How to Get Zoning Laws Changed
- 1). Be able to demonstrate that you have a good reason for the zoning of the property to be changed. One way is to show how the community will benefit from your plans, and that your company is in the best position to execute your proposal.
- 2). Construct a professional business plan. Show the zoning authority what you intend to accomplish, in general, and a proposed time-line for the project, in particular. All of that should be in support of changing the zoning of the property to accommodate your plan.
- 3). Prepare the oral presentation you will give at the zoning meeting. Be confident in stating the purpose of your request and in how the community will benefit from your company's involvement.
- 4). Determine whether any property close to yours was re-zoned to accommodate a business that is similar to yours. Prior decisions made by the zoning board can be a very powerful way to demonstrate your cause.
- 5). Be prepared for any questions that members of the zoning board may have of your plan. Understand that their decisions are largely subjective, so you need to sound confident with your answers. If thinking on your feet in front of a crowd is difficult for you, think about asking someone else to handle this part of your presentation.
- 6). Remain patient. The process of getting a zoning authority to move on a request like this can seem endless. Through the course of your discussions, it might make sense to make minor changes in your proposal. For example, they may resist re-zoning the property to manufacturing, but they might consider a proposal to accommodate a warehousing operation.