Kansas City Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Kansas City, MO

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Missouri

The laws that regulate how land can be used, and what structures can be built on individual pieces of land in Kansas City, Missouri 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.

Municipal governments which practice zoning typically follow a similar scheme: the town or city is divided up into "zones," or areas in which particular types of use are permitted. For example, the downtown area might be zoned for commercial and office use, and perhaps for large, multi-unit apartment buildings. The surrounding areas will typically be zoned for residential and small-scale commercial use, and the outskirts zoned for manufacturing and other heavy industry.

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 Kansas City, Missouri

If a condition on your property violates the local zoning laws of Kansas City, Missouri, there are a few different solutions.

It should be clear, however, that the ideal solution is to simply fix any condition on your property which is in violation of a local zoning law. If the violation is not serious, and correcting it won't significantly interfere with your use of your property, this is probably the best course of action.

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 Kansas City, Missouri's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.

You also have significant protections if a zoning law changes, and you find that the land you've been living on for years is suddenly in violation of the new law. In general, zoning laws cannot apply to structures and uses which were built or commenced before the law was changed. Under the U.S. Constitution, it's not permissible for state or local governments to pass laws which have retroactive effect. You should know, however, that any future changes you make to your property will have to comply with the new zoning law.

What Can A Kansas City, Missouri Attorney Do?

If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's important to have good legal advice. A good Kansas City, Missouri 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 Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri is probably best known for its barbeque and Civil War history. "Kansas Citians" enjoy access to some of the best museums around. The Irish Museum and Cultural Center, the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, the Liberty and World War I Memorial, and the American Jazz Museum are all located within Kansas City limits. A number of outstanding examples of Art Deco style and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture can be found throughout the city. The Power and Light Building and Community Christian Church are just two examples.

Kansas City is passionate about food. Kansas City barbeque is best known for its molasses which gives a sweeter taste. Gates and Sons Bar-B-Q was opened in 1946 and serves as the standard in original Kansas City style barbeque. Most people know Kansas City as "KC" like Rich Davis' sauce sensation: KC Masterpiece. The Sprint Center opened in 2007 and hosts Kansas City Chiefs football and Royals major league baseball games. You may not be aware that Kansas City has over 200 fountains. Second most in the entire world after Rome, Italy. Country Club Plaza is designed to look like Seville, Spain and was the first to offer accommodations for people arriving by automobile. "The Plaza" was constructed in 1922 and today is known best for it's colored light display and upscale shopping.

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