Our History

Howard Robinson & Associates (HR&A) is a land use consulting firm representing real estate developers, property owners and business owners in the Los Angeles region. HR&A assists clients through the discretionary Planning entitlement process and building permit process, provides due-diligence zoning analysis, and offers general representation of business and property owners with development issues before local government agencies.

HR&A has over 20 years of experience in helping commercial and residential developers negotiate the complex entitlement process, assisting restaurateurs win conditional use approval for alcohol service, and representing property owners with code enforcement cases.

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.

Our Areas of Expertise

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 provides developers with guidance through the project approval process and assists homeowners in obtaining approval 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 a long history in helping our clients win approval for alcohol Conditional Use Permits, fast-food service and outdoor dining, parking variances and shared parking arrangements for restaurants at single-tenant and multi-tenant sites,

Landmark Properties

HR&A secures parking variances and Change-of-Use approval for historic buildings, prepares zoning due diligence reports for prospective buyers of commercial Landmark sites, and wins approval to add new residential units to Landmark properties.

Code Enforcement Cases

HR&A helps resolve difficult Code Enforcement cases concerning “bootleg” residential units, non-permitted construction, and unauthorized work in the public right-of-way.

Sue Steinberg

Susan Steinberg is the Principal at Howard Robinson & Associates. For over 14 years, Susan has worked as a land use consultant assisting clients with development issues, discretionary project reviews, due diligence, and project management. She has extensive experience throughout the Los Angeles region, including Downtown Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Culver City, and Venice. Additionally, Susan has extensive experience dealing with the California Coastal Commission. She has successfully defended projects appealed at all levels, including before the various regional Los Angeles Area Planning Commissions, Citywide Planning Commission, and the California Coastal Commission.

Since taking over in 2018, the company has grown in staff and breadth of projects. Being a woman-owned business, HR&A is joining the groundswell of female-led Los Angeles firms and capitalizing on the growth of real estate development in the region.

Prior to joining the world of land use planning, Susan was a reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering city government and law enforcement in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills and West Los Angeles. She holds a B.S. degree in Journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She recently served five years on the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council and is currently using her professional experience as the vice-chair of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee.

Jared Johnson

Jared Johnson is a Senior Consultant at Howard Robinson & Associates, joining the firm in 2015. Jared works on all aspects of the land use entitlement process in the Los Angeles region, including due diligence, discretionary permits such as Conditional Uses and Coastal Developments, modifications and adjustments, and subdivisions. He also assists clients with the building permit plan check process.

Prior to joining HR&A, Jared was an intern at the Los Angeles Department of City Planning’s Urban Design Studio where he assisted in design reviews for Small Lot Subdivisions as well as coordinated the Professional Volunteer Program (PVP) in which local architects provide design feedback on projects undergoing discretionary review before the City. In 2013, Jared earned a Master of Urban Planning degree at the University of Southern California, concentrating on both Transportation planning and Preservation and Design of the Built Environment. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Japanese Language from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2008). Jared also served on the Glassell Park Planning and Land Use Committee (PLUC) from 2016-2018. Before attending USC, Jared worked for Japan Airlines.