New Jersey Land Use Lawyers
Kates Nussman Rapone Ellis & Farhi, LLP represents municipal governing bodies and boards, in a wide range of legal issues including condemnation, zoning and planning. The law firm also assists developers, property owners and environmental groups in dealing with land use, redevelopment and environmental issues.
Our Hackensack, New Jersey firm was established in 1913, and is dedicated to providing the highest caliber of legal representation to clients in Hudson County, Bergen County, Passaic County and throughout New Jersey.
General Counsel to Municipal Government Bodies
We serve as general counsel in municipal law and land use issues to municipal land use boards and other government entities throughout New Jersey. Michael Kates of our firm is general counsel to NJPO, a statewide organization of planning and zoning boards.
Mr. Kates served as Corporation Counsel for the City of Hoboken in 2010, and presently serves as Zoning Board attorney in Alpine, and Planning Board attorney in Englewood Cliffs. Mr. Ellis serves as Zoning Board attorney in Closter.
Special Litigation: Development and Condemnation
We act as special litigation counsel for municipal government entities, property owners and environmental groups in disputes and litigation involving development, land use, zoning regulations and redevelopment and condemnation. For example, we represent the Township of Millburn in defense of its zoning of houses of worship; the Borough of Oradell in defense of its denial of a use variance that would have allowed a pharmacy to overbuild by extending into a residential zone; and the arts community in the Powerhouse Arts District of Jersey City, in their efforts to stop a developer-initiated high rise overlay of historic warehouses. Our firm also represents Skylands C.L.E.A.N., a Passaic County, non-profit environmental group, committed to protecting the Highlands region of New Jersey from overdevelopment in environmentally sensitive areas of northern New Jersey.
We have prevailed on behalf of clients in two high-profile “eminent domain” cases. In one, we represented mobile home owners in Lodi, New Jersey whose properties were targeted for extinction in the name of redevelopment. The trial court sided with our clients (the homeowners). In the other case, the Jersey City Redevelopment Authority withdrew its condemnation action against a tavern owner whose property was intended to extend the football field of an adjoining parochial school. The law firm joined with the New Jersey American Civil Liberties Union, successfully arguing that the potential taking was not a valid public use and violated church-state constitutional prohibitions.
One of our partners, Michael B. Kates, offers extensive experience as a New Jersey municipal law attorney, and several of our attorneys practice in this area. We welcome all government entities and officials, as well as homeowners and developers with municipal government issues. Contact our Kates Nussman Rapone Ellis & Farhi, LLP law firm to schedule an initial consultation.
