Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

dhammann

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Mar 25, 2002
Messages
299
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

I agree with rod bolt 100% If people want things to look nice they should live in Germany for awhile where everyone has an imaculate yard, a new car, high taxes, stores closed on Sunday, church tithes taken out of your paycheck (10%)$2000 and a phsychiatric evauation for a hunting license(same for boating) Everthing looks nice, NICE AND MUNDANE! In order to have freedom you have to accept divisity. I am a transplanted German yankee. What people are trying to do in this country will erode the freedoms our forefathers gave us. Remember this country was founded on those beliefs, if you lose them there is no new country to go to!
 
Joined
Jul 6, 2003
Messages
29
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

for everyone posting about "signing a contract," I don't know where you are getting that from....this rule is not in place in my development, it appears to be some township ordinance....nothing was signed, by default I'm subject but did not know it was there....it's not like I signed on for something that I'm trying to change....I just don't understand why they can tell me what I can/can not have in my driveway...whether that be a boat or a pile of ****...either way, it's my property, I bought it, I pay my taxes....I guess that's not enough anymore
 

dakotashooter2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jun 10, 2003
Messages
125
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

You are on the right track but first getting a copy of the zoning ordinances and doing a little research. Based on the information you provided there is allowance for parking in a garage, backyard or carport. Since none of these are a viable option for you, you have good grounds for a variance. The key to being successful in obtaining a variance is to demonstrate hardship caused by a pre-existing condition you had no control over. Variances are only granted to provide "relief". Financial hardship IS NOT grounds for a variance so don't even bring up storage costs for your boat. You will want to point out that the garage is too small and access to the back yard through your own property is not possible. Most likely a carport can not be put on the front of your garage without violating setback regulation (check this out)so that option is also out. The zoning boards duty is to provide the least amount of flexibility they can to provide "relief" If they ask why you can't continue to keep it in storage you should point out the disadvantages of the storage facility such as not providing adequate services to enable you to do maintenance (cleaning, repair) on your boat and may not allow access to the boat when needed (if that applies)not to mention the inconvenience. As I mentioned you want to prove a case of hardship that prevents you from fully using/ enjoying your property. There will be one or more public hearings regarding this matter an neighbor will be notified. You may be more successfull if you ask only for this relief between the months of __ and __ (fill in the blanks). Take pictures of the boat, back yard, garage, driveway, boat in driveway ect. to back up your claims. There will be a little cost involved but probably less than what you would have to pay to have it stored elsewhere. <br /><br />If this fails as someone mentioned but a door in the back of your garage and back the boat through into the back yard.
 

rodbolt

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 1, 2003
Messages
20,066
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

Hello<br /> well some rules are nessasary the rest I suspect come from bitter people with to much time and money on their hands they suspect they know what is best for everyone. that is why I had to start making town council meetings. most meetings the room is empty. if no one shows up to say Hey thats just assinine then the motion will carry. so far they made all jet skies within 1/2 mile of shore proceed at idle speed. the big push was due to "pollution" I was there and tried to explain that not only is it not safe to operate a jet-ski at low speeds it also pollutes a lot more at low speeds then at high. but oh well I got lost in the shuffle on that one. some woman insisted that that was not so and I asked if she had ever ridden one she said no but she watches them.<br /> anyway its to late to fight now just go ask for a varience and hope for the best Good luck and keep posting
 

ED21

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Messages
829
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

They know best. You don't. That's the liberal mantra.
 

aspeck

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
19,116
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

If your yard is manicured, the boat is in good condition, and you cn prove hardship to abide by the ordinance, it should not be too hard to get a variance, and cheaper than the other alternatives. Go through the legal channels and get this cleared up for you once and for all - in MOST cases it is not an US against THEM, but a working together for the common good. As you have been told, do your research, then go and present your checkbook and your case. Let us know what happens.
 

Capn Mike

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
Messages
561
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

Bubbakat, lighten up. Graemlins mean someone is joking when they post something (altho when someone gets annoyed so easily, there is a temptation to rattle chains a little...no, stop it, Mike...take a high road... :cool: )<br />Anyway, I wonder if some of us miss the point. I live in a fairly new neighborhood where the code prohibits storage of RVs, boats, etc. unless hidden. We knew it when we built there, we expect the codes to be enforced, and my wife, in particular, would be upset otherwise....it offends her (and others who live here) sense of aesthtic taste.<br />On the other hand, not far from here, are fishing towns that have front yards with boats, pickups, dogs and picket fences draped with crabpot floats. And that's not just OK...it's really cool...because that's the kind of culture in those towns. <br />America has room for both kinds of places: we're not sinking into bureaucratic Nazi hell because we can recognize the difference. <br />I sympathize with Rodbolt...you need to fight those who would turn your town into Jersey suburbia. The town I grew up in got the whole area declared a National Historic Site ....government had to (literally) move mountains to build a freeway so as not to harm the town!
 

POINTER94

Vice Admiral
Joined
Oct 12, 2003
Messages
5,031
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

aspeck has the right approach. I would have to say you somehow, perhaps though no fault of yours, managed to upset a neighbor. Then again, your neighbor might just be a jerk. Plenty of those around.<br /><br />As the post doesn't refer to CC&R's but zoning infractions someone is trying to use the letter of the law to leverage you into something costly, inconvenient and unneccessary. Appealing to the spirit of the law will depend on the common sense of the zoning administrator and the city counsel if you choose to appeal. Losing your head will cost you on this one. <br /><br />Should you not prevail, my advise is to find out who filed the complaint against you and then obtain wingnuts home phone nuumber for further instruction.
 
D

DJ

Guest
Re: Zoning regulations - Boat in Driveway

I still don't get it. What is so hard about following the rules established long before one showed up.<br /><br />This is no different than those people that build a house at the end of an airport runway that has been in use for 50 years and complain about the noise. Duh!!!<br /><br />I live in a restrictive neighborhood too. I knew that going in and that's what I wanted. I could have moved into a neighborhood that would allow me to park just about anything I wanted, wherever I wanted. I decided not to because I didn't like how those places looked.<br /><br />The bottom line is that the choice was mine.
 
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