As many people who have had the pleasure of working with him already know, John Foote loves what he does and brings that passion and high level of energy to all of his clients and cases. John has an almost encyclopedic knowledge of municipal and zoning law in Virginia. His practice covers much of the Commonwealth and, as a result, our clients benefit from his expertise, unparalleled reputation, and relationships with community leaders, legislators, and decision makers throughout the state. We are very proud to announce his induction into the Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame, our mini-version of “Cooperstown, New York” for Virginia lawyers. This honor validates that our high opinion of John is also shared by his peers across Virginia.

For those who have not had the pleasure of working with John, he is experienced in all relevant legal areas affecting land use and zoning in Virginia, including federal regulations of wetlands and waters of the United States, the state regulation of Chesapeake Bay Preservation areas and storm-water management, and historic preservation. John teaches and has written extensively in the area of land use and local government, and is the author of the seminal Virginia handbook on Planning and Zoning.

As our senior litigator in both state and federal courts, John has argued more than twenty cases before the Virginia Supreme Court. Those cases have led to some of the most significant and influential land use and zoning decisions authored by the Court.

In addition to his effective advocacy, John has also shared his vast wealth of knowledge with, and mentored, numerous lawyers during his career. The list of his pupils includes not only attorneys in private practice, but also community leaders, public servants, and judges.

Prior to joining Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh in 1999, John served as the County Attorney for Prince William County, Virginia, from 1982 until 1989, and previously as the Deputy County Attorney from 1977 until 1982. In both positions he served as the County’s chief litigator. In 1989, he transitioned to private practice with Hazel and Thomas. Ten years later, he joined us, and we have had the extremely good fortune of being able to work with John and learn from him on a daily basis.

John is consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America for Land Use and Zoning law, Land Use & Zoning Litigation, Municipal Litigation, Municipal Law, and Real Estate Law. He was named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2016. Virginia Business magazine recognized John to the Legal Elite in Real Estate/Land Use Law list in 2016 and 2020. John’s peers voted and named him as a Super Lawyer in Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers magazine in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

Please join us in congratulating John on this well-deserved accomplishment.

At its March 20 public hearing, the Arlington County Board approved Greystar Real Estate Partners’ proposal to  redevelop the “Landmark Block” located in the Courthouse area of Arlington County with a substantial new residential and retail mixed use building.  The proposal included the sale of County-owned property on the Landmark Block to the applicant, a rezoning of the entire block from the C-3 Zoning District to the C-O Zoning District, and a new special exception site plan for the construction of a 20-story, 423-unit residential building with 17,000 square feet of ground floor retail.  The applications were shepherded through the zoning review and approval process by Nan Walsh, Andrew Painter and Nicholas Cumings from Walsh Colucci.

The project is the first approved under the Courthouse Sector Plan Addendum for “Courthouse Square” that resulted from the Envision Courthouse study in 2015.  It includes a number of crucial improvements including construction of a portion of the “Promenade,” a pedestrian connection running north-south through the neighborhood from Clarendon and Wilson Boulevards all the way to 14^th Street North.  The Promenade will function as a linear park that can host events and outdoor markets.  The portion constructed with this project will set a standard for high quality, biophilic design for this new public space.  The project will also make significant contributions to the development of the future Civic Square park, construct on-site affordable housing, preserve historic facades, implement numerous green building measures, and construct a number of transportation improvements in the surrounding area.

At the hearing, Nicholas Cumings, representing Greystar, remarked that the wide range of benefits provided will immediately transform this neighborhood and provide engaging and inviting new public spaces and connectivity to this centrally located block, and that the project, as the first approved under the new plan, will be an example for future development and set a standard for this corner of Arlington.