Why Land Use Experts?

The politics of land use have significantly changed

The politics of land use are as local as politics can get. The truth is that no one wants to have anything built near their home - this includes developers themselves. Opponents to a land use project are often dismissed as NIMBY's (Not In My Back Yard). However, simply dismissing opponents as NIMBY's too often leads developers to dismiss their concerns as insignificant or unreasonable. Characterizing opponents to a development in this way leads developers to underestimate the motivation behind their opposition and the potential impact that a few vocal opponents can have on a development project.

For those residents nearest to a proposed land use project - a proposed development has the potential to change their lives forever.

Take for instance the young couple who purchases the home they plan to live in until their children go off to college. When they purchased their home, the open field behind their home was zoned to allow for an elementary school to be built on the site. When a developer comes along and proposes to re-zone the property to allow for a large shopping center anchored by a big box store, it is understandable that the couple and their neighbors will be upset by this sudden change. Their home is the biggest investment they will ever make and they will use every available resource to protect that investment.

Regular citizens in these types of situations are increasing involved in the land use process - most often in opposition to a development project. This means that a quality development proposal is no longer sufficient to secure public approval. During the public approval process, regular citizens band together to exert enormous political pressure on decision makers. Decision makers, when faced with even a few vocal opponents, quickly deny proposed development projects.

Today, a simple Google search can provide opponents to a development project with all of the arguments, strategies and tools necessary to defeat nearly any development proposal. Too often, developers rely on the use of local law firms, local lobbyist with local connections and public relations consultants to negotiate back room deals with local decision makers and publish press releases. This approach to land use politics is not effective against organized opponents.

Unelected members of the local planning commission often desire to get elected to a higher office. Elected members of the final decision making body want to get re-elected or elected to higher office. In either case, each opponent (and all of the people who they speak for, but did not attend a public hearing or write a letter) represents a vote they have lost in an upcoming election. Political pressure plays a far greater role in the outcome of a land use project than the promised or actual benefits of the project. Promising more jobs and new tax revenue is not an effective means of overcoming the objections of even a small group of vocal opponents to a land use project.

The key to winning approval of a controversial land use project is the involvement of average citizens who display visible and vocal community support. Decision makers need to feel pressure from constituents at key points in the land use process. They need to see widespread support in order to have the necessary political cover to approve a controversial land use project.

We are experts in managing the politics of land use

We are highly specialized political experts - Land Use Experts. Managing the politics of land use is all that we do. Our vast experience overcoming challenges and engineering outcomes for our clients allows us to look at land use issues through unique lenses so that we can see a clear path to victory for our clients.

We are not lobbyists and we are not a public relations or media consulting firm. Press releases, letters to the editor and articles in the local paper are part of a successful land use campaign - but they do not win land use battles.

We don't have local interests to protect - our only interest is our clients success - which allows us to win land use battles faster and with greater levels of success than a local consultant that may lack our specialized skills. At the same time, we represent our clients in the most professional manner - always striving to leave behind a better situation than we found.