Practice Expertise

  • Real Estate, Development and Finance
  • Land Use and Development
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Areas of Practice

  • Land Use and Development
  • Real Estate, Development and Finance
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WSG Practice Industries

Profile

Susan is a senior land use planner and member of the firm's Capital Finance & Real Estate team.

Susan focuses primarily on land use and zoning. She specializes in Fairfax County and other Northern Virginia area jurisdictions working with clients to achieve comprehensive plan amendments and zoning approvals. She also assists them in the resolution of land development/site plan issues.

Susan has over 20 years of experience as a land use planner in the private sector. She also serves as a member of the Planning Commission and Chairman, Special Projects Committee for the Historic Town of Clifton, Virginia. She was appointed to serve on the Springfield District Land Use Committee, Fairfax County, VA.

Relevant Experience

  • Obtained zoning approvals for several hospital and medical campuses in Northern Virginia.
  • Obtained approvals for many rezoning, special exception, and special permit applications for office, retail, hotel, residential and mixed-use projects throughout Northern Virginia.
  • Obtained zoning approvals for public school campuses and facilities.
  • Experience working with large-scale, secure government office project in Fairfax County.
  • Experience with retail shopping centers and free-standing commercial uses in Fairfax County.
  • Obtained zoning approvals for multi-family and single family residential projects in Fairfax County.
  • Extensive experience testifying at Fairfax County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors public hearings on behalf of clients.
  • Extensive experience working with attorneys on comprehensive plan amendments and zoning applications before citizens groups, task forces and other land use committees
  • Negotiates with local jurisdictional staff, appointed and elected officials on behalf of clients throughout land development process.
  • Assists clients in coordinating and managing consultant teams and preparing development plans.
  • Obtained administrative approvals, including complex proffer interpretations.
  • Preparation of Comprehensive Plan amendment and 2232 Review applications for submission to local jurisdictions and advocate approval on behalf of landowners and developers.
  • Assist attorneys in performing land use due diligence.
  • Experience managing federally funded projects utilizing funding obtained through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).

Education
BA, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Urban Affairs, 1985

Areas of Practice

  • Land Use and Development
  • Real Estate, Development and Finance

Professional Career



Articles

  • Land Development Handbook: Planning, Engineering, and Surveying, Dewberry by McGraw-Hill

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