Your Vision, Our Expertise

Bringing a vision to reality requires more than just a concept—it demands expertise, foresight, and a partner who can navigate the complexities that will inevitably arise. For more than 50 years, RETTEW has been that trusted partner, helping clients transform possibilities into profitable realities.

You know the challenges: regulatory hurdles, environmental constraints, community concerns, and the constant pressure to maximize your investment while meeting deadlines. At RETTEW, we approach your projects as if they were our own, leveraging our comprehensive in-house expertise to tackle any obstacle that stands between your concept and completion. Your success becomes our mission, with every team member dedicated to transforming challenges into opportunities.

Beyond the Surface: Identifying and Addressing Critical Site Challenges

When evaluating potential development sites, we start with what lies beneath the surface to minimize its impact to your timeline and budget. Our team excels at identifying and resolving these hidden challenges, providing you with the full picture.

Strata West Allentown PA

From wetlands and floodplains to contaminated soils and superfund sites—we identify environmental constraints early and develop mitigation strategies that satisfy regulatory requirements while preserving your project’s viability.

Our thorough assessment covers all infrastructure realities. We evaluate existing utility capacity, identify underground storage tanks, analyze transportation access feasibility and requirements, and determine the practicality and cost of bringing necessary services to your site—giving you accurate projections, not optimistic guesses. Our experienced land planners excel at navigating regulatory compliance. Our established relationships with federal, state, and local authorities streamline approvals. We don’t just submit applications—we advocate for your project through the complex web of permits, zoning requirements, and community concerns.

The RETTEW Advantage: Early Involvement

Most experienced clients bring RETTEW in during the site selection process. Why? Because our comprehensive due diligence provides peace of mind and prevents costly surprises. Engaging RETTEW from the beginning gives you an advantage throughout your development process. You’ll gain clear insight into each property’s true potential and limitations, receive precise cost projections for site preparation and infrastructure needs, understand the regulatory timeline affecting your project schedule, and acquire valuable negotiating leverage that can substantially influence your purchase terms. This early partnership transforms uncertainties into strategic advantages.

Site Planning and Design in practice

A landowner wanted to build a new mixed-use development featuring a variety of houses, hotels, stores, and dining. But the property was zoned for industrial use. To enable the project’s success, the experts at RETTEW worked with the client to develop a plan that not only supported re-zoning the land but was also marketable, helping draw new residents and businesses to the development. We worked with the developer to understand the end goal and then proposed building and parking locations, structures, neighborhood layouts, parks, and more. Because a stream was running along the area, we worked with floodplain data and researched the stream’s quality, improved banks, and planned for clean-up. Along the way, we navigated state, county, and municipal regulations to create a plan for landscaping, traffic access, bedrock, and stormwater runoff.

One client’s business was booming and running out of space to operate. They already had a 150,000-SF manufacturing facility. Now they needed a 40,000-SF addition. From past experience, they knew to get the team at RETTEW involved early. We looked at their concept for locating the new addition and immediately saw that grading, slopes, floodplain, and impacts to the existing creek meant their original idea wouldn’t work. Instead, we developed a slightly different layout that avoided the obstacles and still provided ample space. The new plan also provided easier access to utilities, water sources, and stormwater management solutions.

A new housing development is more than buildings, roads, and utilities. It’s about creating a sense of community for the residents – especially for seniors. For this senior community development, RETTEW’s experts helped design every aspect of the property – making sure each amenity and feature balanced aesthetic charm with practical function to ensure residents would enjoy living in the community. That meant studying and designing for walkability, future amenities, safety, varied housing types, and pricing, while maintaining visually pleasing landscapes and architectural harmony. This included easy-to-navigate roadways, stormwater management that doubles as scenic water features, thoughtfully landscaped parking areas, artfully designed lighting that enhances nighttime beauty, coordinated traffic signage that complements the overall design aesthetic, and more. The project created a safe, enjoyable quality of life, where beauty and functionality unite to create spaces that nourish both the practical needs and visual senses of residents.

Knowing our client sought to preserve rural charm while developing upscale homes, RETTEW’s creative team navigated the delicate balance between honoring rural heritage and creating this modern residential development. After working through re-zoning, the team collaborated with elected officials and residents in the neighboring communities to negotiate the future of the development. After understanding the developer’s goal and the town residents’ concerns, we created a neighborhood of half- to full-acre lots for custom homes, complemented by preserved ample open space and interconnected walking trails that weave throughout the property. This thoughtful design approach resulted in happy community stakeholders and residents who could enjoy both private estate living and natural outdoor recreation. And the existing farmhouse and barn still stand today as an event center and community landmark – a nod to the past amidst the new development, serving as an anchor point for the trail system and surrounding preserved open spaces.

When one client was reviewing multiple optional sites for development, they called RETTEW to analyze everything from ordinances to wetlands. Our client knew from experience that having RETTEW’s conceptual planning and due diligence investigation on hand was critical for planning and negotiating purchases. We reviewed requirements and regulations, the configuration of the site, existing roads, environmental impacts, access, stormwater issues, and parking for each location. Our client was then able to use our analysis to create a concept plan, which they used to map out financial needs for the preferred site. Knowing all the details of a development project upfront, before purchase or construction, gave the client the answers they needed to make sound decisions.

The Partner You Need, Not Just the One You Want

As an extension of your team, we commit to telling you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear. This transparent approach has earned us the loyalty of developers who return to RETTEW for project after project, knowing our honesty at the outset prevents costly surprises later.

Our team sees obstacles differently—not as roadblocks, but as opportunities to apply creative problem-solving. From reimagining site configurations to finding innovative compliance solutions, we leverage our multi-disciplinary expertise to overcome challenges that might derail less experienced firms.

One Team, One Contact, Complete Solutions

Your development projects require multiple areas of expertise, but with RETTEW, you need only one point of contact. Our integrated team collaborates seamlessly across disciplines to deliver comprehensive solutions—handling every aspect of the planning process in-house.

This approach not only streamlines communication but allows every specialist working on your project to understand the bigger picture and your ultimate goals. The result? Solutions that address immediate challenges while advancing your overall vision.

A Track Record of Transformative Success

At RETTEW, we’re more than consultants—we’re partners invested in your success. We understand your reputation hinges on delivering exceptional developments that meet deadlines and financial targets. Our commitment to environmental stewardship, public safety, economic development, and community engagement means your projects not only get built but become assets to the communities they serve.

Let RETTEW’s experts guide you through the complex planning journey from concept to completion. Together, we’ll bring your vision to life.

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