Zoning & Land Use

Obermayer’s Zoning & Land Use attorneys represent clients in complex land use matters in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 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 litigation.

Our experience includes representation before the Philadelphia Zoning Board of Adjustment, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, the Philadelphia Civic Design Review Committee, zoning hearing boards, planning commissions, architectural review boards, historic commissions, governing bodies 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.

Related Capabilities

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 the redevelopment of a former indoor shopping mall in Montgomery County as an outdoor shopping center
Entitlement and development of extended stay hotels in the Philadelphia suburbs
Entitlement and development of retail grocery stores and shopping centers within Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs
Entitlement of a 250-unit apartment complex in Philadelphia
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.