Land Use

The Land Use attorneys at Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A. represent real estate developers, investors, property owners,  companies, religious institutions and other non-profit entities, state authorities, agencies and municipal, state and county entities in connection with all phases of land use approvals at all governmental levels and related regulatory matters, as well as litigation and appeals involving the approval and permitting process and redevelopment.

We provide representation on a wide range of land use matters including site plans, variances, subdivisions, developer agreements, access permits, rezoning, master plans, redevelopment plans and affordable housing. We have an active land use litigation practice, including challenges to decisions of planning and zoning boards of adjustment and other governmental agencies; challenges to zoning ordinances and regulations; affordable housing; and claims pursuant to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).

Our team handles a variety of residential, commercial, industrial and institutional projects, including healthcare facilities, warehouse and distribution centers, office parks, hotels, religious institutions, petroleum terminals, refineries, service stations, banks, and single-family and multi-family residential projects. Wilentz is ranked among the leading real estate practices in New Jersey by Chambers USA in 2021 with clients describing the team as "talented, deeply experienced and very diligent," with "seasoned veteran attorneys working alongside younger associates, which provides great value to clients," and praises the team for being  "...very accessible to our needs - we often call upon them to complete last-minute tasks, and they are always responsive and accommodating to us, even with the high pressure."

Some of the landmark projects that we have handled have included:

• New Brunswick Performing Arts Center
• Village Green on the Park in Roselle, N.J.
• Warehouse/distribution centers in Newark, Edison, Piscataway currently occupied by FedEx, Amazon and HelloFresh
• Newark Energy Center
• The Rockefeller Group Foreign Trade Zone/8A Industrial Park in Cranbury Township
• Woodbridge Center in Woodbridge Township
• Edison Tyler Estates Planned Residential Development in Edison
• Commons/Cedar Village/Meridian Health Care mixed-use development in Holmdel
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Regional Cancer Centers in Middletown and Montvale

Our team coordinates with our colleagues throughout the firm on matters such as transactions and leasing, construction agreements and litigation, so that clients obtain representation from contract or lease negotiation to the issuance of building permits.

Our lawyers regularly lecture for the Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) and the New Jersey Builders Association, and three of us have served as Chairs of the New Jersey State Bar Association Land Use Section. Our team leader Steven Tripp is a member of the New Jersey Builders Association’s Legislative Affairs Committee and has served as Chair of the Master Sponsor Committee. We participate on several advisory committees of our clients’ trade organizations, interacting with legislative and administrative agencies on statutory and administrative proposals and policies. Other organizations include the Middlesex County Bar Association, the National Association of Office and Industrial Properties (NAIOP), the Industrial Commercial Real Estate Women’s Association, the Middlesex County Workforce Investment Group, and the Middlesex County Youth Investment Council.