Melissa Carter

Melissa’s practice spans Virginia and Maryland commercial and residential real estate matters. She has represented developers, homeowners, and community associations throughout the lifecycle of development. Her experience includes:

• Representing developers and property owners through the entitlement process in the DMV, including subdivision, rezoning, special exception, variances, site plan, proffers, conditional use, green building requirements, and building design standards.
• Representing property owners in appealing zoning violation notices, successfully eliminating or reducing penalties for alleged violations.
• Advocating for changes to local comprehensive plans and zoning maps to account for the evolution of neighborhoods with regard to uses and density allowed.
• Advising potential buyers and lessors of real estate about the permissibility of their intended use under local zoning ordinances, the process for any required entitlement, and anticipated timelines from application to approval.
• Negotiating commercial leases and real estate purchase and sale agreements, including option agreements conditioned on zoning entitlements.
• Advocating for zoning ordinance interpretations for property owners and developers to clarify local zoning ordinances and justify the permissibility of innovative property uses not described in the zoning ordinance.
• Drafting (enacted) local legislation where bills passed by the General Assembly created a conflict between state law and local ordinances.
• Navigating federal housing regulations for recipients of funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Litigating site plan, competing claims of ownership, and eminent domain disputes.

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Affiliations

Virginia State Bar