Creech Land Use & Zoning, P.A.

About Us

Provider of Land Use and Zoning Legal Services, including Land Use and Zoning Analysis, Real Estate, Land Use and Zoning Due Diligence, Project Permitting, and Project and Real Estate Entitlements.

Bio

A Seventh Generation Floridian and Martin County native, many of Audra’s ancestors were the surveyors, mappers, engineers, traders, farmers and cattlemen that cut modern day Florida from the wilds of “Mosquito County” (aka everything south of Tallahassee circa 1803).

Because of Audra’s connection and long-standing appreciation for the lands and waters of Florida, and its history, Audra firmly espouses that if a community is not growing, its dying.

Getting responsible development through the permitting process, the quasi-judicial local government process, entitlements process, and finally, through the construction process, requires ingenuity, creativity, and foremost, true grit, in counties and municipalities that see all development as an anathema. These are the inhospitable environments Audra calls home.

Audra has spent her entire life seeing and understanding the interplay of relationships, financial requirements, permitting, planning, and zoning codes and boards, and environmental priorities that make getting even responsible development approved and constructed. This understanding first stemmed from working as a part of Creech Engineers, Inc., her family’s Civil Engineering and Surveying Firm in Martin County. Then Audra’s understanding was expanded as counsel for associations in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River Counties. Finally, Audra earned her stripes in the trenches of multi-party complex construction defect cases, providing professional liability defense of engineers, architects and surveyors on significant projects throughout South Florida.

Because of Audra’s long-standing connections with the communities of Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Palm Beach Counties, many stemming from childhood, Audra is specifically well positioned to get projects approved in counties up and down the Treasure Coast. Finally, because Audra has seen that local governments are not the only obstacles to responsible development, Audra is effective in navigating agencies such as South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), St. John’s Water Management District, special drainage districts, the Army Corp of Engineers, Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, among others.

Career Highlights
With a career underpinned by a keen eye for detail and an unwavering commitment to excellence, Ms. Creech as consistently provided high-quality complex land use and zoning analysis, due diligence, and negotiation for developers, landowners, and entrepreneurs.

Her work has played a pivotal role in identifying developmental constraints, securing successful entitlements, and navigating the complex permitting processes across multiple jurisdictions in the United States, benefiting a wide range of projects from chain dining establishments and big-box retail stores to elaborate residential and commercial developments.

Before founding Creech Land Use & Zoning, P.A., Ms. Creech made impactful contributions at Gunster, Yoakley & Stewart, P.A., where her expert zoning analysis led to the approval of noteworthy projects including a freestanding emergency room and a 60-townhome residential community in Stuart, FL, as well as a waste and recycling processing plant in rural Martin County.

Her expertise is not limited to large-scale projects.

Conducted county, city, and other agency research to effectively counsel clients on civil engineering, drainage, and permitting challenges, also, authored a detailed summary memorandum on the procedures surrounding United States Army Corps of Engineers Utility Line (Permit 12) and Linear Transportation (Permit 14) in relation to All Aboard Florida. Provided detailed research and assessment of applicable codes and ordinances on a dispute involving impact fees allegedly owed to St. Lucie County in relation to the project at Lowes at St. Lucie West.

Prepared conceptual site plans for mixed-use commercial shopping centers, requiring research of Easement, Covenants, and Restrictions; review of Site Development Agreements, Prohibited Use Agreements, major anchor and shadow lease agreements, and various Municipal Code requirements, Environmental Permitting requirements, and Florida Department of Transportation requirements.


Skills And Expertise

Holding a Juris Doctor from the prestigious Emory University School of Law, with focused studies in Real Estate Law, Tax Law, and Estate Planning, Ms. Creech has honed her skills in:

Land Use Analysis
Zoning & Environmental Permitting
Navigating Community Redevelopment Districts & Local Government Law
Land Development Regulations & Land Use Change Applications
Advocating for Property Rights
Her educational background, combined with real-world experiences, equips them with unique insights into the intricacies of land development and environmental considerations, making Ms. Creech a formidable force in the legal landscape.


Educational Qualifications And Credentials
An accomplished academic record from Auburn University, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a major in Psychology and minors in Economics and Philosophy, paved the way for Ms. Creech’s legal education.

Further qualifications include being admitted to the Southern District Court of Florida in 2018, completing the Florida Supreme Court Circuit Civil Mediation Training Course in 2016, and receiving her Florida Bar License (#122373) in May 2016.

A thought leader and a beacon for those navigating the complex terrain of land use and zoning laws, Ms. Creech continues to shape the future of real estate development through strategic legal counsel, unwavering dedication, and an innovative approach to overcoming obstacles.