Southern California - Los Angeles + San Diego

Entitlement strategy + staff-ready submittals for LA + San Diego infill projects.

Feasibility, narratives, guideline matrices, and exhibit sets built to reduce comment cycles and keep reviews moving with clarity.

Feasibility clarified in 1-2 weeks with a clean roadmap
Guideline matrices that reduce avoidable staff comments
Exhibit sets that keep hearings and submittals calm

Request a scoped proposal View case studies

Reply within 1 business day. Have a hearing date? Include it.

Public-agency planning experience
LA + San Diego focus
Bilingual (Spanish)
Entitlement + drafting + graphics

Deliverable excerpt: guideline matrix (redacted). — Deliverable excerpt (redacted)

Why Saenz Atelier

Calm, staff-ready packages with fewer surprises.

Staff-ready deliverables anchored in jurisdiction literacy, QC checks, and clear inputs.

Jurisdiction Literacy

Roadmaps and matrices tuned to LA + SD intake patterns and board calendars.

Staff-Ready Artifacts

Memos, narratives, and exhibit sets that read cleanly for staff.

Quality Checks

QC pass across narrative, matrix, and sheets to prevent rework.

Clear Inputs + Timelines

Defined inputs, delivery windows, and next-step checklists.

Proof ladder

LA + SD jurisdiction focus
Former public-agency planning
Bilingual coordination
Artifact-first deliverables + QC checks

Selected Work

Representative engagement snapshots.

Details are anonymized. Full case studies are available on request.

Infill Addition - Los Angeles

Goal: Confirm an entitlement path before design development.
Constraint: Tight zoning limits and neighborhood review concerns.
Outcome: Clear roadmap + memo that aligned the design team.

View infill addition case study

Redacted design review narrative excerpt

Small Multifamily - San Diego

Goal: Package design review materials that read cleanly.
Constraint: Multiple guideline overlays and staff comments risk.
Outcome: Staff-ready narrative + exhibit set for review.

View small multifamily case study

Tenant Improvement - LA County

Goal: Clean plan set coordination before plan check.
Constraint: Consultant inputs arriving late in the cycle.
Outcome: Organized sheets + redlines ready for submittal.

View tenant improvement case study

Focused Engagements

Fast-start scopes with clear deliverables.

Each engagement scopes to your jurisdiction, timeline, and review path.

Radius Map + Public Notice Package

Noticing-ready radius maps, owner/occupant lists, labels, and certification forms configured to your jurisdiction.

Typical timeline: 2-3 business days
Inputs: address/APN, jurisdiction, filing type

View Radius Map package

Feasibility + Entitlement Sprint

Zoning and constraints summary, entitlement roadmap, and next-step recommendations in 1-2 weeks.

Typical timeline: 1-2 weeks
Inputs: address/APN, concept drawings, goals

View Feasibility Sprint package

Design Review Readiness Kit

Narrative, guidelines matrix, and a focused exhibit set for staff and board review.

Typical timeline: scoped per jurisdiction
Inputs: guidelines, concept set, review notes

View Design Review kit

Submittal Cleanup + Coordination

Sheet organization, redline implementation, and consultant coordination for clean plan sets.

Typical timeline: scoped per plan set
Inputs: latest plan set + consultant files

View Submittal Cleanup package

Public Meeting Kit

Boards, deck, and one-page summaries that make approvals feel calm and clear.

Typical timeline: scoped per meeting date
Inputs: key visuals + agenda priorities

View Public Meeting kit

Selected outcomes (anonymized)

Results summarized from recent engagements.

Examples are anonymized and summarized from prior engagements.

Approval path clarified early

Context: Infill addition, City of Los Angeles.
Deliverables: Feasibility memo, entitlement roadmap, staff checklist.
Result: Clear direction before design development spend.

Related case study: infill addition

Staff expectations aligned pre-board

Context: Small multifamily, City of San Diego.
Deliverables: Review narrative, guidelines matrix, exhibit set.
Result: Staff expectations aligned ahead of board review.

Related case study: small multifamily

Plan set ready for plan check

Context: Tenant improvement, Los Angeles County.
Deliverables: Sheet cleanup, consultant coordination, redline pass.
Result: Plan set organized for plan check submission.

Related case study: tenant improvement

Services

Clear planning. Clean documentation. Confident reviews.

We build agency-ready packages and visuals that keep reviews moving and teams aligned.

Entitlement Strategy + Agency Coordination

Zoning feasibility, entitlement roadmaps, pre-app support, and coordination that reduces surprises and keeps reviews moving.

Explore entitlement strategy

Drafting + Documentation Support

Existing conditions, permit drawing support, consultant coordination, and model help in AutoCAD, Revit, and SketchUp.

Explore drafting support

Graphics + Visualization

Clear maps, diagrams, boards, and meeting materials that help staff and stakeholders understand the project quickly.

Explore graphics + visualization

How it works

A calm process that keeps approvals moving.

Each phase stays clear, organized, and focused on decisions.

1. Align

Quick intake to understand goals, constraints, and decision points.

2. Clarify

Zoning and review expectations, risks flagged early.

3. Build

Agency-ready narrative, exhibits, and documentation.

4. Submit

Coordinated submittal that reads cleanly for staff.

5. Refine

Comment response support and iterations until it lands.

Studio Overview

Planning-first support built for review.

We translate complex requirements into clear, staff-ready documentation.

Saenz Atelier helps projects move from concept to approval with a planning-first mindset and design precision. We translate requirements into narratives, matrices, and exhibit sets that read clearly at first pass.

We align teams early, pre-empt likely staff comments, and deliver documentation that makes decisions easier in reviews, boards, and public meetings.

Proof

Agency-aligned by design.

Public-sector planning experience plus documentation craft that keeps approvals calm and clear.

Public-Agency Perspective

Former city planning roles guide entitlement strategy and staff expectations.

Review-Ready Deliverables

Feasibility memos, guideline matrices, and exhibit sets that read cleanly.

Southern California Focus

Serving Los Angeles + San Diego jurisdictions with infill expertise.

Bilingual Coordination

Fluent in Spanish for clearer client and stakeholder communication.

What staff looks for

Clean sheet organization + index that matches the narrative.
Clear findings and compliance language tied to guidelines.
Exhibits that answer likely comments before they are written.
Project story that stays consistent from memo to boards.

Experience Snapshot

Agency perspective with private-sector execution.

Planning leadership, documentation, and coordination across public agencies and private teams.

City of Encinitas

Planner III managing entitlement pathways, design review initiatives, and agency-facing documentation.

City of Glendora

Assistant Planner supporting CEQA review, code interpretation, and public meeting materials.

Design + Field Support

Drafting, field verification, and consultant coordination across design and construction teams.

Where we work

City of Los Angeles Los Angeles County City of San Diego San Diego County See jurisdictions

LA City Planning LA County Planning San Diego DSD SD County PDS

Resources

Short guides that keep reviews calm.

Practical reads on readiness, noticing, and staff-ready documentation.

Design review

What belongs in a design review readiness kit

Core components that keep staff review clear and calm.

Read design review guide

Pre-application

How to prepare for a pre-application meeting

LA vs SD differences, the right questions, and must-have artifacts.

Read pre-application guide

Noticing

Radius maps: owner vs occupant lists

What each list is and when jurisdictions expect them.

Read radius map guide

View all resources See where we work

Prepare

What to bring to the first call.

Bring the essentials and we can scope quickly and accurately.

Site + Jurisdiction

Property address or APN, plus the city or county reviewer.

Project Snapshot

Goals, current conditions, and any known constraints.

Timeline

Target dates or hearings so we can align deliverables.

Existing Files

Plans, sketches, or surveys if available.

Ready to validate a site or clean up a submittal?

Share the address/APN + project type + timeline. Response within 1 business day.

Start a scope conversation