Redding Zoning Attorney

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

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in California

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Redding, California are fairly perplexing, 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 specific use, such as residential homes, commercial businesses, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. This process is known as "zoning."

Zoning serves several different purposes - but it its general one is to increase or preserve property values by ensuring that conflicting uses don't result in legal disputes. Obviously, if you bought a house in a residential neighborhood, and your neighbor could just convert his property into a steel mill, your property's value as a residential lot would decrease significantly.

While zoning laws appear to be geared just toward protecting residents, they also protect industry, by ensuring that they are free to conduct their business without getting caught up in the various legal disputes that would be inevitable if they were closer to a residential area.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Redding, California

Zoning laws are often quite extensive and meticulous, and it's very possible that your property in Redding, California contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have significant legal protections.

Initially, and perhaps most obviously, you can correct the violation. If the violation is comparatively minor, and correcting it would not cost you much or be a significant burden, this might be the best way to go.

However, it isn't always practical or affordable to correct a minor violation of a zoning law. For instance, suppose you have just spent a large amount of money and effort remodeling a house to turn it into your dream home. You thought you were in total compliance with local zoning laws when you did this, but find out that there is some small, technical violation of Redding, California's zoning laws. In these cases, you have recourse in the form of a variance. You are entitled to petition the local zoning board to grant you a variance, which is an official decision not to apply a certain provision of a zoning law to a single violation. These aren't always granted, but generally have to be granted if the violation doesn't interfere with anyone else's use of their property, and doesn't thwart the purposes of local zoning laws.

Furthermore, zoning ordinances cannot be applied against you retroactively. For instance, 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 reside 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 Redding, California Attorney Do?

If you find yourself facing zoning or other land use issues, it's critical to have good legal advice. A reputable Redding, 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 Redding

Redding, California is located in Shasta County, where it serves as the county seat. It is California's larges city to the north of Sacramento and has a population of over 89,000 people. The city is mostly known for its natural environment preserves and for its close location to the Sacramento River. Redding, California is nicknamed "the Jewel of Northern California".

Residents and visitors to Redding California can enjoy many opportunities for outdoor recreation and activities. Popular areas to visit in Redding and the surrounding areas include Lake Shasta, Lassen Volcanic National Park, and Turtle Bay Exploration Park. The Exploration Park houses a botanical garden, a nature educational camp, and a natural history museum. The Redding Arboretum is also part of the park. The Exploration Park exemplifies Redding's commitment to preserving plant and animal wildlife.

Other places of interest in Redding, California include Cascade Theater, and the Redding Convention Center, which holds shows and concert productions throughout the year. The city also hosts the festive "MarketFest" event every summer. Major employers in Redding include Mercy Medical Center and Shasta College.

Lawyers in Redding, California provide the community with legal assistance in a variety of different fields. Redding lawyers often represent their clients at the Redding branch of the Superior Court of California, County of Shasta. Lawyers in Redding have experience in dealing with the laws and legal issues that are unique to the local area.

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