Knoll, Kolger, Sowers & Metzger routinely represents
petitioners before the various zoning bodies within Wayne County
and its communities. We normally do not represent persons wishing
to remonstrate against zoning petitions.
Generally speaking, zoning
is the practice of designating permitted uses for land based
upon mapped zones which separate one set of land uses from another.
The primary purpose of zoning is to segregate uses that are thought
to be incompatible; in practice, zoning is used as a permitting
system to prevent new development from harming existing residences
or businesses.
Zoning may include regulation of the kinds of
activities which will be acceptable on particular lots, the densities
at which those activities can be performed, the height of buildings,
the amount of space structures may occupy, the location of a building
on the lot, the proportions of the types of space on the lot,
and how much parking must be provided.
All of the local zoning bodies
have a procedure for granting variances (exceptions to the zoning
rules), usually based upon some perceived hardship due to the
particular nature of the property in question.
An owner or prospective
purchaser who contemplates a change in or intensified use of a property
should consult counsel to determine whether a zoning petition maybe
necessary.
Sources/links: Indiana Code - Planning and Development