Schmitz & Associates, a California land us planning firm, has promoted Cindy Martin and Chris Deleau to Principal Planner, recognizing their decades of experience guiding complex land use, entitlement, and permitting approvals across California.
Both bring a combination of planning expertise and legal training that supports clients navigating California’s regulatory and permitting landscape, from initial feasibility through public hearings and final approvals.
• Juris Doctor degrees
• Members of the State Bar
• Decades of experience in land use, entitlements, and permitting
Their professional paths are distinct, but both have played a central role in advancing development projects through some of California’s most complex regulatory environments.
Expertise from a California Land Use Planning Firm
Schmitz & Associates has built its reputation on guiding property owners, developers, and real estate professionals through zoning analysis, entitlement strategy, and permit approvals across Southern and Central California.
The promotion of Cindy Martin and Chris Deleau reflects the firm’s continued focus on delivering experienced, legally informed planning leadership on high-stakes development projects.
Cindy Martin
Cindy has built a distinguished career spanning law, land use planning, and international policy. Prior to joining the firm, she was a trial attorney with Hanger, Steinberg, Shapiro & Ash in Woodland Hills, where she handled complex civil litigation matters, including property law, real estate transactions, and construction defect cases. She also served as General Counsel and Project Coordinator for Chris Nelson & Associates, Inc., working closely with governmental agencies and consultant teams on land development projects.
Cindy has been a valued member of the Schmitz & Associates team for more than a decade. She guides clients through the entitlement and development process—from initial feasibility analysis through hearings and appeals—while advising on regulatory constraints such as ESHA, floodplains, and other environmental considerations.
She has extensive experience working with agencies including the California Coastal Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Department of Fish and Wildlife, and has successfully advocated for legislative changes as a registered lobbyist.
Her strategic, detail-oriented approach makes her an indispensable resource on complex and high-profile projects. She is currently working in coordination with the California Attorney General’s Office on a policy action that could influence major local land use decisions.
Cindy earned her law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law and pursued international legal studies at Cambridge University, MGIMO in Moscow, and the Europa Institute in the Netherlands. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from UC Santa Cruz and studied journalism at UCLA.
Fun Fact: Cindy began her career as an on-air reporter with NBC News, interviewing notable figures including President George Bush and Clint Eastwood, and attended the Bush–Gorbachev Summit in Moscow.
Chris Deleau
Chris is a Licensed California Attorney and Certified Professional Planner with more than two decades of experience in land use planning and development. He joined Schmitz & Associates in 2003 and has since guided many of the firm’s major entitlement projects. His depth and breadth of experience are truly unmatched—if there is a land use issue, Chris has likely encountered it.
Throughout his tenure, Chris has led a wide range of complex public and private sector projects across California, providing direction to planning teams through all phases of entitlement. He is highly experienced in navigating regulatory frameworks including the California Coastal Act, CEQA, and Local Coastal Programs, and regularly represents clients before the California Coastal Commission, Planning Commissions, City Councils, and other public bodies. His work spans jurisdictions throughout Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Orange Counties, and includes coordination with key state agencies such as Caltrans, the State Water Resources Control Board, and the State Lands Commission.
Chris’s strategic insight has been instrumental in advising the broader team and shaping effective, results-driven approaches for the firm’s most complex and high-profile projects. He is particularly skilled at identifying and resolving challenging regulatory issues, coordinating multidisciplinary teams, and advancing projects through often highly scrutinized approval processes.
In addition to his planning expertise, Chris has experience serving as an expert witness and litigation consultant on land use and real estate matters and has acted as corporate counsel on related cases. He also brings private-sector experience as Owner and General Counsel of a multi-family property management company in West Los Angeles.
Fun Fact: Chris is bilingual in Spanish and has decades of experience in property management, including managing multi-family residential properties.
Considering a Development Project?
Before purchasing land or beginning the permitting process, work with a California land use planning firm that can guide you through zoning, entitlements, and approvals. Contact Schmitz & Associates to get started.