Estate and Succession Planning
Dean Mead’s Estate and Succession Planning Department is one of the largest and most respected groups of estate planning attorneys in Florida. We are frequently…
Land Use – Port St. Lucie
For the past three decades, the law firm of Dean, Mead, Minton & Zwemer has assisted clients with land use project approvals in Port St. Lucie and all along the Treasure Coast. We work with property owners in the acquisition and development of land, including negotiating complex purchase contracts, due diligence, financing, title issues, closings and obtaining zoning, land use and site plan approvals from the local municipalities.
Our attorneys have long-standing business relationships with most local land development consultants, City staff, City Council members, County Staff and the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners. We often advise clients in land development projects from the purchase of raw land through the final development approvals.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How Long Will it Take To Get Our Land Development Project Approved?
Determining the time it will take to work through the land development approval process can be critical for achieving your objectives. At the outset, we can discuss your project with you, identify potential issues and solutions, and estimate the time needed to obtain approvals. Then, we can help you assemble a team of professionals (land planners, engineers, environmental consultants, etc.), meet with City staff, review the issues with them, and prepare a strategy and a more detailed timeline for getting through the approval process.
2. How Much Will it Cost?
Upon request, we can provide an estimate of the legal fees required to obtain the approvals needed for your project. We can also work with your other planning consultants to help you prepare a budget for your project.
3. Which Consultants Do We Need to Hire?
Depending upon the project, you may need an engineer, site planner, environmental consultant, traffic engineer and other specialized consultants. We have worked with almost all of the local land development consultants in Port St. Lucie and Treasure Coast area. As a result of our long-standing relationships, we can help you by providing quick access to a team of experts who are committed to achieving your objectives.
4. What’s the Best Process to Get Our Land Development Project Approved?
Our attorneys can help you identify problems that you may encounter in getting your project approved before you begin the process. We will meet with you to identify issues to be resolved and pitfalls to be avoided, and help you devise a strategy to get your project approved. Then, we can have a pre-application meeting with City staff to discuss the project with them and get their feedback. We also frequently meet with the City Council members prior to the public hearing. If a City Council member has a question or concern, it is always better to resolve it in advance than to have it be a problem at the public hearing. We have good working relationships with the Port St. Lucie department heads and the City Council members, and we understand the process. We will use that knowledge and expertise to help you to resolve issues before your public hearing. It is always our top priority to be proactive, thereby avoiding unpleasant surprises.