Melissa L. Vancrum

Experience

Melissa focuses her practice on land use, entitlements and zoning for clients including individuals, businesses, energy developers and political subdivisions.  She counsels clients on a wide variety of planning, zoning and regulatory issues including entitlements, economic incentives, permitting, real estate development, environmental issues, administrative hearings and regulatory compliance.  Melissa has broad experience in state and local energy permitting and regulation across the U.S. and is licensed in California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.  Melissa draws on a decade of marketing and public relations experience and a Master of Urban Planning degree to help clients navigate government hurdles to resolve issues and evaluate strategy to reduce project risks.

See what Economic Development Incentives, Government Relations, Land Use & Zoning, and Public Law projects Melissa has helped complete on our Project Map.

Areas of Practice

• Administrative Law & Regulatory Proceedings
• Economic Development Incentives
• Energy Law
• Environmental Law
• Government Relations
• Land Use & Zoning
• Municipal Law & Governance
• Public Law

Activities and Memberships

• Lenexa Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, 2023 – present, Secretary 2024- present
• Overland Park Comprehensive Plan Update Steering Committee, 2022-2024
• City of Overland Park, Environmental Advisory Council, 2019-present
• Leawood Economic Development Council, Executive Committee Member, 2018-2021
• Harvester’s Food From the Bar, Steering Committee Member, 2018-2024
• Johnson County Housing for All Task Force, Member 2021
• Leadership Overland Park, Class of 2018
• City of Overland Park Sign Committee, Member, 2018-2020
• Housing Action Coalition, Regulatory Committee Member, 2013-2017

Honors and Recognitions

• Selected for Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 2019-2022

Representative Experience

• Represented clients in front of local governing bodies including city, county and town council, planning commission and board of appeals in obtaining conditional use permits, variances and defeating discretionary review requests for client residential, commercial and energy projects.
• Provided research, analysis and strategic advice regarding city, county and state laws, ordinances and regulations applicable to energy projects across the U.S., including drafting appropriate amendments and promoting to responsible governmental bodies.
• Advised and participated in the development, filing and prosecution of successful conditional/special use permits, tax abatements and subdivisions for many wind energy, solar energy, battery energy storage systems (BESS), utility, residential, commercial and industrial projects.
• Assisted in creation of airspace condominium and drafting of complex declarations and other governing documents to govern multi-use commercial building.
• Advised large hospital system on removal of encumbrances on all parcels for a full city block being demolished and redeveloped for a medical complex.
• Represented medical marijuana industry clients in obtaining permits, coordinating with community associations, amending legislation and fulfilling regulatory requirements related to medicinal cannabis dispensaries and cultivation facilities.
• Defended Clean Water Act citizen’s suit case under state implementation plan of storm water management through settlement and compliance with Consent Decree.
• Coordinated with client, environmental professionals and neighboring land owners on remediation of contaminated site including negotiation of access agreements, agency approval to close wells, reporting to state and regional authorities.

Publications and Presentations

• “Local Permitting Playbook”, Moderator, Wildlife & Permitting Symposium, Burns & McDonnell, October 2023
• “Siting Considerations: Local Permitting Playbook”, Presenter, Wildlife & Permitting Symposium, Burns & McDonnell, October 2022
• “Land Use & Zoning Law Update”, Presenter, American Planning Association, Missouri Chapter Conference, October 2020
• “Land Use and Zoning Law Update: Pot, Drones, Renewable Energy and Other Hot Topics”, Presenter, American Planning Association Quad State Conference, Tulsa, OK, October 2019
• “Environmental and Land Use Law Update”, Presenter, American Planning Association, Bi-State Conference, 2018
• “EPA Enforcement Actions Reflect Shifting Priorities,” co-author, Law.com, February 2016
• “The ABCs of ADUs,” co-author, SF Apartment Magazine, November 2016