Managing Government Approval for Community Repairs and Improvements

Do you live in a community that is planning repairs or improvements? You may not be aware, but it is often the case that in order to legally proceed you must obtain local government approval through the Planning & Zoning Board or City Commission. Whether you live in a single family home or in a high-rise condo, your house/office and community were initially approved by the local governing body via a site plan approval process or master planning process that may have included other applications such as rezonings, plat note amendments, variances, conditional use permits, easements, and Development Agreements. Whether you’re looking to construct a new recreation area and pool, add more parking spots, or even cut down trees to build a canopy, you will most likely need to run it by the City Planning staff and City Attorney’s office for approval. Failure to do so can lead to very expensive daily fines/liens that eventually add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. You must hire the appropriate consultants – including attorneys, architects, and contractors – to ensure your success.