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
David Cooper and Jaclyn Cohen secured rezoning from the Town of Yorktown Town Board to facilitate Toll Brothers, Inc.’s proposed 118-unit, 55+ active adult townhouse community on a portion of the Field Home property on Catherine Street. The project involves subdividing a 2.46-acre portion of the Field Home property to accommodate the new residences, community...
Brian Sinsabaugh successfully secured Planning Board approval for a new self-storage facility in Mount Kisco. The project, located at 2 Morgan Drive, required collaborative problem-solving to meet community and Planning Board expectations. The approved plan replaces a previously proposed car collection facility. The self-storage facility project features a three-story, 93,960-square-foot building, designed to complement the...
Jacob Amir and Daniel Richmond secured approvals to convert a single-family home into a religious school and dormitory in Ramapo. This success required eight critical variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals and site plan approval from the Planning Board. The project revived a decades-old effort that was previously halted due to potential environmental review...