Is it a fools errand to attempt rezoning and subdivision as an individual (LA County)
My family owns a 96,000 sf lot in LA county. Most of it is raw land, and it's presently zoned A2. Under the general plan its R1. We'd like to sell it, but to first increase its value I'm looking into rezoning it myself. R5 would probably bring the most value. I noticed that the higher density developments in my area diverge from the general plan. Is this something only a developer with connections and leverage is able to pull off? Should I even attempt to rezone it as an individual? Also, I don't want this to drag on forever, so estimated timeframe would be useful information to have. Thanks for the help!
[{"id": "huwb9t8", "text": "*I don\u2019t want this to drag on forever\u2026*\n\nEspecially if it\u2019s in a more difficult city, 2 or more years to get approval is not uncommon, especially for \u201cfirst-timers\u201d. \n\nI help a lot of people compare time cost to what the increase in land value with approvals would be\u2026 the spread in LA is not usually worth the wait, given high land costs anyway. Now if you planned to build, that\u2019s a different story.", "replies": [{"id": "hux17m9", "text": "Where are you based and how much do you charge?", "replies": [{"id": "hux605k", "text": "I shot it to you privately", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huwi86h", "text": "It's always worth trying. Yes it will be a learning curve, but remember, people that work in a planning department are public employees, they work to serve YOU, and will and should guide you through the process and help you along the way. Don't be afraid, schedule a pre-development conference with the city/county before you spend any money. Source: been there, done that", "replies": [{"id": "huwwl08", "text": "Wishful thinking there brother!  Where I am from they look at real estates developers or even end users as the devil, that do anything but help with entitlements\u2026.", "replies": [{"id": "huyoz42", "text": "The property taxes from developed projects are 10 fold of raw land or even more. They need developments. There's few states right now that trying to get rid of single-family zoning on state level for that very reason (more tax). They can't be above the law. If it gets personal make an appointment with a mayor.", "replies": [], "depth": 3}], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huwm1dv", "text": "Get a well known architecture/design firm to assist with it. You can even have them do the council hearing presentations. It will save a lot of wasted time and effort to pay an established professional who knows the ropes.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huwn1eh", "text": "It\u2019s really not rocket science. A couple of meetings with the zoning people at the city will give you a roadmap, then just follow the plan. It does take a while but then again, it would for anyone, even the attorney you hire. In my mind, this kind of stuff is the best to do yourself, because you actually care about the outcome, and you can get creative. No attorney is going to care as much as you do.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huxfupq", "text": "There is a reason LA County has some of the highest land values in the country and that is because of the slow expensive process for increasing density in zoning. \nEngage with a real estate lawyer to help with the slow agonizing process and pray you don't have any neighbors or endangered wildlife that will drag out the process further.\nAnother option is partner with a developer that has an option to buy the land once rezoning is completed in a certain time frame.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huxxsne", "text": "You need to consult with a local land use attorney to really get a sense of the process, and what it would require in both time and money. A Reddit user is not going to be able to give you a reliable answer here. That said, you have almost 2.5 acres of land, which would be big enough for a huge development (hundreds of units) depending on the zoning. So paying a land use attorney a few hours to consult on your options is more than worth it.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huyj9zh", "text": "An acquaintance who just rezoned his primary residence so his son could build his house on the land as well.  4 years and so much money.  Retelling the story he was beet red and pissed.\n\nEdited to add, all in Los Angeles county.", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "huz8spz", "text": "That\u2019s only ~2ac. How much are you willing to spend on this endeavor? Are you trying to match or exceed the contiguous neighboring parcel zoning? Subdivision will require you plat it, no?", "replies": [{"id": "hv11lt4", "text": "How much should I expect to spend? I really have no idea. I will be talking to an attorney, but using Reddit to just become familiar with the territory. There is a development across the street (which feels like spot zoning), they were able to somehow go from A2 to R5. But the rest of the immediate area is low density single family. That development even diverges from the general plan. It seems we should go after the greatest density we can. \n\nYes, we would have to plat it. I'm only looking into this because one of the owners is insisting we do this to increase value before selling. I would rather not deal with it, but I don't have the power in this situation. I'm just the manager of my family's assets. So, if I'm going to tell them this doesn't make sense, I'm going to need justification.", "replies": [], "depth": 2}], "depth": 1}]