Shulman, Howard & McPherson, LLP

My professional practice can be roughly organized in three overlapping areas: a land use planning and zoning practice, a real property practice and a conservation practice.  If there is one unifying theme it would be the land.  Drafting land use laws is a significant part of my practice.  In addition to helping communities with their growth and development goals, I have represented municipalities by serving as counsel to planning and zoning boards.  As private counsel, I also frequently represent people seeking approvals from the boards of other cities, towns and villages.  My clients’ interests have ranged from large mixed-use Planned Development Districts to the right of a military veteran with PTSD to keep his prized show chickens where the zoning prohibited them.  I am also a founding member of the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance (RPA).  Over the years, I have handled RPA’s acquisition of over 2,500 acres of land representing six district preserves, which are all open to the public.  I also serve as the attorney for Saratoga PLAN.  Saratoga PLAN has protected over 4,000 acres and owns over 2,000 acres with 10 properties open to the public, which in turn have more than 25 miles of trails.  Fifteen years ago, I also worked with the City of Syracuse, American Farmland Trust and Behan Planning to create and implement the award-winning Skaneateles Lake Watershed Land Protection Program (SLWLPP), a model for the sustainable management of our most basic resources -- food and water.  The SLWLPP protected almost a dozen farm properties around Skaneateles Lake, which provides the drinking water for the City of Syracuse.