How we got our site plan approved.

These back-to-back blog posts are probably kind of annoying but I feel like this information goes hand-in-hand with my last post. 

I saw some other developers at the council meeting last night and they had a great project, but they were trying to feel it out rather than have a plan moving forward.  A lot of this hinged around them not knowing the local zoning laws.  I think they could have been better educated in local zoning laws by their advisors.  In the end, the council really liked that the developer brought their project before the board to discuss what they wanted to do to get feedback.  That was a positive outcome.  I know I've done the same in the past with another town board and they were annoyed.  So your outcome may vary. 

So while they went in and had lots of questions as did the council, I was able to go in with a plan for a project.  I researched the local zoning laws and knew exactly what would fly and what wouldn't.  The council had a few minor comments and questions but otherwise it was a slam dunk. 

The difference is that I spent approximately 2 hours researching the zoning laws and getting familiar with them while the other developer didn't.  I'd suggest that it's worth your time.  You still may have a lot of questions but at least you'll have a really good feeling about what can and can't be done on the piece of property you have invested time and possibly money into.