A dedicated entitlement practice serving developers and builders across the Southeast. Senior-level expertise on every engagement, from initial strategy through the final vote.
William Latta is a licensed Professional Engineer with 15 years of experience in civil engineering and land use across the United States. After spending years managing projects and entitlements for developers, homebuilders, and commercial clients, he founded Meridian Land Consulting to offer something larger firms cannot: dedicated, senior-level attention on every single project.
William has worked directly with planning departments, zoning staff, and elected officials across the Southeast — and brings the skills to build relationships and credibility to each engagement.He has experience presenting to entitlement boards and commissions throughout the United States and currently serves as Chairman of the zoning board of his local jurisdiction
Meridian works alongside clients managing the technical and planning dimensions of the pre-design and entitlement process to ensure nothing falls between disciplines.
It's a fair question. You've probably worked with both. Here's the honest answer — and why the distinction matters when your approval timeline is on the line.
| What Matters to You | Meridian Land Consulting | Large Civil Engineering Firm | Land Use Attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who works your project | ✓Senior Level — every call, meeting, and hearing | —Senior pitch, junior execution. You meet the partner; junior level staff does the work. | ◐Typically the attorney, but technical prep is delegated or absent |
| Focus on entitlements | ✓100% — Our service is focused on analysis of what your project can support and getting the entitlement approvals you need. | —Entitlements compete with engineering production work for internal priority | ◐Legal strategy only — technical application work requires a separate partner |
| Local jurisdiction knowledge | ✓We have existing relationships with many jurisdictions or the skill and time to build relationships with planning staff across the Southeast | ◐General knowledge, but spread thin across many services. Relationship building often competes with other project/design priorities | ◐Varies — some attorneys specialize locally, many don't |
| Pricing transparency | ✓Fixed-fee engagements — you know the cost before we start | —Hourly billing with unpredictable totals; scope creep is common. Many firms are merely buying the opportunity to design your project at whatever price they want to charge | —Hourly rates typically $300–$600/hr; complex cases escalate quickly |
| Responsiveness | ✓Direct line to the person doing the work — hours, not days | —Routed through account managers and project coordinators. Junior level staff may not have the experience to get the answers you need | ◐Attorneys are responsive, but technical questions get queued |
| Technical PE credibility | ✓Licensed PE with direct engineering analysis capability | ✓PE staff available, though often not assigned to entitlement work | —No engineering license — technical issues must be referred out |
| Works alongside your attorney | ✓Designed to complement legal counsel — we handle technical, they handle legal | ◐Coordination possible but not their primary model | ✓This is exactly their role — legal strategy is their strength |
"The best outcome for a successful entitlement involves a strategy with multiple skillsets: proper due diligence and analysis of your property, relationship building with planning and engineering staff, expertise in preparing a persuasive and compelling submittal, and expert presentation before entitlement boards and commissions. At Meridian, our mission is to bring expertise in all of these skillsets, so you have one point of contact and the highest likelihood of getting your entitlements approved."
— William Latta, PE · Principal, Meridian Land ConsultingWhether you have an active rezoning underway, a site under contract, or simply want to understand your options before committing — we are glad to have a conversation. Most engagements begin with a straightforward call.
We typically respond within one business day.