Today, any development requires a process involving a complex set of permits and other governmental entitlements from local, state, regional and federal authorities. Members of Lombardo & Gilles's Land Use team have the experience to identify all permits and approvals that will be needed for any type of development. Our land use expertise includes entitlements, infrastructure approvals and development, land assemblage, parcel maps, vesting tract maps and subdivisions, development agreements, and environmental matters. The land use team also specializes in administrative law matters, including expertise in legislation and regulatory processes. This work includes government relations and legislative advocacy.

Lombardo & Gilles's land use team reaches out to our other departments and provides experience in each specialty area required by the client. We obtain all necessary approvals and defend these approvals from administrative or judicial challenges by project opponents or competitors.

Our land use lawyers have extensive experience with local municipal and county zoning ordinances, as well as with the following:

  • The preparation of mitigated negative declarations, environmental impact reports and statements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA);
  • Amending general plans, implementing zone and height changes, negotiating development rights, obtaining coastal development permits, securing dedication of lands, negotiating rights of way, obtaining conditional use permits and variances and the processing of complex subdivision projects, including phased and large residential projects;
  • Representing clients in redevelopment-area projects;
  • Representing clients with historic and cultural
    issues; and
  • Representing clients with environmentally sensitive projects affected by coastal zone, wetlands, resource protection, endangered species, archeological and historic preservation Brown Act and Public Records Act compliance.