Land Use, Zoning and Planning Lawyers in Gaithersburg, Maryland
The laws that regulate how land can be used, and what structures can be built on individual pieces of land in Gaithersburg, Maryland can sometimes be a bit complicated. This article will not make its reader an expert, but should serve as a good introduction to the subject.
Localities typically divide their jurisdictions into segments, referred to as "zones," on which particular types of use are permitted. For example, one area of a town might be zoned for residential use, a nearby one for commercial use, and areas on the outskirts zoned for industrial use. This practice is called "zoning."
The purpose of zoning is to preserve property values, and make towns and cities more livable. For example, without zoning laws, a company might be able to buy a vacant lot next to your house and build a noisy, smelly, dirty factory on it.
Zoning laws don't exist just to protect residential use - it also protects people who engage in other types of use of land, by making sure that they are able to do their business, without bothering neighboring landowners, and thereby avoiding legal disputes.
What if My Property Violates Gaithersburg, Maryland's Zoning Laws?
If something on your property is in violation of a Gaithersburg, Maryland zoning law, the landowner has several options.
It should be obvious 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.
Sometimes, however, a landowner wants to make improvements on their property which might constitute a slight violation of Gaithersburg, Maryland'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.
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.
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How Can a Gaithersburg, Maryland Attorney Help?
If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's important to have good legal advice. A good Gaithersburg, Maryland 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 Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg, Maryland is a city in Montgomery County. Its population is around 60,000 people.
Gaithersburg, Maryland was founded in 1765, as a small agricultural community. By the late 1800s, B&O Railroad had built a station in Gaithersburg, which accelerated its growth. The station was designed by a Ephraim Francis Baldwin, a famous architect known for designing ornate, Victorian-style train stations.
In 1899, Gaithersburg was selected as one of six sites for the construction of the International Latitude Observatory, which was an international effort of scientists to precisely measure Earth's "wobble" on its axis of rotation. Six observatories were built in different parts of the world, on the exact same line of latitude. They would then all focus on the same groups of stars, and each one would measure the stars' apparent movement very precisely, using this data they could obtain very precise data about the movement of Earth's axis. The Observatory in Gaithersburg is an important site in the history of science. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark, and is a popular destination for science enthusiasts to visit.
Modernly, Gaithersburg is very diverse, both economically, and demographically. For this reason, there are many competent lawyers of various specialties in Gaithersburg. This means that, if you are facing any type of legal issue, there is a Gaithersburg, Maryland lawyer who can help you with it.
