Reading a parcel before you commit

A short lesson, in plain words. An entitlement path is the list of approvals a project needs, and the order they come in.

Knowing it before you go under contract is the point. An overlay district adds its own conditions on top of a parcel's base zoning, so two parcels with the same zoning can face different rules.

Three environmental red flags worth checking early on any site are wetlands, floodplain, and being next to a historic property.