Town Zoning laws

[GN4WHLN]

If it comes down to them not letting you put one in, tell them you have a bad back and need the lift to change your tires and oil. Geez...small people with a little bit of power.

You might consider keeping this in your back pocket as a "Plan B" and stating they are violating your rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. It might be a little bit of BS, but no public agency wants to deal with an ADA violation claim as it is a civil rights issue and one that never plays out well for a city. Right or wrong, the city usually comes out a loser on things like that.

Also, like others stated, speaking with any city official about the hows, whys, and whatfors of your property or structures is on a "need to know" basis. That is to say, don't tell them anything they don't need to know. Sometimes these guys like to chat you up because they are simply looking for a reason to boot your project. Isn't it funny how you can find all sorts of crappy work signed off by an inspector but when you are trying to do a quality build, they want to put the kibosh on it? Sometimes you just can't catch a break.


Good luck, and remember... nice and polite, need to know basis.

 

[mikeyr]

I ran into this same thing about 10-12 years ago, I had a 4-post lift in my garage and the inspector came to inspect something else in the garage (gas line addition for heat) and he saw my lift and told me i could not have it because its professional equipment and I don't have a license and I could not get one since its residential zoning.

He was nice to me and gave me a week to remove the lift without any penalties, I went to the city and read all the rules, sure enough there was a clause about professional or commercial equipment in a home garage not being allowed because it implies the owner is running a car repair shop in the garage. But the lift had to be bolted down to be commercial, so when he came back a week later with my lift still in the garage he got huffy and started to write me up, I gave him a copy of the codes and showed him how my lift was not bolted down and even had a caster kit, he was pretty upset and left. I saw him drive by quite often after that I guess he was trying to see if I ran a business.

So check your rules closely, if you are putting in a 2-post and have the same wording my town had, you might be in trouble but a 4-post you can have. In my new garage, it was strictly storage, one light, one 15amp plug and nothing else on the permit. Although i did run a 100amp subpanel out there on the permit and he asked why I needed that with only 1 light and plug, I said I thought it was the rules that i had to run a sub out here so I did it and 100amp was the one that the local store had in stock that day. He looked at me funny but...he signed off and no one will know whats in there now. That was 10-12 years ago when home lifts were not a common, I doubt that rule is still on the books here as they are now quite common.

 

[Falcon67]

what bothers me the most is that they want to deny because "it has the ability of becoming a business at some point". What kind of subjective **** is that?

I got that too. "It's a pretty good sized building, we wouldn't want someone running a business in there." "Well, don't we already have an ordinance against running a business in an area zoned residential?" "I guess we do." "So if I break the rule, I'll get called out on it. Nothing in my request says I plan to break the rule." Then I said that I'd paid my dues working on my hobby cars in the driveway when I was young, now I'm not so young and I like to be indoors out of the weather. That got a chuckle from the board.

 

[Joe Reed]

Town doesn't want to allow me to put a lift in my garage, saying it has the ability of becoming a business at some point.

Does your house have a kitchen? If so, it has the ability of becoming a restaurant...

Are there beds in your house? Well, you get the idea...

 

[ed_v]

Threads like this remind me why I like living out in the country. We only have to pass an electrical and septic inspection to build.

Same with us. No other inspections needed

Ed

 

[readytobuild]

where do you live in mass? I live in mass as well

 

[D&S ChevelleSS]

So owning Snap-on, Mac tool you'll be in violation of the code because these are "profressional tools"?

 

[crewchief888]

i think this is the root of the problem.

in my area,
you cant park a vehicle in the grass
no tarps on vehicles, car covers are OK
no unregistered vehicles parked outside
no trailers on grass, gravel or pavement only
no vehicles outside a building can be left for more than 48 hrs on stands or blocks.

i see it happen nearly every spring, zoning comes by checking on, and ticketing, my neighbors that still have **** piled up everywhere.
of course a few years ago, i just happened to have my unregistered s-10 blazer out of the garage, parked in the grass next to the driveway.
i was informed by the zoning "officer" that he wanted access to my property, as soon as i restrained my dog.

neither happened, and he hasnt been back since
but i dont park anything on the grass anymore.

 

[ZRX61]

what bothers me the most is that they want to deny because "it has the ability of becoming a business at some point". What kind of subjective **** is that?

Just point out that the inspectors wife "has the ability of becoming a prostitute at some point"

 

[coal_man]

So owning Snap-on, Mac tool you'll be in violation of the code because these are "profressional tools"?

Hey, don't leave us poor saps out....I think I have some Craftsman and Pittsburgh "professional tools"

coal_man

 

[D&S ChevelleSS]

Oh I'm sorry. Them too!

 

[darkk]

Would love too but when he asks why the cantilevered ceiling on one side of the garage, what's my excuse? I would like to use the storage section above the garage as well.
25Ft is my max height as well.

It's none of his f***ing business. As long as the building passes inspection. Since when does the building inspector have anything to do with something not building related. He's a city building inspector, not god. What you do in your garage has nothing to do with him, you're not starting a commercial business.

 

[henrysgarage]

In the 70's I built a 24 X 24 in my backyard and one day a zoning inspector shows up with a complaint that I was running a repair shop. I invited him in and showed him that everything in there was registered to me and it was my hobby. He commented that I had a lot of equipment and I stated that they were mine and then a few months later I got a letter stating the issue was closed.

 

[ddawg16]

I have to echo the "Why did you say anything is the first place?" comments from above....

Little story....

When I was trying to get the planning approved for my garage about 5 years ago, I was told I could go 15' high and right up to the property line. They sent me a letter asking what I was going to do with the garage. I was honest....wood working...2nd story for storage....ect. They responded "Have to be 5' from the property line".

We went back and forth a few times....mainly because I didn't pick up on the hints.

Set up a meeting and went to downtown to the main LA county building office. Girl was very nice....I asked why I couldn't build it on the property line. She very carefully explained "If it's anything other THAN A GARAGE, it has to be 5' from the property line."

I go "Oh......well.....It's JUST A GARAGE". Her reply "Approved."

So....your 'just building a garage'.....if they ask about that high ceiling....you want to put some ceiling fans up there to keep you cool in the summer....or...you just like the look of it.....

Once it's all done....then do the lift. But I would suggest putting it behind it's own garage door so that you can leave that down and away from noisy people....