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Business & Finance

Zoning & Land Use

We focus on commercial, industrial and residential real estate development, including guiding clients through the entitlement process throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our land use attorneys are particularly effective when they serve as both transactional and entitlement counsel for clients.

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Obermayer’s Zoning & Land Use attorneys represent clients in complex land use matters throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including the City of Philadelphia and all suburban municipalities, such as Bucks County, Montgomery County, Delaware County, Chester County, Berks County and the Lehigh Valley. Clients rely on us to handle matters relating to:

  • Variances, Special Exceptions, Conditional Use and Zoning Permit Approvals
  • Sketch Plan Review
  • Minor and Major Land Development Approvals
  • Minor and Major Subdivision Approvals
  • Preparation of planned community and condominium documents
  • Re-zoning petitions and ordinance amendments
  • Historic preservation of buildings and other property
  • Negotiation of Development Agreements
  • Building permits and other third party permits; and,
  • Land Use Appeals and related real estate litigation.

Our experience includes representation before municipal governing bodies and zoning hearing boards throughout Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the Philadelphia Civic Design Review Committee, architectural review boards, historic commissions, and other municipal and state agencies.

Our Value

Obermayer’s land use team has broad experience in working with developers, businesses and property owners to work through the complex issues that arise during the zoning and land development process. We understand the value of time and, therefore, include all stakeholders to take projects from conceptual designs to fully entitled, shovel-ready construction projects.

Some examples of our work include:

  • Obtaining approval for a 75-unit townhome community on the Philadelphia Waterfront
  • Obtaining subdivision and land development approvals for thousands of residential units throughout suburban Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley counties for regional and multiple national homebuilders
  • Obtaining subdivision and land development approvals for the redevelopment of a former indoor shopping mall in Montgomery County as an outdoor shopping center
  • Obtaining approval for development of a 70-unit apartment and mixed-use commercial development through negotiation of a court approved settlement stipulation in Bucks County
  • Obtained zoning amendment and subsequent land development approvals for a 50-unit age restricted apartment community in Bucks County
  • Obtained land development approvals for multi-phase expansion of retirement community including 66 senior living cottages, a 14-unit senior apartment building, and a clubhouse in Bucks County
  • Obtained zoning, subdivision, and land development approvals for mixed use town center in including 78-townhouses, 30-apartments, a 15,000 square foot medical building, and the redevelopment of a several existing buildings in Bucks County
  • Zoning approvals for a one million square foot industrial distribution center in Lower Bucks County
  • Obtaining a use variance and land development approvals for development of a Bed and Breakfast and event space in Bucks County.
  • Entitlement and development of retail grocery stores and shopping centers within Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs
  • Entitlement work for multiple national fast-food chains in development, expansion and re-development of existing stores throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland
  • Entitlements for financial institutions’ branches, drive-through facilities and modifications, and kiosks throughout Bucks and Montgomery County
  • Work with solar developers on zoning applications, text amendments, and land development applications throughout Pennsylvania
  • Work with developers, land owners, and companies in the life sciences sector on text amendments, zoning applications, and land development approvals for life sciences uses, campuses, facilities, and redevelopment projects
  • Entitlement of an approximately 170-unit townhome development on the Philadelphia waterfront
  • Preparation of planned community and condominium documents for a mixed use development consisting of 160 units governed by a Master Planned Community with two Junior Condominium Associations
  • Obtaining approval for the adaptive reuse of a large industrial building into 120 multi-family dwellings
  • Redevelopment of a shuttered Philadelphia hospital and medical school into a mixed use campus including offices, student housing, medical, educational and day care uses
  • Assisting large townhome and high rise developers in connection with planning, zoning, historic, licensing and inspections and health department permitting
  • Representing the developer of a 33-story mixed-use high-rise in Philadelphia, including obtaining variances and approvals for construction, negotiating and working with neighbors and civic associations, and drafting development agreements as part of winning stakeholders’ support for the project;
  • Serving as local zoning counsel for the purchase of an approximately two million square foot warehouse project in Central Pennsylvania
  • Served as local land use counsel to a national senior housing developer for a multi-developer mixed use project in Montgomery County that consisted of a zoning amendment, conditional use approval, subdivision and land development approval that focused on the integration of numerous common elements throughout the separate projects and the preservation and adaptive reuse of numerous historical features on the property; and,
  • Representing a developer in connection with obtaining necessary approvals for development of retail convenience stores with fuel dispensing capabilities and other associated uses.