Overview

The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) reviews, hears, and decides applications for Special Exceptions (SE) to, Variances from, and Appeals regarding the administration of the County's Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Division of the Department of Planning, Zoning, and Environmental Programs serves as staff to the BZA. The Board has six primary duties:

1. To hear and decide Appeals from any order, requirement, decision or determination made by an administrative officer in the administration or enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance.
2. To grant upon appeal or original application in specific cases Variances from the terms of the Zoning Ordinance as where the strict application of the ordinance would unreasonably restrict the utilization of a property or that granting of a Variance would alleviate a hardship as defined by state code.
3. To hear and decide applications for Special Exceptions as may be authorized in the official schedule of district regulations of the Zoning Ordinance.
4. To hear and decide applications for interpretation of the zoning district map where there is an uncertainty as to the location of a district boundary.
5. To hear and decide Appeals from the decision of the Zoning Administrator.
6. To revoke a Special Exception previously granted by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

For Special Exception and Variance applications, the Board of Zoning Appeals reviews the application, receives public comments, and decides on approval or denial of these applications. All applicants for Special Exceptions must attend a Pre-application meeting with Planning and Zoning staff prior to submitting the Special Exception application and fee. 

When hearing an Appeal, the BZA will review the Zoning Administrator’s action and the applicant’s reason for appeal, but does not receive public comments. The Board of Zoning Appeals does not have the power to rezone property.

Since the Board of Zoning Appeals meets only when an application for a Special Exception, Variance, or Appeal has been received, this Board may not meet every month. Once scheduled, meeting dates and their materials (as they are prepared) will be posted on the County’s Meeting Portal website.