Consulting
Entitlements & Project Management
The regulatory environment is complex and the need for experienced professionals to navigate the approval process is critical.
We provide land owners, builders, investors and other professionals with experienced consulting support to achieve project entitlements.
Experience
Our core focus is the entitlement of urban infill developments. These include for sale residential, rental properties and mixed use developments.
We have collaborated on numerous projects throughout California and Nevada. Some notable projects can be found in San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, the Bay Area and Sacramento.
A representative sample of projects includes the following:
- Hercules Waterfront District, Hercules, CA - This project was a large scale masterplanned development in the Bay Area. It was the former location of the Hercules Powder Company factory and a Superfund site. The total unit count on final build out may exceed 1,000 homes. Mr. Little identified the property, negotiated with the owner, performed due-diligence, assisted in the project entitlements and sold several planning areas to publicly traded builders.
- Laurel Ranch, Antioch, CA - The Laurel Ranch project is located in the City of Antioch, California and is a mixed use development, which upon entitlement included several residential product types, a commercial center and a hotel. Mr. Little located the property and negotiated the acquisition with the land owners. Following the contract negotiation and due diligence, he led a consulting team through a complex entitlement process, which included numerous discretionary entitlements and CEQA documentation. Following approval the property was sold to a third party developer at a return that substantially exceeded pro forma expectations.
- Newfield, Gardena, CA - This Newfield project is a gated infill development of 96 townhomes constructed on a former nursery site. Mr. Little identified the property and worked in collaboration with the ownership group to structure a purchase and sale agreement that would provide sufficient time to rezone the property. He coordinated due diligence, performed construction cost estimating and city review. Mr. Little oversaw the entitlement and negotiations for the property sale to KB Home.
- City Lane, Mission Viejo, CA - The City Lane project is an infill development located within an existing retail center. The center has long struggled, which presented the opportunity to reposition the property for residential development. The property has a complex set of entitlements and land owner agreements. Mr. Little has provided all land acquisition and project management services for this development. The plan includes the development of 60 townhomes, community amenities and integrated open space.
Services
Project approvals require commitment, attention to detail and deft hand in collaborating with community stakeholders. We execute our services with all these factors to secure a positive outcome for both the principals and community.
Regardless of the complexity, we can assist. Our experiences range from large scale masterplanned communities to complex urban infill developments. We are accustom to encountering the unexpected and planning for success.
Our Team
Brent Little
Throughout Brent's career he has worked for a broad mix of development, construction and home building firms. Prior to founding South Coast Communities, LLC, Brent spent over ten years as Vice President of Acquisitions and Entitlements for several large land development firms. During his nearly fifteen year tenure at South Coast, he managed numerous entitlement and construction projects throughout California.
Brent's varied background includes complex land acquisitions, challenging entitlements and comprehensive understanding of both vertical and horizontal construction.
Brent holds a bachelor's degree in Geography with an emphasis in urban planning and is a licensed General Contractor.
Typical duties include the following:
• Manage Operations - Direct reports included VP's of Development, Planning, Accounting
• Land Acquisition - Locate properties, utilize land owner contacts, work with brokers.
• Land Planning - Using CAD I will create a preliminary site plan or yield study.
• Financial Models - Develop cash flows and pro formas for internal use and for investors.
• Cost Estimating - Prepare cost estimates through my take-offs and cost models.
• Entitlement Planning - Work with public agencies entitling projects with the following:.
* General Plan Amendments
* Specific Plans
* Zone Changes
* Tract Maps
* CEQA Docs (EIR, MND, Neg Dec)
* Use Permits
* Coastal Zone Projects
• Public outreach
• Supervise preparation of improvement plans.
• Manage construction group - Project Managers, General Superintendents, Superintendents.
• Sold excess land following entitlements.
• Customer Service.
• Contract with trade partners.
Our Team
Laurie Little
Laurie has spent over twenty-five years in the practice of Investor Relations where she served in a senior executive role at several publicly traded companies. Investor Relations Officers (IROs)are required to be tightly integrated with a company's accounting department, legal department, and executive management teams, consequently she has broad experience in dealing with multiple constituencies and audiences, understanding financial statements, and functioning within legal and regulatory environments. As a licensed real estate broker, she now focuses her efforts on understanding complex property development and management issues and coordinating transactions to ensure successful project completions.
Laurie's professional background includes a Bachelors’ Degree in Finance and an MBA from the George L. Graziado School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University.