St. Augustine Area's Largest Law Firm
Land Development and Zoning Attorneys
Our Land Development and Zoning attorneys have extensive experience with land development and obtaining entitlements, permits and approvals. Our attorneys regularly help clients with due diligence investigation, contract evaluation, permitting, Land Development and Zoning, planned unit development (PUD), planned rural development (PRD), zoning variance, non-zoning variance, special use, conditional use, architectural review, construction plan approval, and development.
More Applications and More Approvals
No other law firm in the St. Augustine area has more experience or knowledge representing clients with Land Development and Zoning. In fact, our a Land Development and Zoning attorneys have filed more applications in St. Johns County over the last two decades than any other law firm.
- Douglas Burnett was an Assistant County Attorney in St. Augustine and served as the City Attorney for the City of St. Augustine Beach for seven years after forming St. Johns Law Group. For more than two decades, Mr. Burnett served as General Counsel for the St. Augustine – St. Johns County Airport Authority. Today, Mr. Burnett’s Land Development and Zoning practice includes some of the largest home builders in the United States, major developers and the approval of more than 100 PUD Applications.
- James Whitehouse is the former Deputy County Attorney for St. Johns County. Mr. Whitehouse previously oversaw Land Development and Zoning matters for the County. Additionally, Mr. Whitehouse is a former Assistant City Attorney for the City of St. Augustine and is knowledgeable about the City’s Land Use and Zoning review and approval process.
City and County Boards:
Importantly, we work daily with clients on Land Development and Zoning matters before the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, City Commission of the City of St. Augustine and many other governing bodies in the Northeast Florida area.
- City Commission
- County Commission
- City Planning and Zoning Board (PZB)
- County Planning and Zoning Agency (PZA)
- Historical Architectural Review Board (HARB)
- Architectural Review Committee (ARC)
- Ponte Vedra/Palm Valley Overlay Districts (PVARC)
- Ponte Vedra Zoning & Adjustment Board (PVZAB)
- Mid-Anastasia Design Review Board
- South Anastasia Design Review Board
- North Coastal Corridor Overlay District Design Review Board
- Or other Land Use and Zoning boards and agencies
Zoning Attorneys: We Help Navigate the Process
When necessary, our attorneys can also litigate (appeals or petitions for certiorari) local government denials of Land Development and Zoning applications. Denied by PZA and need to appeal to the Commission? We can do that also. We have even assisted clients in invoking the alternative dispute resolution process provided for under Florida law, including the Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private Property Rights Protection Act.
Together, Mr. Burnett and Mr. Whitehouse are intimately familiar with the inner-workings of local St. Johns County government and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and case law impacting Land Use and Zoning.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS:
- Developments of Regional Impact (DRI)
- Planned Unit Developments (PUD)
- Planned Rural Developments (PRD)
- Zoning and Rezonings (REZ)
- Special Use Permits (SUPMAJ)
- Conditional Use Permits
- Comprehensive Plan Amendments (COMPAMD)
- Small Scale Comp Plan Amendments (CPA(SS))
- Development Review Committee (DRC)
- Transportation Concurrency (CONMAJ)
- School Concurrency (SCD)
- Development Agreements (DA)
- Proportionate Fair Share Agreements (PFS)
- Impact Fee Credit Agreements (ICA)
- Utility Agreements
- Appeals of Land Use Denials
- Subdivision Construction Plans (SUBCON)
- Pre-Application (PREAPP)
Due to the inherently political nature of Land Development and Zoning work, the firm has expanded its representation of clients on sensitive development projects to also include representation of clients on government contracts and requests for proposals.
St. Johns Law Group’s attorneys have been instrumental in obtaining approval for many of the Concurrency Agreements and Development Agreements approved in St. Johns County, including agreements that creatively overcame challenges and set new precedent. We understand traffic and school concurrency issues and have extensive experience drafting and negotiating proportionate fair share agreements.
Contact Us:
- 104 Sea Grove Main Street | St. Augustine, Florida 32080
