Arlington, VA – November 2, 2016 – U.S. News & World Report released the 2017 Best Law Firms rankings today, recognizing The Land Lawyers for professional excellence and outstanding client and peer ratings. Eligibility requires that at least one attorney in the firm is listed in The Best Lawyers in America, which recognizes the top 4% of practicing attorneys in the United States. Art Walsh and John Foote have been consistently named to the Best Lawyers® list since 1995, joined by Michael Lubeley and Nan Walsh in 2007, and Garth Wainman in 2016.

Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for its abilities, professionalism, and integrity. Awards were presented in 74 national practice areas and 122 metropolitan practice areas. The Land Lawyers were recognized in the following tiers:

NATIONAL TIER 1

• Land Use & Zoning Law

NATIONAL TIER 2

• Litigation – Real Estate
• Real Estate Law

METROPOLITAN TIER 1

• Washington, D.C.
• Land Use & Zoning Law
• Litigation – Land Use & Zoning
• Litigation – Municipal
• Municipal Law
• Real Estate Law

METROPOLITAN TIER 2

• Washington, D.C.
• Commercial Litigation
• Litigation – Real Estate

Please visit our website to learn more about our practice areas and attorneys.

Five Land Lawyers are listed in the 2017 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

Martin D. “Art” Walsh was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnership), Land Use and Zoning Law, and Real Estate Law.

Nan Walsh was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Land Use and Zoning Law

Garth Wainman was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Commercial Litigation

John Foote was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Municipal, Municipal Law, and Real Estate Law.

Mike Lubeley was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in the fields of Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Land Use and Zoning, Litigation – Real Estate, and Real Estate Law.

Reston, VA – June 30, 2016 Andrew Painter has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce. While on the Board, he will work to advance the chamber’s mission to support business growth and entrepreneurship, and advocate for chamber positions on critical business and land use issues.

With more than 670 members, the Reston Chamber is the premier voice of business in northern Fairfax County. The organization includes numerous major corporations and engages in business development opportunities, issues of public policy, community education, and philanthropy.

Andrew has been a member of the Chamber’s Public Policy Committee for the past several years. Click here to read Andrew’s bio and here to learn more about the Reston Chamber.

Leesburg, VA — The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors approved a motion on June 7, 2016, in response to the Proffer Reform Bill (Senate Bill 549, Va. Code Ann. § 15.2-2303.4), which takes effect July 1, 2016. The motion directs staff to return to the Board’s June 23 business meeting with the following three resolutions for action:

A resolution to initiate a small area plan with boundaries that encompass the Suburban Policy Area and the County’s two Metrorail stations;

A resolution to amend relevant sections of the Revised 1993 Loudoun County Zoning Ordinance affected by the Proffer Reform Bill; and

A resolution proposing an interim approach to processing new residential rezonings filed after July 1 but prior to the adoption of the anticipated small area plan and zoning ordinance changes under Numbers 1 and 2 above.

The Board’s action follows two information-gathering meetings initiated by its Transportation and Land Use Committee Chair Suzanne M. Volpe, and attended by local land use practitioners, to discuss the Proffer Reform Bill’s effect on the County’s rezoning process.

Per the Board’s June 7 action, the County’s preferred approach is to exempt from the Proffer Reform Bill all rezoning applications in the Suburban Policy Area by using one of the bill’s three permitted exemptions under Va. Code Ann. § 15.2-2303.4(E). Subsection 2 of that provision exempts residential rezonings located “… in an approved small area comprehensive plan that encompasses an existing or planned Metrorail station, or is adjacent to a Metrorail station located in a neighboring locality, and allows additional density within the vicinity of such existing or planned station.”

Staff will return on June 23 with the proposed resolutions. If the resolutions are adopted, staff will move forward with a communications plan to advise the public of the County’s approach and a time line to administer the new legislation.

A copy of the Board’s motion and summary may be accessed online here.

Please direct any questions you have regarding the Board’s resolution to Andrew Painter or Randy Minchew in our Loudoun Office at 703.737.3633 or apainter@thelandlawyers.com.

Prince William, VA — The Prince William Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) adopted a resolution on May 17, 2016, in response to the Proffer Reform Bill which takes effect July 1, 2016. The resolution makes significant changes to the County’s current zoning policies and calls for a number of follow-up staff directives. The resolution:

1. repeals the Policy Guide for Monetary Contributions (i.e., the 2014 “Proffer Guidelines”), which historically provided zoning applicants suggested monetary proffer amounts for residential rezonings (e.g., $44,930 per single-family unit; $39,837 per townhouse unit; and $26,778 per multifamily unit);
2.  directs County staff to prepare policy proposals “related to mitigating the impacts of proposed residential rezonings and proffer amendments for the Board’s consideration” and to initiate a Comprehensive Plan amendment to review all level of service standards including the capacity of County infrastructure; and
3.  requires applicants (for cases filed after July 1, 2016) to: (i) identify the proposed impacts of a rezoning or proffer amendment proposal, (ii) propose mitigation strategies addressing the impacts, and (iii) demonstrate how the proposed mitigation is sufficient and consistent with state law.

Applicants will be required to pay new application fees (amounts not yet determined) for the County’s review of the analyses and reports submitted with applications.

While the BOCS resolution will not be publicly available in final form until June 21, a working draft of the resolution can be found by clicking here.

Please direct any questions you may have regarding the BOCS resolution to Pete Dolan or Jay du Von in our Prince William office: (703) 680-4664, pdolan@thelandlawyers.com, or jduvon@thelandlawyers.com.

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