PLANNING AND ENTITLEMENT

Navigating

At Riise, we understand navigating through complex and subjective approvals is a fundamental step in advancing a project. 

If you are trying to get your project from concept to reality, you may already know the hurdles facing you during the planning and entitlement stages. These stages are crucial as they lay the legal and conceptual foundations for your project. Through these stages, you will be challenged with navigating the labyrinth of overlapping authorities that have the power to approve or deny your project. Understanding these authorities and how to navigate them can prove to be taxing and costly for most developers looking to get their projects off the ground.

Suppose your site needs annexation, an Environmental Impact Report, a general plan amendment, re-zoning, a planned development permit, a conditional use permit, a variance or a development agreement; in that case, you'll need to know the regulating and political steps required to secure these approvals.

Taking proactive control of the entitlement process can maximize future rights and flexibility, reduce your approval and litigation risk, and minimize development constraints. As a result, you can expect faster approvals, less chance of denial, higher development densities, lower legal and construction costs, larger developable areas and longer vesting of development rights.

Many individuals and organizations involved in real estate development don't understand what entitlements are and the vital role they play in projects. A point of confusion is the relationship between entitlements and building permits.

The entitlement stage of a construction project occurs before the permit process and may occur either before or concurrently with the design process.

If a proposed project doesn't conform to all zoning requirements for that specific piece of land, the project must apply for special land-use permits.

Entitlements often include things like variances, zoning amendments, tax relief, or infrastructure agreements.

A development requiring entitlements will need to complete an application process for the specific land-use entitlements necessary to build the project. Once this application has been submitted, there is generally a required public hearing. These public hearings allow individuals or interested parties to voice support or objectives for a proposed project. The public testimony will be included in the final decision-making process for approval or denial of a land-use entitlement.

During the entitlement process, most developers will also need to submit study reports, such as the environmental impact of the project, and meet with key government officials that oversee the project's approval. They may also have to meet with civic groups and leaders to discuss the proposed project.

What are Entitlements?