HR&A provides a wide-range of entitlement services for our clients, from land use analysis in the early stages of project development, to winning the necessary approvals from government agencies.

HR&A is expert in preparing and filing applications for Coastal Development Permits, Mello Act Review, Variances, Tract Maps, Parcel Maps, Site Plan Reviews, Conditional Use Permits, Adjustments, Modifications, Plan Approvals and Specific Plan Exceptions and similar requests. HR&A provides guidance through the entire entitlement process, including preparing and filing the application package and representing our clients at community meetings and public hearings.

HR&A’s office, 660 S. Figueroa St., Suite 1780, is located above the 7th Street Metro Center station located at the corner of Figueroa and 7th Streets. 

• Multi-Family Residential: HR&A has obtained Tract Map, Parcel Map and “Small Lot Subdivision” approvals for condominium and live/work loft projects, and has won zone changes, variance approvals, Coastal Development Permits and other discretionary Planning approvals for apartment projects.
• Single Family Homes: HR&A has advised a major Southern California developer through the project approval process for a luxury beachfront development project, and assisted homeowners with approvals for hillside development, lot line adjustments, variances and over-height fences.
• Hotels: HR&A successfully negotiated a new long-term ground lease for 165-room beach-area hotel with a public agency land owner, and obtained approvals for a $15 million remodel, alcohol Conditional Use Permits (CUP’s), and Development Agreement amendments.
• Restaurants: HR&A has won approval for parking variances and shared parking arrangements for restaurants at single-tenant and multi-tenant sites, alcohol CUP’s, and approvals for “fast food” service and outdoor dining.
• Landmark Properties: HR&A has secured parking variances and Change-of-Use approval for historic buildings, prepared zoning due diligence reports for prospective buyers of commercial Landmark sites, and won approval to add new residential units to Landmark properties.
• Code Enforcement Cases: HR&A has helped resolved difficult Code Enforcement cases concerning “bootleg” residential units, non-permitted construction, and unauthorized work in the public right-of-way.

Howard Robinson, of Howard Robinson & Associates, has more than 30 years’ experience in real estate development, local government, and the entitlement process. He has worked in the non-profit, for-profit and public sectors. Mr. Robinson has operated HR&A since October 2000. Previous experience includes serving for seven years as the Real Estate and Economic Development Manager for the City of Santa Monica, and eight years as the President of Gemstone Development, Inc., an infill condominium development firm based in Los Angeles. Mr. Robinson is a graduate of U.C. Santa Barbara, where he was elected student body president, and holds a MBA degree from U.C. Berkeley, with an emphasis in Real Estate and Urban Land Economics. Mr. Robinson is active in community and philanthropic affairs. He has served for 10 years as a board member of Friends of the River, a state-wide river conservation organization.