Property Due Diligence Assessments
The first question anyone should ask when looking at a property is “what can I actually do with this building/land?” This is where professional assistance can be a huge time and money saver. Let us determine applicable regulations and potential constraints to development so you can decide what the best use of your property may be. Due diligence services typically include:
- General Plan Land Use Determination
- Zoning Designation Determination
- Allowable Land Uses and Land Use Consistency Assessments
- Applicable Development Standards Review
- High-level Constraints Assessment
- Guidance for Determining Best and Highest Use of Property
- Determination of Potential Entitlement Process Requirements
Project Management
Navigating entitlement and permitting processes can be a bureaucratic nightmare. This is where our expertise comes in! With over 20 years’ experience in the public and private land development sectors, WSM staff knows how to work through these processes. Let us take on the day-to-day management of your project so you can sleep soundly while your project gets entitled.
Depending on the complexity of a proposed project, team members may include architects, engineers, environmental specialists, and landscaping architects, among other specialists. WSM staff will begin by providing guidance in choosing and assisting in securing these experts to ensure you have the right team for your project. With the team in place, WSM’s talented project managers will provide full oversight of the project team and process to keep things on track and moving forward.
Common project management responsibilities include:
- Guiding the Client through the System
- Acting as Primary Project Contact
- Maintaining Communication with the Client, Team Members, and County/City Liaisons
- Facilitating Project Meetings
- Preparing Meeting Agendas
- Maintaining Master Meeting Minutes
- Coordinating and Managing Ongoing Project Action Items
- Maintaining the Master Project Schedule
Entitlement Processing/Permitting Services
WSM will manage and process all aspects of entitlement planning to obtain necessary permits and approvals ensuring project delivery in a timely and efficient manner.
- General Plan Amendments
- Zoning Amendments
- Conditional Use Permits (Major, minor, special)
- Residential Projects
- Commercial Projects
- Industrial Projects
- Tentative Parcel and Subdivision Maps
- Specific and Master Plans
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Compliance
Experience has taught us to apply our CEQA knowledge to our land planning assignments to get in front of environmental impact challenges from the start. We can then guide applicants and lead agencies towards solutions sooner, resulting in more successful and faster projects. We pride ourselves on finding creatively logical solutions to complex environmental constraints. During the entitlement process, WSM will work with County/City staff in deciding appropriate CEQA determinations and necessary reporting through:
- City/County Required Initial Environmental Assessments
- Environmental Due Diligence Coordination
- Initial Studies
CEQA Management and Peer Review Services
WSM’s Sally Schifman has extensive experience with federal, State, and local land use regulations, and has managed and written dozens of CEQA documents of varying complexity over the course of her career. She understands the importance of collaborating with experts in biological resources and permitting, cultural resources and tribal consultation, climate action and adaptation planning and design, acoustics and vibration, air quality, aesthetics and visual resources analyses, transportation and traffic, hazards and hazardous materials, geotechnical conditions, and other such technical disciplines. She can provide team management and peer review for the following types of environmental documents:
- Due Diligence Reports
- Technical Assessments
- Initial Studies
- (Mitigated) Negative Declarations
- Environmental Impact Reports
- Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Programs
Public Hearing Representation
Sally is an adept public speaker having presented at well over 200 industry conferences, public workshops, community groups, planning commissions, city councils, and county boards of supervisors. In preparation of public engagements, WSM staff will:
- Work with county/city staff to assist in the preparation of materials or information needed for public hearings, noticing, and/or other filings
- Review project Conditions of Approval and negotiate changes, as needed
- Coordinate and attend pre-hearing meetings with staff and/or decision makers
- Prepare presentation materials
- Facilitate presentation practice with team members and clients
- Lead the presentation at public hearings as a representative of the client and project
- Perform follow-up responsibilities such as filing environmental determinations, recording signed documents of approval, and facilitating next-step tasks for permitting phases
