MARKET & TRENDS
LOCAL TALENT
Local Connections Aid Successful Development IT IS ALWAYS WISE TO REACH OUT TO THOSE WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND CONNECTIONS TO EFFECTIVELY SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS, NO MATTER THE SIZE OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT.
by David Jacobs
s any developer knows, one of the most difficult hurdles
counsel they use for all projects, regardless of location. Although there are certainly benefits to working with the same team of professionals on multiple projects, you may be neglecting some of the strongest allies for gaining project approval if you do not source professional talent from the local community. In particular, local architects and land use attorneys can be invaluable in ensuring your project gains full approval from local authorities. If your plan for a project includes rezoning or obtaining a special use permit, a local land use attorney will have excellent knowledge of how to navigate that process. They will know exactly who to contact on the planning council and can help accelerate meetings and correspondence that could otherwise drag on for weeks. Similarly, local architects will be familiar with officials in the building departments and will know the right person to submit documentation to for a speedy response. Too often we have seen project approvals held up because a proposal was submitted at the counter instead of being forwarded directly to a decision maker. Even if you decide to use the professional team you have in place, it is a good idea to reach out to a local professional to assist with the project in a consulting role. Their
familiarity with local officials and knowledge of local politics can be the difference between project approval on the first submission and a drawn- out period of correspondence with no guarantee of success. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: GET THE PEOPLE ON YOUR SIDE In an ideal scenario, your development should be profitable and of benefit to the local community. Defining “of benefit” can be a difficult task, and there will almost certainly be those in the community that oppose your project. It is important to create meaningful community engagement, so the strongest supporters of your project are the ones local officials end up hearing from, instead of the naysayers who are interested only in halting all forms of local development. This is the point at which you need to get creative with outreach. If local officials believe their constituents overwhelmingly support a proposed project, it is much more likely to be approved. On one recent project, an owner needed to remove several trees to make extensive repairs to the parking lot and street frontage of a commercial center at the heart
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to overcome in the pre-job phase is gaining the approval and support of local governing organizations. Whether you are planning to develop a new commercial facility or build a new subdivision, your project will hinge on the approval of local building and planning councils. This process can be tedious and stressful, but there are several ways to give yourself an advantage and increase the likelihood of approval. The strongest ways to enhance your chances of approval include building a local team and fostering engagement with the community where your development is planned. In addition, you will need knowledge of how the local planning council is structured and which departments need to sign off on your proposal. Although most developers choose a location based on economic factors, it is imperative to develop strong connections with the professionals and residents who live and work in your selected
community, even if you are headquartered remotely.
PROFESSIONAL TEAM SELECTION: CHOOSE LOCAL Many developers have architects, engineers, contractors, and legal
32 | think realty magazine :: november – december 2022
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