Our approach to Oregon land use is practical, creative, and proactive. We focus on the ultimate goal, rather than just specific legal questions. The details are important, but so is understanding our clients’ fundamental objective. We take the time to figure that out because there are often multiple ways to achieve a goal; by understanding our clients’ aim, we can often identify an easier or more efficient path. We are persistent and creative. When a jurisdiction tells us that an application can’t be successful, we find another strategy. We are proactive. We help and encourage our clients to identify potential roadblocks—and opponents—to a development, and then we formulate a game plan to overcome them.
Our practice encompasses all aspects Oregon land use, including assisting clients in obtaining zone changes and comprehensive plan amendments, site plans, land divisions (partitions and subdivisions), conditional use permits, and lot line adjustments. We’ve successfully prepared and processed all applications necessary to construct large-scale residential developments, apartment buildings and complexes, industrial subdivisions, condominiums, and mixed-use commercial and residential projects.
We have developed collaborative relationships with most jurisdictions in Portland and Central Oregon, as well as a host of other cities and counties in Oregon, allowing us to lend instant credibility to our clients’ projects. Though we work well with city and county planning departments and their respective governing bodies, we are able and experienced in challenging adverse positions or decisions that we believe are wrong under a local code, Oregon State law, or under the U.S. Constitution.
We regularly represent our clients in hearings before planning commissions and hearings officers, city councils and county commissions, and the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals.
We have special expertise in the unique issues arising out of siting solar generation facilities, developing destination resorts, and large, mixed-use master plans.