Burlingame Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Burlingame, CA

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in California

The laws governing how land can and cannot be used in Burlingame, California are fairly complex, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.

"Zoning" is the process by which a local government makes laws determining how individual pieces of land within its jurisdiction can be used. Usually, towns or cities are segmented off into "zones," each one being designated for a specific type of use. Examples of common zoning categories are single family residence, commercial, multi-unit housing, or industrial.

Local governments have several different reasons for enacting zoning laws, ranging from ensuring that residential areas are peaceful and quiet, to protecting property values. For example, most people wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood where they knew it was possible for a neighbor to turn their house into a factory.

Zoning laws generally acknowledge the necessities of things like factories, sewage treatment plants, and stockyards, but recognize that such activities shouldn't be conducted in residential areas.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Burlingame, California

Suppose you find that some condition on your land is in violation of Burlingame, California's zoning laws. In cases like this, you have quite a few options.

First of all, and most simply, the owner could just fix the violation. If the violation isn't very significant, and fixing it wouldn't cost very much, this is probably the best and easiest option.

Sometimes, however, a landowner wants to make improvements on their property which might constitute a slight violation of Burlingame, California's zoning laws. In this case, the owner can apply for a variance - an official agreement from the local government to not enforce a particular zoning regulation. Generally, variances are granted when the violation is very minor, and, enforcing the letter of the zoning law would not do much to advance its broader purpose.

You are also protected if your land is currently in full compliance with local zoning regulations, but the area where your land sits is re-zoned, and your property is suddenly not in compliance with the new zoning regulations. Generally, these new regulations cannot be used to force you to change existing conditions on your property. No laws can be applied retroactively, under the U.S. Constitution. Of course, if you make any improvements on your land after the law changes, you'll have to comply with the new law.

What Can A Burlingame, California Attorney Do?

If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's crucial to have good legal advice. A good Burlingame, California attorney will help you work within the law to ensure that you are as free as possible to make the use of your land that you want.

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Life in Burlingame

Burlingame, California is a city in San Mateo County, California. It is located south of San Francisco, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It has a significant portion of shoreline on the San Francisco Bay. Its population is about 29,000 people.

Burlingame is unofficially nicknamed the "city of trees" because of the huge number of trees within the city limits (there are over 18,000 publicly-owned trees in Burlingame, California). Thanks to its close proximity to the San Francisco International Airport, many airlines and related companies do a large amount of business in Burlingame, California.

Airlines employ a very large number of people, in a wide range of industries. These included administrative personnel, such as Burlingame, California lawyers.

So, if you live in Burlingame, California and are in need of legal advice, it's almost certain that there are attorneys in Burlingame, California who can assist you.

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