Overview

Dilworth Paxson’s Zoning & Land Use group provides thoughtful counsel to our clients, helping each client navigate a full spectrum of routine and complex land development issues by expertly interfacing with government agencies in Philadelphia and throughout the tri-county area. Our seasoned practitioners achieve consistent success by leveraging vast knowledge and experience that strategically manages long standing relationships with key government decision-makers and stakeholders.   Our practitioners pride themselves on unmatched responsiveness and fostering a professional working relationship with each client to facilitate each goal wisely and efficiently.

Dilworth’s land use team has varied experience including routine, site specific entitlement approvals to complex, multi-phase master plan developments.  Our clients include entrepreneurs, mid-size development companies, REITs, and educational and medical institutions in a wide variety of development and construction projects including residential, commercial, affordable housing, recreation, public-private, corporate, and university campuses.  We strive to expertly guide each client to manage and minimize development risks while respecting all applicable laws and regulations.

Our deep understanding of the business motivations underlying each proposal guides us to expertly structure entitlements while respecting critical timing and financing considerations to best meet underlying business strategies.  We strategically collaborate with Dilworth’s lawyers in the Tax, Banking & Financial Services, and Corporate and Business Departments to ensure an all-encompassing approach when counseling our clients.

Our expertise also includes historic preservation matters, where we have represented clients before local, state, and federal agencies; as well as private preservation groups.

Representative Matters

Dilworth’s Zoning & Land Use Group has experience including:

  • Land Development, including seeking relief from appropriate review and relief boards
  • Tax assessment appeals, exemptions and abatements
  • Title review
  • Creation of Condominiums/planned communities/subdivisions
  • Drafting of easements, licenses, restrictive covenants and other development oriented documents
  • Negotiating administrative agreements with government agencies
  • Negotiating and drafting community based development agreements
  • Pursuing state & local redevelopment grants and tax credits
  • Drafting land use legislation
  • Historic rehabilitation and restoration

Representative Matters

Dilworth’s Zoning & Land Use Group has experience including:

  • Land Development, including seeking relief from appropriate review and relief boards
  • Tax assessment appeals, exemptions and abatements
  • Title review
  • Creation of Condominiums/planned communities/subdivisions
  • Drafting of easements, licenses, restrictive covenants and other development oriented documents
  • Negotiating administrative agreements with government agencies
  • Negotiating and drafting community based development agreements
  • Pursuing state & local redevelopment grants and tax credits
  • Drafting land use legislation
  • Historic rehabilitation and restoration