Florence Zoning Attorney

Find the right Zoning Planning & Land Use attorney in Florence, KY

Zoning Planning & Land Use Law in Kentucky

The laws that regulate how land can be used, and what structures can be built on individual pieces of land in Florence, Kentucky can sometimes be a bit convoluted. This article will not make its reader an expert, but should serve as a good introduction to the subject.

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."

The purpose of zoning is to preserve property values, and make towns and cities more livable. For example, without zoning laws, a company might be able to buy a vacant lot next to your house and construct a noisy, smelly, dirty factory on it.

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 several legal disputes that would be inevitable if they were closer to a residential area.

Possible Outcomes of Boundary and Title Disputes in Florence, Kentucky

If something on your property is in violation of a Florence, Kentucky zoning law, the landowner has many options.

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 substantially interfere with your use of your property, this is probably the best course of action.

Sometimes, however, a landowner wants to make improvements on their property which might constitute a slight violation of Florence, Kentucky's zoning laws. In this case, the owner can apply for a variance - an official agreement from the local government to not enforce a particular zoning regulation. Typically, variances are granted when the violation is extremely minor, and, enforcing the letter of the zoning law would not do much to advance its broader purpose.

Additionally, if you have been living 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 current 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 Florence, Kentucky Attorney Do?

If you are in the process of physically altering your property, you are almost certain to face some contentions having to do with local zoning laws. If you find that zoning laws are making it very hard to use your property as you see fit, you may have legal recourse, normally in the form of a variance. Of course, your chances of success in any zoning dispute will be immeasurably increased if you have the help of a qualified Florence, Kentucky attorney.

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Life in Florence

Florence, Kentucky is a city of approximately 30,000 located in Boone County, Kentucky. The area now known as Florence was originally called "Crossroads" because several roads from various parts of Kentucky converged there. It was originally founded in the early 1820s, and quickly grew, especially as the country began to expand westward, becoming a major hub for trade and commerce. Florence is well-known for a large water tower with a sign on it that simply reads "Florence Y'all." It has become something of a local landmark, and a source of pride among residents. The tower was built in the 1970s, and originally read "Florence Mall," to advertise a new mall that was being built. However, the mall took slightly longer to build than expected, and highway regulations prohibited advertisements for an establishment that didn't exist, so they had to change it in a very short time. The city simply painted over the vertical lines in the letter "M" to make a "Y" and added the apostrophe. The plan was to change it back when the mall was finished, but residents liked it enough that the city decided to keep it. If you live in the Florence, Kentucky area, and need a good attorney, you can probably find one. Florence, Kentucky lawyers are ready to handle whatever legal problem you might present them with.

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