Our role, and where it ends
We are land use consultants, not a licensed engineering, architecture or legal firm. Where a project requires work that calls for a professional license, you select and contract those professionals yourself. We maintain a growing list of engineers, architects, environmental specialists and attorneys we've worked with, and we're glad to make introductions. The choice, and the contract, stay with you. That keeps your team accountable to you and keeps our advice independent.
We don't take every project.
We accept work when we believe we can get it approved. If we don't think a project is viable, we'll say so early and save you the cost. If we take it on, you have our full effort through the final vote. Nothing in land use is guaranteed, but our track record is built on choosing well and executing fast.
Not sure which service you need?
Most clients don't. Describe the site and what you want to do with it, and we'll map the path.
Start a conversation