Grand Junction Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Grand Junction, CO

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Colorado

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

Local governments will usually divide the city or town into sections, called "zones," each of which is designated for a particular use, such as residential homes, commercial businesses, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. This process is known as "zoning."

There are a lot of rationales and purposes for zoning laws. In general, they're based in common sense: chemical plants shouldn't be built next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be built in the middle of a residential neighborhood, and other simple principles similar to that. Zoning laws, by keeping conflicting land uses separate, make life easier for all parties, ensuring that property values will be preserved, and that necessary industries can be conducted where they will not bother anyone.

On the other hand, zoning laws recognize and attempt to accommodate the necessity of factories and other industrial activities. They simply seek to ensure that such activities are conducted in a way that they don't conflict with the rights of adjacent landowners to use and enjoy their property in peace.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Grand Junction, Colorado

You have quite a few options if you find that a planned or current use of your property violates Grand Junction, Colorado's zoning regulations.

It should be evident that the first option you should consider is to correct the violation. If doing this wouldn't cost you very much, or pose a major inconvenience, you should obviously do this.

But what happens if you've invested a large amount of effort and money into improving your land, and you later discover that you've committed some relatively minor zoning violation? You are generally entitled to seek what is known as a "variance" in these cases. A variance is simply when your local government makes a small exception to the zoning rules to accommodate a small violation that would be difficult to fix. A variance will usually be granted if the violation doesn't harm anyone, and enforcing Grand Junction, Colorado's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.

Furthermore, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For example, suppose you built a 3-story house on your property, and your property was zoned to allow 3-story houses to be built at the time of construction. And then, years later, the area you live in is re-zoned, to only allow 2-story houses. Can the local government force you to remove a whole level of your house? Of course not. Applying a law retroactively is unconstitutional. On the other hand, any future changes you want to make to your property will have to comply with the applicable zoning ordinance as it is currently written.

What Can A Grand Junction, Colorado Attorney Do?

If you are in the process of physically altering your property, you are almost certain to face some issues having to do with local zoning laws. If you find that zoning laws are making it very difficult to use your property as you see fit, you may have legal recourse, usually in the form of a variance. Of course, your chances of success in any zoning dispute will be immeasurably increased if you have the help of a qualified Grand Junction, Colorado attorney.

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Life in Grand Junction

Grand Junction, Colorado is a home-rule municipality, and the county seat of Mesa County, Colorado. According to a Census estimate from 2009, Grand Junction has a population of about 59,000 people. The city is located on the Colorado river, near where it receives the Gunnison River, hence the name "Grand Junction." Modernly, the city serves as an extremely important hub for commerce and transportation in its region. Grand Junction also grew rapidly in the 1970s and 80s, thanks to large deposits of oil shale. This was when technologies used to extract oil from shale became widely available. However, extracting oil from shale is still more expensive than simply drilling for it, and when oil prices began to decline, it ceased to be economically viable. This led to significant economic hardship for the region. In recent years, however, the economy of Grand Junction, Colorado has diversified and stabilized, eliminating the risks that arise when an economy becomes dependent on a single industry. It is a vibrant center for many industries, including healthcare, agriculture, livestock, and tourism. Grand Junction is near a major mountain resort, and it has become a popular destination for wealthy travelers. If you live in Grand Junction, and are facing any legal issue, whether it involves starting a business, adopting a child, taking out a mortgage, or writing a will, the chances that you'll be able to find a good Grand Junction, Colorado lawyer are excellent.

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