Megan A. Jennings - Coblentz Law

Details

P 415.772.5763

F 415.989.1663

mjennings@coblentzlaw.com

Education

J.D.

University of California, Berkeley, School of Law (2007)
B.A.

University of Montana (2001)

Practices

Real Estate

Industries

Renewable Energy

Professional Services

Megan Jennings advises clients on a broad range of land use entitlement, transactional, and project compliance issues. Megan counsels project developers throughout the notoriously challenging California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review and land use approval process. She has particular experience finding practical solutions to complex development issues for multi-family and mixed-use projects, medical facilities, corporate and life science campuses, and renewable energy projects.

In addition to land use matters, Megan counsels clients on compliance with state and federal natural resource regulations, and regularly negotiates environmental and land use aspects of real estate, financing, and corporate transactions.

Megan serves on the Advisory Board for the Center for Law, Energy and the Environment at Berkeley Law. She completed four years of service on the City of Albany Planning and Zoning Commission, and was previously a member of the City’s Sustainability Committee. She is a member of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), the Environmental Law and Real Property Law sections of the California Lawyers Association, and the Bar Association of San Francisco.

Megan received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall), with a Certificate in Environmental Law (2007) and her B.A. with high honors from the University of Montana (2001).

Google
Serving as CEQA counsel in Google’s efforts to redevelop an underutilized 81-acre area surrounding San Jose’s Diridon Station into a new mixed-use extension of the downtown area. At full buildout, the Downtown West project will include 7.3 million square feet of office, 5,900 residential units, and 500,000 square feet of retail and other uses. The team of Coblentz attorneys advised on preparation of an Environmental Impact Report and negotiation of a Development Agreement, among other aspects of the project, and continues to advise on project implementation.

Southline Specific Plan
Counsel on all aspects of land use and environmental review for a 2.8 million square foot transit-oriented office/life science project in South San Francisco, including development of a Specific Plan and zoning regulations, preparation of an Environmental Impact Report, and negotiation of a Development Agreement. The project, located adjacent to the San Bruno BART station, will provide extensive pedestrian and bicycle improvements to leverage its proximity to transit, and will significantly improve vehicular connections between Downtown South San Francisco and the Lindenville neighborhood through the construction of a major new east-west roadway and reconfiguration of surrounding intersections in both South San Francisco and San Bruno.

Oyster Point Redevelopment Project
Advised on land use entitlements for the redevelopment of approximately 80 waterfront acres in South San Francisco, through a complex public-private partnership with the City of South San Francisco. After obtaining major land use entitlements for a 2.25 million square-foot life science campus, Megan assisted with completion of a land swap with the City, public and private financing, infrastructure development, approval from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission for extensive public improvements at the shoreline, and the sale of the entire privately- owned portion of the project.

John Muir Health Development Projects
Serve as John Muir Health’s land use, natural resources, and real estate counsel on all aspects of its capital program, including the entitlement and development of its major medical centers in Walnut Creek and Concord, and recent acquisitions in San Ramon, California.

UDR, Inc.
Advise a leading developer and owner of luxury apartment communities on multiple Bay Area residential acquisitions and development projects, including entitlements for a 220-unit transit-oriented multifamily project in a politically challenging local climate, involving the settlement of litigation that raised novel claims under the state’s Housing Accountability Act, and acquisition and development matters for Alameda Point Block 11.

Utility-Scale Solar Projects
Represented several major developers of utility-scale photovoltaic solar facilities on environmental, land use, natural resource, and real estate aspects of complex solar permitting, transmission, and facility development in Fresno, Kern, Kings, and San Benito Counties, including compliance with NEPA and the CEQA, the federal and California Endangered Species Acts, the Williamson Act, and local zoning and related laws and regulations.

Megan is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the Land Use and Zoning Law category.

“March 2024 Election: San Francisco Measures and a State Proposition to Watch” (February 28, 2024)

“Senator Wiener Proposes Targeted CEQA Exemption for Downtown S.F. Projects” (February 26, 2024)

“2023 Housing Legislation Overview – Major Signed and Pending Bills” (September 28, 2023)

“Legislation to Incentivize Commercial to Residential Adaptive Reuse Projects Moves Forward” (June 15, 2023)

“Water Supply Planning and Impact Evaluation: Dry Year Edition,” 2023 Association of Environmental Professionals Conference (April 24, 2023)

“Mayor Breed Issues Executive Directive to Address City’s Housing Crisis” (February 21, 2023)

“Bay Area Quality Management District Updates CEQA Thresholds for Greenhouse Gas Impacts” (April 26, 2022)

“SB 7 Breathes New Life into CEQA Streamlining Process” (May 26, 2021)

“AB 1561 Extends Housing Entitlements by 18 Months” (March 25, 2021)

“Another Daunting San Francisco Ballot” (October 13, 2020)

“Sellers Beware? San Francisco Adopts Community Opportunity to Purchase Act for Multifamily Properties” (May 8, 2019)