Land Use

California developers, property owners and investors must navigate a dizzying and constantly evolving array of land use laws, rules, regulations and politics that challenge — or bring to a standstill — even the most well-conceived projects.

Loeb & Loeb’s Land Use team helps clients successfully traverse the regulatory maze to bring their real estate and infrastructure projects to life.

We recognize that our clients’ work and the projects they create support the community’s welfare, revitalize neighborhoods, create destinations, and generate economic value and jobs. We work with our clients’ business teams, architects and other experts to create integrated, interdisciplinary strategies that result in project approvals while protecting against unreasonable exactions and impositions.

Our work covers the entire life cycle of development, from conception and feasibility through community and political outreach, processing, and land use litigation where necessary. We help our clients manage entitlement costs and avoid delays, and we provide strong advocacy in and out of court.

Loeb’s Land Use team has guided the successful entitlement of many of the highest-profile projects in California, including urban infill, mixed-use development, multifamily housing, transit-oriented development, affordable housing, small lot subdivisions, office buildings, hospitals, onsite and offsite signage, shopping and entertainment centers, hotels, master-planned communities, colleges and schools, stadiums, museums, movie studios and public infrastructure.

Our team includes former planning commissioners, historic preservation board members and leaders in national planning organizations. We understand complex land use and development issues from all sides of the table, and our professionalism and reputation for integrity have helped create strong relationships with planning departments, commissions and boards, elected officials, environmental agencies, and environmental groups and community advocates. We are regularly involved in drafting and passing California state land use legislation.

Our knowledge and experience include:

• The Density Bonus Law
• Transit-oriented communities
• SB 35 streamlined approval process
• California Environmental Quality Act issues, including the preparation, processing, approval and litigation defense of environmental impact reports, mitigated negative declarations, addendums, and CEQA exemptions
• Historic preservation
• Rent control
• Inclusionary housing
• The Ellis Act
• The Housing Accountability Act
• Development agreements
• The Coastal Act
• Sale and transfer of air rights
• Development incentives
• On-site and off-site signage and media programs