Longmont Zoning Attorney

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

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Colorado

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

Local governments will normally 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 created next to daycare centers, pig farms should not be created 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 done 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 Longmont, Colorado

Zoning laws are commonly quite extensive and meticulous, and it's extremely possible that your property in Longmont, Colorado contains some minor zoning violation that you don't know about. If this happens to you, you have considerable legal protections.

The most noticeable 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 very costly, this is likely the best way to go.

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 normally be granted if the violation doesn't harm anyone, and enforcing Longmont, Colorado's zoning laws to the letter would not, in this case, advance their purposes.

Additionally, 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 Longmont, Colorado Attorney Do?

If you want to make improvements to your property, apply for a variance, or contest a zoning regulation as being applied to you retroactively, you have a right to do so, including some constitutional protections. However, your chances of prevailing in a zoning disagreement will be markedly improved if you hire an accomplished Longmont, Colorado real estate attorney to help.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Longmont

Longmont, Colorado is a home-rule municipality in Boulder and Weld Counties. It is located near the northeastern corner of Colorado, and has a population of about 86,000 people.

One of the largest employers in Longmont, Colorado is Seagate Technologies, with over 1,160 employees. Seagate is one of the largest manufacturers of hard drives in the world. This company employs a large number of engineers and manufacturers. It also employs several white-collar professionals, including some Longmont, Colorado lawyers.

Another large employer in Longmont is Amgen, one of the world's leading biotech companies, which also employs many Longmont, Colorado lawyers.

If you live in Longmont, Colorado and need legal advice, it's almost certain that you'll be able to find a Longmont, Colorado attorney who can help you with your legal issue.

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