Colorado Springs Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Colorado Springs, CO

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Colorado

The laws controlling how land can and cannot be used in Colorado Springs, Colorado are fairly complicated, and can be confusing to laypersons. This should provide a basic overview.

Local governments will typically 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."

There are a lot of rationales and purposes for zoning laws. In general, they're based in common sense: chemical plants shouldn't be constructed next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be constructed 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 just seek to ensure that such activities are performed 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 Colorado Springs, Colorado

If a condition on your property breaks the local zoning laws of Colorado Springs, Colorado, there are a few different solutions.

The most obvious solution is to correct the problem, so your property is no longer in violation of local zoning laws. If the violation is minor, and correcting it would not be extremely costly, this is likely the ideal 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 Colorado Springs, Colorado'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 usually 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.

Moreover, if you have been residing on your property for a long time, and made improvements on it that complied with the zoning laws in effect at the time, a new zoning law that would be violated by your prevailing use of your property, the new law cannot be enforced against you. The U.S. Constitution bars the passage of "ex post facto," or retroactive, laws. Once the laws take effect, however, you'll have to comply with the new zoning laws with respect to any new improvements you want to make on your property.

What Can A Colorado Springs, Colorado Attorney Do?

If you are in the early stages of a major construction or remodeling project on your property, particularly if it is in a residential area (where zoning laws tend to be most restrictive), you are likely to confront one zoning law issue or another. Of course, having read this article, you should now be aware that you have rights when it comes to contesting a zoning law as applied to you. While such contests do not always come out on the side of the landowner, the guidance of a reliable Colorado Springs, Colorado real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs is the seat of El Paso County and is known as Money Magazine's "best big city to live in" and Outside Magazine named it number one in their 2009 list of America's best cities. Peterson Air Force Base, Falcon Air Force Base, and the Air Force Space Command are all located in Colorado Springs and draw a number of U.S. Service men and women. In fact, the famed NORAD was based in to Cheyenne Mountain overlooking the city. The armed forces including Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, the United States Air Force Academy, and Schriever Air Force Base employ over 20% of the city's population.

It may be obvious to you then, Colorado Springs is home to a number of defense industry professionals from aerospace and missile defense to communications and engineering. Beoing, L-3 Communications, and General Dynamics all have major installations in Colorado Springs alongside the likes of Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. The high tech boom in Colorado Springs has ushered in companies like Verizon Business, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, and Agilent. The companies range from software design to computer chip manufacturing and testing.

Clients Rate LegalMatch Attorneys
(click to read reviews)

Nicholas M.
Nicholas M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Golden, CO

Carl M.
Carl M.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Seattle, WA

David A.
David A.

Real Estate, Housing & Property Law

Walnut Creek, CA