“If the earth was an apartment we wouldn’t be getting our deposit back.” Jim Schubert

Plan Rendering

Land management tools can change a community’s form, support transit, create service efficiencies, stabilize neighborhoods, and improve resiliency after disasters. We have worked in communities updating their land use codes for the first time in 30 years and in complex land management environments like the Adirondack Park and Catskill Watershed. We use a range of tools including zoning; site and building form-based design standards; subdivision regulations; historic preservation ordinances and façade improvement guidelines; infrastructure and capital improvement planning and development incentives for inclusionary practices, green buildings, green infrastructure, and appropriate density to protect community character and the natural environment, reduce energy consumption, and attract desired development. Our standard is that excellent land management should make the “right” project easy, and offer a path for all projects to be the “right project.”

We begin by understanding the community’s economic health, existing built form and function, and natural environment and prepare regulations that are streamlined, easy to understand, of appropriate scale and straightforward to administer, stimulating high quality development and rehabilitation that meets local vision and goals. We help our clients design a strong framework and justification for creative codes that comply with SEQRA (and we maintain partnerships with land use attorneys to ensure that our creativity is grounded and defensible.)

A partial list of our land management & ZoNING work includes:

Kingston LWRP and BOA

Highlight: Kingston LWRP and BOA

The City of Kingston Local Waterfront Plan Implementation Strategy evaluated market opportunities and design issues related to redevelopment of sixty acres of land along the historic Rondout Creek.