Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Ah there's that ZONING again!

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

Brian Bansenauer  asked about rezoning.


Some ideas: Based in order of importance.

1. Research rezones in the County.  How many have there been, what 
sorts? Look for examples you can refer to. Spent a day or two at the 
County planning office asking questions and looking for information.  
If someone on the staff is especially supportive or helpful send them 
flowers and a very nice thank you card.  Later these people will 
remember you and do good things for you based on those flowers.  A 
dozen roses is a great investment in building relationships with the 
staff people.  They do most of the work, hear all the complaints, and 
get very little appreciation. They are also in a position to do really 
great things for you when you get around to permits and such.  Build 
that relationship. These people take breaks and socialize with the 
permit folks so if they say wonderful things about you, it carries over 
into other areas. If they say bad things about you, well.....

 If there are no rezones in the County like the one you want to do,  it 
is an indication that the zoning board does not do rezones easily.  
Being first can be done, its just much harder.

2. Hire a developer/ contractor who has successfully rezoned property 
in the County to give you guidance, advice, and or to do the rezone for 
you.  In rural areas often the "good old boys" work the system using 
inside connections which you will never have. Some of most successful 
contractors and developers have a sister in law  or fishing buddy who 
works for the County Planning office. This is the way the system works 
and the planning folks can be very wary and suspicious of new-comers 
with new ideas.  Having someone who is on the inside can sway reluctant 
planners. There can also be (gasp!) some gratuities involved which you 
won't know about.  Financial kickbacks happen in a lot of places, not 
just in big city departments. A savvy local developer who is successful 
because of this will know the score and who to pay.  This may be 
shocking to some folks, but that is how business is done in some 
places. If you get high and mighty about it, you lose.  The development 
game has its own rules, which vary in each locality. As a novice, you 
don't know those rules, but a successful local contractor will. That is 
why they are successful.


3. Look for another site, which has similar zoning nearby.  Often you 
can extend similar zoning if it already exists. It can be really hard 
to change zoning if surrounding areas are all the same.

4. See if you can find some political support from a County 
commissioner or state representative.  Speak in terms of future models, 
a new better way, etc. and see if you can get the elected folks to 
support you and act as a proxy for you.  This should be a last ditch 
step, as it can backfire on you so you should try other steps first.  
What can happen is that you can awake the politician to something they 
are against, and then you maybe hosed.  The link between planning and 
elected officials is supposed to be indirect, but if elected officials 
scream about something, the planners scurry and duck for cover.