Meriden Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Meriden, CT

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Connecticut

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

Local governments have numerous different reasons for enacting zoning laws, ranging from ensuring that residential areas are peaceful and quiet, to safeguarding property values. For instance, most people wouldn't buy a home in a neighborhood where they knew it was possible for a neighbor to turn their house into a factory.

Zoning laws typically acknowledge the necessities of things like factories, sewage treatment plants, and stockyards, but recognize that such activities shouldn't be done in residential areas.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Meriden, Connecticut

If something on your property is in violation of a Meriden, Connecticut zoning law, the landowner has many avenues.

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

What if, however, you've invested a considerable amount of time and money into making an improvement on your property, only to find that it breaks your local zoning laws in some minor way? In this case, you can apply for a variance. This is basically an exception to the zoning rules. If declining to enforce these rules would not harm anyone, and would not do much to advance the purpose of Meriden, Connecticut's zoning laws, a variance will normally be granted.

You are also protected if your land is currently in complete compliance with local zoning regulations, but the area where your land sits is re-zoned, and your property is suddenly not in compliance with the new zoning regulations. Typically, these new regulations cannot be utilized to force you to change existing conditions on your property. No laws can be applied retroactively, under the U.S. Constitution. Of course, if you make any improvements on your land after the law changes, you'll have to comply with the new law.

What Can A Meriden, Connecticut 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 face 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 help of a seasoned Meriden, Connecticut real estate attorney will greatly improve one's chances.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Meriden

Meriden, Connecticut is a city in New Haven County. It currently has a population of about 60,000 people.

Meriden, which was originally part of Wallingford, became a separate city in 1727, and was incorporated in 1867. During the Industrial Revolution, Meriden earned the nickname "The Silver City," because it was a major center for the manufacture of silver products. The Parker Brothers gun company was founded in Meriden, and the manufacture of firearms during the Civil War and Spanish-American war was a major source of factory jobs in the area. The gun companywas not affiliated with the toy and game company of the same name.

Like many cities whose economies were based on manufacturing, Meriden has fallen on hard economic times in recent decades, with the closing of many of the factories that drove its economy. However, as with most of these cities, Meriden's economy is gradually recovering and diversifying.

Meriden, Connecticut lawyers are ready to handle virtually any case that a resident of the area is likely to face. If you have any legal issue, you shouldn't hesitate to call a Meriden, Connecticut lawyer.

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