Our Services
At HD Brown, we guide projects through the complexities of entitlement and land-use processes in central Texas communities. We guide projects from initial due diligence through final approvals and everything in between.
Real estate development affects a wide range of stakeholders, from property owners and developers to neighbors, city staff, elected officials, and community organizations. We have worked hard to understand the communities we work in and have found that strategic collaboration with stakeholders is crucial to the success of real estate projects in navigating the entitlement processes.
Entitlement Due Diligence
Whether you are evaluating sites prior to acquisition, negotiating a contract, assessing entitlement risk, or seeking to understand your property's development potential, it’s important to understand the regulatory, political, and community landscape that will determine what can be built there, the timeline, and at what cost. We provide an honest assessment of the likelihood of success, including when project is unlikely to succeed, which will save you time and money.
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Current entitlements — existing zoning, land use designation, overlay districts, deed restrictions, and prior approvals
Entitlement gap analysis — what approvals are needed, which are discretionary versus administrative, and where the greatest challenges are likely to arise
Process and timeline — which applications are required, which bodies are involved, and what a realistic approval schedule looks like
Political and community risk landscape — council member priorities, neighborhood sentiment, known opposition patterns, and preliminary meetings with relevant elected officials and city staff to gauge receptivity before the process begins
Strategic recommendation — a frank assessment of overall approvability and the approach most likely to succeed
Land Use & Entitlements Consulting
We represent clients through the complex land-use and entitlements process, from feasibility to final approvals with decision-makers.
With deep experience in Central Texas regulations and municipal processes, our role is to anticipate challenges, streamline coordination, and position each project for success.
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Zoning, rezonings, and land use amendments
Annexations and development agreements
Variances, special use permits, and board of adjustment cases
Utility access and availability
Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) and mixed-use entitlements
Pre-application strategy and feasibility assessment
Entitlement Project Management
Many entitlement processes require a coordinated team, including land-use attorneys, civil engineers, architects, etc., each with deadlines and deliverables that affect the process. We serve as your entitlement project manager: the single point of accountability across your consultant team, your city contacts, and your approval timeline.
We also serve as the translator between the technical work your consultants are producing and the people who need to understand it — city staff reviewing a submittal, neighbors trying to follow what is being proposed, a council member preparing to vote. Getting that communication right with each audience is crucial to a successful entitlement process.
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Consultant coordination
Submittal deadline tracking across all city departments
Staff comment triage, assignment, and response compilation
Proactive communication with all parties throughout the process
Risk identification and early mitigation strategy
Community Engagement
Communities have a vested interest in what gets built near them, and in growth markets like central Texas, neighborhood engagement shapes outcomes and can make or break a project. We design and lead engagement processes that create a genuine opportunity for communities to understand what is being proposed and raise concerns before decisions are made, not as a formality, but as a real part of the process.
When we engage with a neighborhood association, we are not there to manage the room. We are there to understand what people are actually worried about, and collaborate in a way that shapes the project, not just the presentation.
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Stakeholder mapping and early community sentiment assessment
Required notification letters to property owners
Neighborhood meeting design, facilitation, and documentation
Ongoing liaison between the development team and surrounding neighbors
Structured processes for receiving and responding to community concerns
Support letter coordination where community support exists
Government Affairs
Development approvals are not purely administrative decisions — they are political ones. Elected officials weigh community sentiment, district priorities, and long-term policy goals. We engage elected officials and their staff early and honestly, ensuring they have the information they need to understand the project and our clients are equipped with feedback to ensure a successful process.
Our government affairs work is not about pressure. It is about preparation and alignment of priorities.
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Political and policy landscape assessment
Elected official and staff outreach and relationship management
Stakeholder alignment — identifying and connecting clients with allied organizations.
Pre-hearing briefings tailored to each official's questions and priorities
Strategic sequencing of outreach to support an informed public process
Ongoing government affairs retainer for developers with active pipelines
State-level engagement where infrastructure, environmental, or policy issues affect project feasibility
