Kathleen A. Hill

• Assisted with due diligence and securing necessary entitlements, sign permits, and street improvement permits for a 245,000 square foot commercial shopping center in the coastal zone in the City of Long Beach.
• Represented a developer in obtaining approval for a general plan amendment, zone change, and site plan for a 126,980 square foot mixed-use retail/commercial project in Hollywood.
• Represented a developer in securing a commercial corner conditional use permit for the construction and development of a 45,000 square foot commercial building in West Los Angeles. Negotiated with council district staff and the neighborhood council to obtain height and setback adjustments as well as deferral of street dedication and widening.
• Secured approval for a conditional use permit to expand a private elementary/middle school in Playa Vista. Obtained the support of the neighborhood council and city councilmember to add a 24,000 square foot building to the campus for an early childhood center for 69 preschool-aged children and new gymnasium for K-8 grade students.
• Represented a developer in a joint public/private project to construct a 90-unit affordable and market-rate housing complex and juvenile impact project facility to be operated by the City of Los Angeles Police Department on a portion of a high school in South Los Angeles. Secured approval for a conditional use permit, a variance to reduce parking, and a height increase.
• Represented the owners of a health retreat in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County east of Malibu to secure a new conditional use permit to continue operating for 30 years. Negotiated with the Los Angeles County Fire Department to waive the requirement to widen an access road.
• Prepared an application to vacate a public street and expedited the approval process as part of a redevelopment project for a movie studio in Hollywood.
• Negotiated with Los Angeles County and the City of Santa Clarita to obtain water franchise agreements for a local water service provider.
• Advised and represented a retail center developer in establishing new parking rates for a public parking garage in the Hollywood Community Redevelopment Area.
• Advising and representing tower companies in securing permits for wireless telecommunications infrastructure. Prepared applications and negotiated approvals to extend the entitlement for over 50 wireless telecommunications facilities with expired permits in jurisdictions throughout California.
• Petitioned Los Angeles County to not require conditional use permits for distributed antenna systems (DAS) by explaining the technology and demonstrating that DAS does not pose any land use compatibility issues nor have an impact on aesthetics.

Kathleen Hill is a planning director who works closely with attorneys and clients on a range of land use planning matters, including development project pre-acquisition due diligence, securing project entitlements and building permits, negotiating permit renewals for wireless telecommunication facilities, and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Kathleen has more than 25 years of experience in planning, real estate development, and project management. Her public sector land use experience includes working as an associate planner for the City of Riverside and City of Perris. Kathleen has also worked as a planning consultant on residential and commercial projects, subdivision maps, zoning code amendments, specific plans, and general plan updates. She previously worked as a site development manager in the wireless telecommunications industry, where she acquired real estate suitable for development with wireless infrastructure, prepared and processed entitlement applications, and negotiated approvals with public agencies throughout California. She was responsible for managing a team of real estate, construction, and property management professionals.

Education

• University of Southern California (B.S., 1986)

Memberships