Planning & Development

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT
Brownlee LLP combines unparalleled expertise with a critical understanding of Alberta legislation and progressive legal approaches to create a highly specialized practice in planning and development.

Brownlee LLP acts on behalf of municipalities across Alberta in relation to:

development proposals
development permit applications, subdivision applications and related matters
appearing before subdivision and development appeal boards
advising subdivision and development appeal boards on all aspects of operations and decision-making
appearances before the Municipal Government Board
appeals of decisions reached by the Municipal Government Board or subdivision and development appeal boards to the Alberta Court of Appeal

Brownlee also represents parties (such as developers) that go before subdivision and development appeal boards.

PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT ADVISORY SERVICES
Our knowledge of the planning and development field encourages our clients to seek out our advice whenever they are proactively shaping their organizations to better handle challenges. Brownlee helps its municipal clients by:

establishing unique intermunicipal entities such as the Alberta Heartland Industrial Association
negotiating and administering development agreements
handling all aspects of municipal infrastructure and servicing
preparing and reviewing general municipal plans, area redevelopment plans and land use bylaws
creating processes for considering adoption of bylaws or application approvals

Additionally, we annually teach numerous applied land use planning courses through the Faculty of Extension at the University of Alberta. Our students include municipal planners, administrators and development officers.

MUNICIPAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS AND CONTRACTS
Brownlee regularly guides clients through real estate transactions and contracting, examples include:

standard purchase agreements and sale agreements
subdivision and sale agreements for sales of portion of parcels
land exchange agreements
confidential acquisitions by municipalities and assemblies of lands for major projects
road acquisition agreements
lease, license, encroachment, easement, restrictive covenant, and utility right of way agreements
sale and construction agreements with covenants to build and options to repurchase
conservation easement agreements
telecommunication tower site agreements, leases and licenses
access agreements
gravel leases and purchases
road closures and sales