Land Use & Zoning

Navigating the land use, zoning and SEQRA approvals processes from project inception to shovel in the ground
Our Approach

Our attorneys spend many nights of the week advocating before planning boards, zoning boards of appeal, legislative bodies, and other governmental agencies – or representing these boards as Special Counsel on complex development projects. That means leading our clients’ development teams, working with municipal officials and staff, providing strategic advice and substantive guidance, compiling a complete administrative record, organizing public outreach, and ensuring regulatory compliance.

And because many of the attorneys in our land use and zoning practice are also litigators, we position our clients for success if their application ends up in court. The attorney who fought in the trenches during the review process will bring a comprehensive knowledge of the administrative record when defending (or challenging) municipal determinations.

What We Do

Zarin & Steinmetz successfully guides clients through federal, state and local zoning, land use and environmental regulatory processes, including:

  • Site plan, special permit, and subdivision applications
  • Environmental impact review under SEQRA
  • Comprehensive plan & zoning text/map amendments
  • Public-Private Partnerships
  • Wetlands, steep slopes, floodplain, and other sensitive feature permits
  • Area and use variances
  • Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA)
  • Padavan Law and Fair Housing Act (FHA) compliance
  • County Planning review under New York General Municipal Law
  • Administrative Law
  • SHPO review/historic preservation
  • Green building/LEED certification
Recent News
Kory Salomone secured preliminary Site Plan and Special Permit approvals for Basis Industrial Acquisitions LLC on the proposed redevelopment of a nearly 5-acre commercial property in the Town of Fishkill, transforming a derelict site with abandoned buildings into a revamped commercial plaza with a 112,000-square-foot self-storage facility, a fast-food restaurant and a car wash. An...
David Steinmetz and David Cooper secured site plan, subdivision and various other approvals from the Town of Mount Pleasant Planning Board for a 170-unit senior living community on behalf of Brightview Senior Living. The Planning Board approved a four-story, more than 200,000 square foot building that can support 89 independent living units, 45 assisted living...
David Steinmetz, Jody Cross, and Jaclyn Cohen successfully defended Ferncliff Cemetery, securing a victory on a Motion to Dismiss a Complaint brought by neighboring residents. The plaintiffs had filed a lawsuit seeking to stop Ferncliff Cemetery from expanding the burial areas on its property by alleging zoning violations and a private nuisance. The expansion project,...