Land Use and Development Issues in New York

Creating a successful land development project requires exceptional legal skills in a wide range of areas, especially in the highly regulated state of New York. Effective developers understand that certain aspects of a development project require the outside assistance of various experts. Engineers, architects and financial analysts are among the professionals who work together to bring the developer’s vision to fruition. The complex web of laws and regulations that may govern a particular project, and navigating the multiple regulatory agencies that administer those laws and regulations, make it a necessity to have comprehensive legal guidance at the birth of your project. You need a law firm that you can trust to create solutions that will allow a project to move forward as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Experienced Attorneys for Land Use Issues

At J&G Law, LLP, our land use and property development attorneys have spent decades working with developers to ensure the success of their New York projects. We understand the need to be able to address issues with government and regulatory agencies on all levels, including federal, state, county and local that may have some degree of oversight with regard to your project.

Our firm has experience working both for and with municipal governments throughout the Hudson Valley. Our deep familiarity with local municipal governments and their familiarity with us and our reputation can provide a distinct advantage to developers in understanding municipal requirements and goals. Often, legal experience in the municipality where your project is proposed becomes the first step in obtaining project approval, especially for more complicated and/or controversial projects.

General Counsel for Developers

Our representation on land use issues is comprehensive and includes:

• Site selection
• Negotiation of purchase contracts
• Due diligence to determine the suitability of the site for its proposed use
• Formation of corporate entities necessary to protect our clients
• Preparation of all necessary land use applications and zoning compliance petitions
• Interfacing with municipal boards and their consultants, including town/village/city, planning, zoning, architectural review, and historic preservation boards, among others
• Guidance through the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) process to ensure compliance, but also length and depth of review that is proportional to the proposed use
• Identifying all other local, county, state and federal agencies that may have approval authority, and understanding the laws that those agencies are required to enforce, including state and federal wetland laws, Endangered Species Act, the New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) for central sewer facilities, and/or storm water retention and treatment of water testing protocols, Part 360 solid waste management and resource recovery law, etc
• Drafting innovative legislation to meet specific project parameters
• Creating Private Transportation Corporations and/or formation of special districts to facilitate the provision of utility service
• Appearance and representation before zoning board of appeals for any required variance interpretation of a zoning provision or appeal of a decision of a code enforcement office
• Preparation of easements or any other legal document necessary to secure and vest an approval

Success in Litigation

Not all challenges can be dealt with through negotiation. We try our very best. But in those instances where the rights and the interests of clients are being disregarded or abused, our firm has an exemplary record of defending those rights in New York’s state and federal courts.

Contact Us About Land Use and Development 

To learn more about land use, environmental, and property laws throughout the Hudson Valley, call 845-764-9656 or toll free at 866-303-9595 or simply contact us online. We would be more than happy to schedule a consultation for you with one of our New York land use lawyers.