Land Use: Florida

  • Holland & Knight’s Florida Land Use Team includes seasoned attorneys who are familiar with all aspects of land use law, including comprehensive plans, zoning, subdivision regulations and related environmental issues. 
  • Holland & Knight has offices strategically located throughout the state, enabling our Florida Land Use Team to maintain strong working relationships with decision-makers at the local, regional and state levels, thus ensuring that our clients are well-represented in all Florida land use matters.
  • Our land use lawyers assist clients with the review, preparation and processing of amendments to comprehensive plans and land development regulations; the filing and processing of traditional rezoning; variance and other applications; the negotiation and preparation of developer agreements; the establishment of methods for financing public improvements; government procurement; representation relating to impact fees and capital charges; and all other aspects of representation before local, regional and state agencies.
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Overview

With one of the most complex land use regulatory regimes in the country, Florida requires every development permit to be consistent with local land development regulations — including zoning, subdivision/platting, environmental and other codes — as well as local comprehensive plans. In turn, local comprehensive plans must be generally consistent with adopted regional plans and regulations.

Holland & Knight's Florida Land Use Team knows how to efficiently manage your land use matters by combining our extensive understanding of the law with the strong working relationships we maintain with elected officials, their aides and senior staff.

Broad Experience

The development and implementation of a coherent and individualized strategy is critical to the success of every land use matter. Through legal acumen and extensive regional experience, Holland & Knight's land use attorneys aim to help clients develop effective strategic plans to accomplish their land use goals on every level. In fact, many of our Florida Land Use Team members have worked for or represented many of the governmental agencies that are being asked to make land use decisions for our private clients. As a result, we know the potential pitfalls and have the necessary abilities to counsel you with respect to all aspects of Florida land use, zoning, real estate and environmental law, including:

  • administrative hearings
  • comprehensive plan text and map amendments
  • community redevelopment
  • concurrency management
  • conditional uses and special exceptions
  • comprehensive plan consistency issues
  • developer agreements
  • developments of regional impact (DRI)
  • environmental permitting and related matters
  • federal, state and local economic incentives
  • historic preservation
  • land development regulation drafting
  • planned-unit developments
  • procurement and public / private partnerships
  • rezoning, special exceptions and variances
  • vested rights
  • water law
  • transportation issues

Professional Relationships

Land use success often hinges upon your ability to work with the staff and government officials of the appropriate jurisdiction(s). Our team draws upon a philosophy of maintaining strong working relationships with decision-makers at the local, regional and state levels, with an aim toward affecting the nature and content of plans, regulations and ordinances that impact land use.

Dedicated Team

When you join forces with Holland & Knight, you access a team of lawyers throughout Florida who not only have extensive experience in addressing land use matters but who also understand the business of development based on years of practical experience. Our team includes attorneys with prior business experience as well as former government staff who are politically savvy and knowledgeable. We can provide guidance and advice on land development regulations, zoning ordinances and comprehensive plans based on our experiences on all sides of the issues. More importantly, our land use attorneys are active on local advisory boards, committees and industry groups, and participate extensively in the debates surrounding the adoption of and changes to regulations and local land use practices. We offer you a progressive approach based on a thorough and current industry awareness.

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