The Firm’s Land Use Group attorneys are urban strategists, active in all phases of the real estate development process, including property selection, due diligence investigations, acquisition, financing, planning, design and obtaining federal and local land use approvals, building permits, and other related permits and licenses.
In order to most effectively serve our clients’ needs, the Land Use Group maintains a close working relationship with leaders and key staff members in the Executive and Legislative Branches and agencies of the District of Columbia. GDL Land Use Group attorneys perform legal services for clients in the following and related areas:
- Represent property owners and developers before District of Columbia agencies, including the Zoning Commission, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and the Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation, concerning various land use matters;
- Assist and counsel property owners and developers before various federal agencies, including the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission;
Represent property owners and developers in transactions involving transferable development rights (TDRs and combined lot developments); - Take the necessary steps to achieve the closing of public streets and alleys or the dedication of public streets in the District of Columbia;
- Prosecute applications for lot consolidations and subdivisions and facilitate those reviews by appropriate District Government agencies;
- Obtain large tract review approvals from appropriate District Government agencies; and
- Assist in the performance of environmental review, and assist in the processing of all permit applications, certificate of occupancy applications and other required operating licenses.