Practice Areas

Zoning

Most cities in Texas exercise zoning authority, including the City of San Antonio and its surrounding municipalities. Our firm represents clients at every stage of the zoning process in San Antonio and surrounding municipalities, from the initial determination of the proper zoning classification, meetings with elected and appointed municipal officials, meetings with municipal staff, presentations to the Zoning Commission, and hearings before City Council.

Development Rights

During the development of a project, rules and regulations that apply to development may change. We regularly assist property owners and developers in establishing their rights to continue uses that have become non-conforming, and to develop projects that are vested from new regulations.

Special Districts

Our firm specializes in the creation of districts that provide financing for public infrastructure for development, such as tax increment reinvestment zones, public improvement districts, municipal utility districts and similar entities.

Governmental Relations

We protect and advance our clients' interests through our experience with municipal and county government in the San Antonio area. Our attorneys and professionals are registered as lobbyists with the City of San Antonio.

Economic Development Incentives

We assist and advise our clients on a variety of economic development incentive options, including tax phase-ins, tax abatements, fee waivers, bond issuance, and local government grants and participation agreements.

Government Contracts

We work with clients to prepare responses to RFPs and RFQs, and guide our clients through the franchise and license agreement process with municipalities. We assist our clients in negotiating terms for lease agreements with the City of San Antonio. We also work with clients during the permit application processes through regulatory agencies such as the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).

Annexation

We represent clients in securing voluntary annexations, negotiating non-annexation agreements, and in opposing annexations.

Historic

Our firm helps clients with historic regulations and the historic designation process. Our services have included reviewing incentives for development or redevelopment of historic properties, explaining the applicability of historic regulations, incorporating historic structures into new development, removing properties from inappropriate overlay zoning districts, and opposing historic designation on properties or structures that are not historic.

Variances

We assist clients in getting variances from various development regulations, ranging from administrative variances to public hearings before the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission.

Development & Land Use Regulations

We protect clients' interests by participating in development and zoning code revisions. Our firm has been involved in the adoption and in every revision of the current City of San Antonio Unified Development Code, as well as every ordinance that impacts development in San Antonio.