Patrice Boyes, Land Use Attorney, Holtzman Vogel

Patrice Boyes is a partner at Holtzman Vogel and represents property owners, institutional clients, business owners and local governments in state court and administrative hearings regarding land use and environmental matters. She manages teams of diverse legal and expert consultants to develop strategic solutions to complex permitting and economic development matters.

Patrice is experienced in conceptualizing and executing paths for securing approvals, including matters involving environmental issues. She has overseen numerous transformative mid-rise projects in an urbanizing college town, and secured approval of the largest mixed-use development ever approved in Alachua County.

Patrice focuses her practice on the following areas:

Land Use & Zoning

Local Development Order Approvals – Annexation, Comprehensive Plan Amendments, Conditional Uses, Right of Way Vacations, Special Exceptions, Special Uses, Legal Nonconforming Designations, Variances, and Zoning
Development Agreements – between private parties and with public, government entities
Large Scale Master Planning/State Regulation – Planned Unit Developments (PUDs), Developments of Regional Impact (DRI)

Land Use & Property Rights Litigation

Administrative Hearings & Appeals
Circuit Court Proceedings & Appeals
Dispute Resolution & Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (FLUEDRA) Proceedings – including Special Magistrate/Mediation services

Environmental & Natural Resources

Property Contamination & Redevelopment – Brownfield Redevelopment, Environmental Due Diligence
Groundwater Contamination & Remediation Oversight
Landfill Permitting, Compliance & Closure
Biosolids; Composting & Recycling; Bio-char & Biomass fuels
Renewable Energy – Solar Leasing
Mining Operations – Permitting, Compliance & Enforcement
Dairy Industry Compliance

Patrice also serves as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit & Appellate Court Mediator and is highly skilled in mediation, facilitation and negotiation regarding complex legal problems that require creative resolutions. She also serves as a Special Magistrate under the Florida Land Use and Environmental Dispute Resolution Act (§ 70.51).

Patrice also co-founded a hydro-geologic consulting firm and served for 16 years in various positions, including General Counsel.

Representative Matters

Represented Norfleet Properties, LLLP in land use and permitting issues related to NC Ranch Planned Development, the largest mixed-use development approved in Alachua County as of today. The 1,200-acre project will include 4,500 dwelling units, 700,000 square feet of non-residential uses, and 250 assisted living facility beds.
Obtained a verdict of $4.4 million after an eight-day trial on behalf of Wood Resource Recovery, LLC/Gaston Tree Debris Recycling, a major supplier of recycled-wood fuel suing a Gainesville biomass electricity plant for breach of a long-term fuel supply contract.
Drafted and negotiated the underlying leasing documents for Green Energy Development, LLC, who erected the largest (at that time) solar rooftop arrays in the Southeast U.S. in 2010-2011. Client was also the first solar company to receive title insurance.
Authored a 2021 Florida legislative bill, which was codified as Sec. 163.3177(6)(i)1, Florida Statutes, that requires local governments to adopt a Property Rights Element into their Comprehensive Plans. Has also assisted legislators in drafting other development-related legislation.
Developed a voluntary module for mid-rise student apartment complex developers near the University of Florida to provide a 10% set-aside for workforce housing in perpetuity in exchange for additional density and height. Two projects approved to date.
Successfully defended a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) appeal resulting in the Governor and Cabinet ordering adoption of Minimum Flows and Levels for surface waters and groundwaters in the state of Florida.
Represented Praise Ranch, LLC in 1,000-acre municipal annexation and successful defense against county challenge in circuit court.
Successfully defended Gilchrist County’s denial of dairy pipeline crossing permits in circuit court.
Represented Denney Family Limited Partnership in the development of Magnolia Parke PUD, the first Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) approved in City of Gainesville in 1997.

Community Outreach/Service

The National Association of Women Artists, Florida Chapter, Board Member, 2023-Present
- NOW Magazine, Co-Editor, 2023-Present
Florida Hemingway Society, Vice President, 2019-Present
Santa Fe College Foundation, Inc., Director, 2016-Present
Rotary of Gainesville, 2005-Present
- Director, 2022-2024
The Builders Association of North Central Florida, Associate Member, 2001-Present
American Inns of Court, 1996-Present
- Master of the Bench, Present
The Florida Bar
- Environmental and Land Use Law Section (ELULS), 1992-Present
- Real Property, Probate and Trust Law (RPPTL), Present
Stetson Law School, International Environmental Law Moot Court Competition, Guest Judge
Greater Gainesville Chamber of Commerce, Public Policy Committee, 2021-2023
Sebastian Ferrero Foundation (Children’s Hospital at UF Health), Founding Vice President, 2009-2018
The Boy Scouts of America, District Nominating Committee, 2010
City of Gainesville, Historic Preservation, Chair & Board of Directors, 1993-2002
Historic Gainesville, Inc., President, 1992

Awards & Recognition

The National Association of Women Artists, New York, Signature Member, 2022-Present
Florida Super Lawyers, 2019-Present
Rotary International, Paul Harris Fellow, 2005-Present
Gainesville City Commission, Historic Preservation Board, Proclamation “In Appreciation” for service as Chair, 2000
Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Award, for adaptive reuse of a 100-year old warehouse in Gainesville, Florida, 1996