LAND USE & ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

With offices across California, our law firm provides a full range of services in land use law, ranging from environmental review to entitlement support to drafting of zoning, subdivision, and other land use ordinances. We have prepared numerous inclusionary and density bonus ordinances for public agency clients, reviewed housing elements and defended them in court, and drafted documents to implement adopted programs, including development agreements, deed restrictions for homebuyers, and covenants for affordable rental housing.

For our affordable housing clients, our attorneys have supported projects through the entitlement process (including environmental review and various land use entitlements) and in particular through use of the Housing Accountability Act, which protects affordable housing projects from arbitrary denials. For our California redevelopment clients, we provide ongoing advice regarding the environmental review required for projects and have frequently reviewed Environmental Impact Reports on redevelopment plans for adequacy, including emerging issues of climate change and water supply. Our redevelopment guide, A Legal Guide to California Redevelopment, includes an overview of CEQA issues in redevelopment.

Many of our attorneys have degrees in city planning or related fields or have experience working in local planning agencies. We have made numerous presentations to and written papers for organizations ranging from the American Planning Association to League of California Cities to Housing California on land use issues ranging from environmental review to climate change to housing elements to density bonus law. We are active in those organizations, and attorneys in the firm have worked with them on land use legislation.