Land Use Laws

[TURFLORD]

I tried posting this thread a while ago and everybody ran away from it, so let me try to reword it a bit. I keep reading these threads about "my new shop". I'm interested in what you had to do at the town building/zoning dept. in order to build that shop on your land. See, here in the center of the great State of Taxation, just because you have a farm with a nice barn, that doesn't mean you can run a landscape or grounds maintenance business out of it. In my town a lawn service is not a permitted use. I had to get a variance. Is there anybody out there who had to get a surveyor, planner, engineer, lawyer, consultant, or whatever in order to legalize "their new shop", or do you live in an area that just doesn't strictly enforce their own land use laws? How is this process different in other parts of the country?

[dhardin53]

I mow for the city i live in and I get my work from the city ordinence and permits office. I think if you went to them and acted domb and asked alot of questions they will tell you. Every town is different.

But here In centeral Illinois, if your property is zoned R1 R2 (residenial and apartments) I would not talk to much about runinning a busniess there. building a garadge to R1 you need to keep it small and simple. We also have a zoning for residentioal homes that live within One block of a existing business. I forget what its call. I think light industrial R1 or R2. Witch mean you can have delivery trucks and some coustomer trafic. But you can not have a parking issue or the nieabors can and will stop you. Around here LCO dont have any problem as long as there equipment is not all over the property and parked in the street causing any problems. Basicly your work is done elswear and your gone all day. Its just when your home parked and or loading and seting up.

Garadges and sheads are not taxed if there not a perminetly attached to the the ground. Like a concreat floor or pole building. If it is seting on top of the ground and can be moved the city will not tax the home ouner. There are some really nice garadges around here like HUGE shops that are not considered perminet attachment to avoid being taxed.

I know I added a 1000 sq shop attachment to my house and my taxes tripeled.

hope this helps.

DH

[TURFLORD]

Either everybody is afraid of this thread or nobody knows what I'm talking about.

[topsites]

From the sounds of it, you're the one we need to be afraid of reporting us to the zoning inspector, perhaps that answers your question and so help me if that lady comes out to inspect me, I'll have a few more choice words.

[caslong]

I can't answer your question for New Jersey. But here in Knox Co. Tn all we have do to is call the zoning commission and they will fax over or mail a procedure list. You just follow the list until your done. They have made very simple.

I Love your Conan quote.

[Az Gardener]

I think most are avoiding the question because they have no idea. I am in a similar situation except my work is in the middle of megalopolis. No farms to be found not even any open land for 45-50 minutes and that is high dollar desert land.

To be zoned for landscape and maintenance in PHX. you need zoning akin to what you need for a nuclear power plant. I'm not even joking, I was looking at property that was previously a gas station and I would need to get rezoned. They just laughed at that idea at the planning dept and they wished me luck with that.

The biz got the boot from my house, thank you wienie neighbor. Then I was spread out between a U-store it lot, one truck at my home and some equipment at the in-laws. I lucked out and got into a 2-acre estate in the middle of my work are that is in the process of complete remodel. The house is empty and it is very private, big trees and hedges all the way around. I have about 18-24 months before I will get the boot from this place.

Then I am probably looking at a little over a million and some zoning dept meetings to get into a permanent home for the biz. That is if property prices stay relatively level and don't go 05 on me when things went up 30% in one year.

Every city is different so I don't know what if any information you will get here besides more of the same sob stories.

[caslong]

I can't answer your question for New Jersey. But here in Knox Co. Tn all we have do to is call the zoning commission and they will fax over or mail a procedure list. You just follow the list until your done. They have made very simple.

I Love your Conan quote.

That is as long as the property is zoned properly for your use.

[tallrick]

I wonder if there's any place left where you don't have to deal with the fascists called zoning inspectors. Would be nice to live in a town where the zoning cars are used for roadside target practice.

[caslong]

I wonder if there's any place left where you don't have to deal with the fascists called zoning inspectors. Would be nice to live in a town where the zoning cars are used for roadside target practice.

That would be New Orleans and the whole state of Alabama.

[bob21]

Hi every township/state has different laws/rules in place. zoning inspector knows ask him or trustees.It is just a matter of time if u are not commercial property until some one says or dose something about. ask your zoning inspector.

[tallrick]

That would be New Orleans and the whole state of Alabama.

I think I need to move to Alabama, it seems better every day!

[TURFLORD]

TopSites, that's not why I asked. I'm not a rat. I had my own problems in '06 that cost me about $35 to legalize what was already legal. Being a solo lco, thats a fair chunk of the profits for that year. Az's reply is alot more typical than one would think. I have a few friends that have been parking the lawn crew on the street or on the side lawn for many years now. Their neighbors, just like mine, are more than tolerant. It seems that as soon as you expand to that second truck or large piece of equipment, your problems of storage increase to the point where land laws are a major concern. It seems that all densely populated areas have some zoning law that says "We don't want your kind around here".:walking:

[batdaddy044]

Zoning restictions are one of the first items that anyone wishing to start any type of business should look into. Locally , one can be compliant , as a home based business ( in most residentually zoned areas),provided equipment is not stored outside , nor is equipment repaired or serviced on that property.Trucks over 10,000 lbs.are also prohibited from being stored on such property. In my
community , one can not even store any type of trailer within the community,except boats and campers(off season).

You have to store any equipment in your garage( I can't have one here) or shed .You can rent space at one of the self storage or mini-warehouse type places , if you can find one with any vacancies(good luck)but again , according to the county zoning ordinances, no servicing or repairs allowed there, either! There are few industrial parks( thanks again , zoning laws!) in the area , but with all the local growth , they are generally filled up as soon as they are built.

This currently restricts me to operating out of the back of one of our 2 pick-up trucks ,running a mid-size walk behind ,small trim mower as well as trimmers ,blowers ,etc.-what ever I can jam into my shed . It's a pain in the ass , but it does work . Further growth , however is at this time ,going to be quite challenging.

[Gene $immons]

I had to find land to purchase that was zoned INDUSTRIAL.

I had to have an engineer come out and look at the land and make a report.

That triggered the corps of engineers, because historic runoff (a creek) clips the edge of the property. We had to raise the level of the lot 6 feet to the tune of $18,000.

Numerous inspections, plans, red tape, and headaches for the next 8 months.

I had to put up a site proof fence on one edge of the property because the lot next to mine is zoned residential EVEN THOUGH the lot is un-buildable. The city would not budge on that either.

The parking lot had to be striped with handicap symbols, we had to plant tons of trees, and had to jump through hoops to get the certificate of occupancy. But it is all over and I am happy with the building.

Nice long term investment.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=164458

[MSS Mow]

Many rural towns in Maine have no zoning laws at all. All you have to do is submit an application to the planning board, and, voila, approved. Usually, without advanced submission either. You can go in on the night of their monthly meeting, submit an application and be gone (and approved) in 10 minutes.

[2menandamower]

I can't answer your question for New Jersey. But here in Knox Co. Tn all we have do to is call the zoning commission and they will fax over or mail a procedure list. You just follow the list until your done. They have made very simple.

I Love your Conan quote.

Where are you in Knoxville?? Give me a call 865-385-5400...