A.
Scope of appeals. Appeals to the Board of Appeals
may be taken by any person aggrieved or by any officer, department,
board or bureau of the City affected by any decision of the administrative
officer. Such appeal shall be taken within 30 days of the alleged
grievance or judgment in question by filing with the officer(s) from
whom the appeal is taken and with the Board of Appeals a notice of
appeal specifying the grounds thereof, together with payment of a
filing fee as may be established by the City Council. The officer(s)
from whom the appeal is taken shall forthwith transmit to the Board
of Appeals all papers constituting the record of appeals upon which
the action appealed from was taken.
B.
Stay of proceedings. An appeal shall stay all legal
proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the
officer from whom the appeal is taken certifies to the Board of Appeals
that, by reason of facts stated in the certificate, a stay would,
in his opinion, cause immediate peril to life or property. In such
cases, proceedings shall not be stayed otherwise than by a restraining
order which may be granted by the Board of Appeals or by a court of
record on application, on notice to the officer from whom the appeal
is taken and on due cause shown.
C.
Powers of Board of Appeals. In addition to those powers
enumerated elsewhere in this Code of Ordinances, the Board of Appeals
shall have the following powers:
(1)
Errors. To hear and decide appeals where it
is alleged there is error in any order, requirement, decision or determination
made by the Zoning Administrator or Building Inspector.
(3)
Interpretations. To hear and decide applications
for interpretations of the zoning regulations and the boundaries of
the zoning districts after the City Council has made a review and
recommendation.
(4)
Substitutions. To hear and grant applications
for substitution of more restrictive nonconforming uses for existing
nonconforming uses, provided that no structural alterations are to
be made and the City Council has made a review and recommendation.
Whenever the Board permits such a substitution, the use may not thereafter
be changed without application.
(5)
Unclassified uses. To hear and grant applications
for unclassified and unspecified uses, provided that such uses are
similar in character to the principal uses permitted in the district
and the City Council has made a review and recommendation.
(6)
Temporary uses. To hear and grant applications
for temporary uses in any district, provided that such uses are of
a temporary nature, do not involve the erection of a substantial structure
and are compatible with the neighboring uses and the City Council
has made a review and recommendation. The permit shall be temporary,
revocable, subject to any condition required by the Board of Appeals
and shall be issued for a period not to exceed 12 months. Compliance
with all other provisions of this chapter shall be required.
(7)
Permits. The Board may reverse, affirm wholly
or partly, or modify the requirements appealed from and may issue
or direct the issue of a permit.
The Board of Appeals shall fix a reasonable
time for the hearing, cause notice thereof to be published in the
official newspaper not less than seven days prior thereto, and cause
notice to be given to the appellant or applicant and the administrative
officer(s) appealed from by regular mail or by personal service not
less than five days prior to the date of hearing. In every case involving
a variance, notice shall also be mailed not less than five days prior
to the hearing to the fee owners of record of all land within 100
feet of any part of the subject building or premises involved in the
appeal.
A.
Time frame. The Board of Appeals shall decide all
appeals and applications within 30 days after the public hearing and
shall transmit a signed copy of the Board's decision to the appellant
or applicant and the Zoning Administrator.
B.
Conditions. Conditions may be placed upon any zoning
permit ordered or authorized by this Board.
C.
Validity. Variances, substitutions or use permits
granted by the Board shall expire within six months unless substantial
work has commenced pursuant to such grant.
A.
Purpose.
(1)
A request for a variance may be made when an
aggrieved party can submit proof that strict adherence to the provisions
of this Zoning Code would cause him/her undue hardship or create conditions
causing greater harmful effects than the initial condition. A variance
granted to a nonconforming use brings that use into conformance with
the district and zoning requirements.
(2)
The Board of Appeals may authorize upon appeal,
in specific cases, such variance from the terms of the Zoning Code
as will not be contrary to the public interest where, owing to special
conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the Zoning
Code will result in unnecessary hardship and so that the spirit of
the Zoning Code shall be observed and substantial justice done. No
variance shall have the effect of allowing in any district uses prohibited
in that district, permit a lower degree of flood protection that the
flood protection elevation for the particular area or permit standards
lower than those required by state law.
(3)
For the purposes of this section, "unnecessary
hardship" shall be defined as an unusual or extreme decrease in the
adaptability of the property to the uses permitted by the zoning district
which is caused by facts, such as rough terrain or good soil conditions,
uniquely applicable to the particular piece of property as distinguished
from those applicable to most or all property in the same zoning district.
B.
Application for variation. The application for variation
shall be filed with the Zoning Administrator. Applications may be
made by the owner or lessee of the structure, land or water to be
affected. The application shall contain the following information:
(1)
Name and address of applicant and all abutting
and opposite property owners of record.
(2)
Statement that the applicant is the owner or
the authorized agent of the owner of the property and a statement
on why this matter is being brought before the Board of Appeals.
(3)
Address and description of the property.
(4)
A site plan showing an accurate depiction of
the property.
(5)
Additional information required by the City
Engineer, Board of Appeals or Zoning Administrator.
C.
Public hearing of application. The Board of Appeals
shall conduct at least one public hearing on the proposed variation.
Notice of such hearing shall be given not more than 30 days and not
less than 10 days before the hearing in one or more of the newspapers
in general circulation in the City and shall give due notice to the
parties in interest, the Zoning Administrator and the Board of Appeals.
At the hearing the appellant or applicant may appear in person, by
agent or by attorney. The Board shall thereafter reach its decision
within 30 days after the final hearing and shall transmit a written
copy of its decision to the appellant or applicant.
D.
Action of the Board. For the Board to grant a variance,
it must find that:
(1)
Denial of variation may result in hardship to
the property owner due to physiographical consideration. There must
be exceptional, extraordinary or unusual circumstances or conditions
applying to the lot or parcel, structure, use or intended use that
do not apply generally to other properties or uses in the same district,
and the granting of the variance would not be of so general or recurrent
nature as to suggest that the Zoning Code should be changed.
(2)
The conditions upon which a petition for a variation
is based are unique to the property for which variation is being sought
and that such variance is necessary for the preservation and enjoyment
of substantial property rights possessed by other properties in the
same district and same vicinity.
(3)
The purpose of the variation is not based exclusively
upon a desire to increase the value or income potential of the property.
(4)
The granting of the variation will not be detrimental
to the public welfare or injurious to the other property or improvements
in the neighborhood in which the property is located.
(5)
The proposed variation will not undermine the
spirit and general and specific purposes of the Zoning Code.
E.
Conditions. The Board of Appeals on appeal may impose
such conditions and restrictions upon the premises benefited by a
variance as may be necessary to comply with the standards established
in this section.
Any person or persons aggrieved by any decision
of the Board of Appeals may present to a court of record a petition,
duly verified, setting forth that such decision is illegal and specifying
the grounds of the illegality. Such petition shall be presented to
the court within 30 days after the filing of the decision in the offices
of the Board of Appeals.