Exemption to zoning laws?

[bczygan]

Many zoning boards of appeal have available an informal working meeting that you can attend, to show your proposed project and work through any details. Talk to the city consulting engineer and Architect.

You can also ask around and find who the prime movers on the board are, and sound them out individually.

Do all your politicking with your neighbors and sell them. On one project, the owner and I (I was the designer), had letters of approval and even neighbors show up in person to say they approved.

If you do it right, the actual public meeting will just be a rubber stamp approval after a few questions and answers the board members will ask, to prove to the public that they are doing their jobs.

BTW, there is no reason that you can't have structural steel framing as part of conventional construction. This can increase clear spans and provide flexibility by making partition walls as well as exterior walls non load bearing, and readily changeable.

 

[Zeke]

The idea of an 'outbuilding' does have some merit. Most codes allow for a garage and another building. Be careful what you call the 2nd building. That can make all the difference.

 

[jimindm]

I am not sure that you would want to even talk to any one of the board of adjustments. Some times it takes more than a majority to move a project. A vote of all but one is required.

It is my understanding that many of these boards are made up of people appointed by administrators, usually council people. The board is not really a part of the city, but acts on its own merits. By interpreting the cities rules and regulations and giving adjustments to them. Council passes blanket regulations, board of adjustments message those rules.

Because they are on their own, many times any appeal is at the court level. In our city it has went both ways. Many times it is the appellant asking the courts to rule, but a few times the city has stepped up and fought it also.

I know that it is just about impossible to talk to one of the board members about anything that is coming their way. Many will tell you real quick that if they talk to you about it, that they will have to abstain from any vote. Not something you need if every vote will be needed to prevail.