Adena M. Patterson, AICP Sr. Land Use Planner

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Adena is a senior planner with a range of experience in zoning, land use, subdivision, planning, and analysis of real estate development opportunities and constraints. Working with the firm’s land use attorneys, she serves as a project manager to guide clients and their projects through the zoning process and various site development permits.

Her duties include evaluation of issues ranging from conformance with the comprehensive plan to zoning district regulations; design criteria to sustainable development; and architectural styling to maximizing zoning flexibility. She also has experience and an educational background in historic preservation and urban design. She has assisted a number of clients through the site plan process, and evaluated projects for code compliance.

Adena has worked in both the Tysons Corner and Richmond offices. This has given her a variety of experiences with different sized jurisdictions and various types of ordinances and approaches to planning. While in the firm’s Tysons Corner office, she was intimately involved in the creation of Virginia’s four Transportation Improvement Districts.

Adena received the Alumni Scholarship Award for Scholastic Achievement and Contributions to the Community from the School of Community and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to earning her Master of Urban and Regional Planning, she completed 30 of the 34 hours for an MA in American Studies. She was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Alpha Theta at Centre College.

Experience

    • Project management of more than 400 zoning applications or related development cases for clients primarily in the Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia areas.
    • Rezoning and conditional use for expansion of quarry in the Richmond area including negations with County to provide water storage facility in one of the quarry pits and grant of 95 acres of property for Civil War Park.
    • Rezoning of 1400+ acre mixed-use, new urban development in a Richmond area county.
    • Rezoning and subdivision approval of new town in a central Virginia.
    • Rezoning, special exception for additional signage, site plans, architectural approval, and purchase of residual right-of-way for 100 acre commercial site in central Virginia.
    • Special exception for a 500 foot radio tower in northern Virginia and conditional use for two 300+ foot towers in central Virginia.
    • Rezoning of a 1200+ acre property for commercial, residential, industrial, and office development with substantial transportation improvements and bond financing.
    • Facilitate and find common ground among clients, local staffs, consultants, citizens, regulators, and officials to reach desired outcome.
    • Research, analysis, and evaluation of:
  • Zoning ordinances and codes
  • Transportation
  • Land development
  • Construction
  • Architectural design
  • Landscaping
  • New urbanism
  • Sustainability
  • Signage
  • Environmental issues
  • Senior housing
  • Student housing
  • Landfills
  • Telecommunication and radio towers
    • Research other divergent topics such as:
  • Utilities
  • Condemnation
  • Quarries
  • Pipelines
  • Railroads
  • Historic preservation
  • Rights-of-way
  • Airports
  • Noise
  • Prisons
  • Cemeteries
  • Taxation