Learning the Entitlement Process

[Kien Hua]

Does anyone have any recommendations on books, videos, websites, etc. for me to self-learn and get up to speed on the entitlement process? I want to extend my capabilities into looking at the rehab process from multiple angles, such as R1 zoned to R3, changing a rental into a condo, understanding legal descriptions, property lines, etc.

[Dave Iadarola]

My experience with the entitlement process in California is that it can be very cumbersome, which I'm sure you are aware of. I have been doing it for the last 7 years out west, including in California. I have never been able to find a good book or website that describes the entitlement process in detail.  The process can change drastically from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The best advice i can give is to sit down with someone from your local planning and zoning department and have them go over the zone change application with you or whatever entitlement you are looking to get from the county. Beware some county personal can be negative, but it's a good learning experience. Additionally, most county codes are posted online and describe the exact process for how to get entitlements or change existing zoning. Good luck!