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Practice/Industry Group Overview
Sands Anderson Marks & Miller's team of real estate, land use and development attorneys combine a broad range of experience to provide you the service you need for accomplishing your goals of putting your land and real estate holdings to productive and profitable use. Every parcel of land carries with it a wealth of possibility - from large-scale mixed-use developments to the reopening of a small country store. The opportunities to transform your ideas into a successful results are limitless. However, the path leading from idea to reality is not always easy to travel: financing, development regulations and land owner concerns, land-use laws, easement, zoning ordinances and construction concerns may seem impossible to overcome. Sands Anderson's Land Use and Development Team is prepared to guide your idea through this uncertainty to reach your goals.
Financing
Perhaps the most important step in development is financial: gathering the necessary resources to purchase the property and develop it. You may be considering financing your development in a traditional manner or by using one of the many new methods available. Our team is ready to help you. Along with crafting traditional financing agreements and loan arrangements, we have participated in the establishment of numerous Community Development Authorities and helped implement the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA), which authorizes public-private partnerships to develop infrastructure and other public needs. Additionally, a number of our attorneys have long-standing and productive relationships with some of the area's top lending institutions, including participating in the organization of numerous community banks.
We have extensive experience with industrial development revenue bond financing and governmental economic development incentive programs and initiatives. Several of our team members are nationally recognized Bond Counsel. Projects we have financed include historic building renovations, health care facilities, manufacturing plants, shopping centers, office buildings, self-storage and other warehouses, retail stores, residential developments and recycling facilities, among many others. We have created special tax districts to finance infrastructure for the benefit of the residents of the district. Under certain circumstances, these districts can be used by a developer to his financial advantage if he has knowledgeable attorneys involved in planning his project at the outset and can obtain the cooperation of the local jurisdiction.
Real Estate
Whether you are contemplating the purchase of real property to build your business or selling your holdings to take advantage of a positive market condition, you will benefit from our experience. We take seriously our responsibility to offer solutions and make certain that every clause in the contract is the correct one for your situation.
Our team members have participated in a wide variety of retail, commercial and residential transactions, including the acquisition, development and financing of shopping centers, office buildings, industrial and warehouse facilities, single family residential developments and convenience stores. We have worked as a liaison between local governments and private interests to direct the use of the power of eminent domain to acquire land for development infrastructure such as roads, water and wastewater facilities.
Land Use & Zoning
Every development project will require extensive interaction with local government. Many projects will require that the local governing body approve a special exception, use permit, or rezoning prior to construction. Proffers may need to be negotiated. Site and development plans will undoubtedly need to be submitted and approvals sought. Because of their lengthy experience as county attorneys and legal advisors for local governments and authorities, members of our team are able to anticipate potential problems with your project and guide you through the maze of ordinances, statutes and regulations, thereby avoiding unscheduled delays, governmental obstacles and denied permit applications.
Our attorneys offer proven ability to promote your project and effectively advance your ideas before planning staffs and governing bodies. Because we represent local governments in land use matters, we know their concerns, and we know how to address them most effectively. Over the years, our team members have been involved in countless rezoning actions, and we have written or revised many of the zoning and land use ordinances used in local jurisdictions around the state. We have also represented clients before local boards of zoning in appeals and in disputes regarding zoning ordinance interpretation. We have successfully tried such matters before state jurisdictions including the Virginia Supreme Court. We have worked with the Virginia General Assembly and numerous regulatory agencies and commissions, including the Department of Environmental Quality and the State Corporation Commission.
Our attorneys also understand the use of conservation easements and how they may restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on a property, as well as their effect on other rights which the landowner may possess.
Construction
Whether the foundation has yet to be poured or you have run into unexpected certificate of occupancy problems after taking possession, our team is ready to put its extensive construction expertise to work for you. We have worked with architects, engineers, general contractors, and suppliers in support of developers' interests. We play an active role in industry organizations, including the Associated General Contractors, and the Construction and Public Contracting Sections of the American Bar Association, Virginia State Bar, and Virginia Bar Association. We can provide expertise in the areas of federal and state regulation of the construction site (e.g., OSHA, VOSHA, Davis Bacon Act), and the workplace (e.g., ADA, Title VII).
At Sands Anderson, we provide our clients with expertise, ongoing communication and an independent perspective based on many years of business, real estate, regulatory and legal experience. Working in partnership with each client, our land use and real estate development team will furnish careful guidance and counsel to enable you to reach your goals as smoothly and securely as possible. We welcome the opportunity to work with you in creating solutions best suited to your needs.
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