Which of the following best describes a conditional use in zoning?
Correct Answer
B) A use compatible with the zone that requires government approval and may have conditions attached
A conditional use (also called a special exception or special use permit) is a use that is not permitted by right in a zoning district but may be allowed with government approval, typically from a zoning board or planning board, after a public hearing. In Maine, municipalities grant conditional use permits when the proposed use is compatible with the zone but requires specific conditions or safeguards to protect surrounding properties. This differs from a variance, which allows deviation from dimensional standards such as setbacks.
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Related Topics & Key Terms
Related Topics:
Key Terms:
Related Concepts
An easement is a legal right to use another person's land for a specific purpose without owning it. It is a nonpossessory interest in real property that typically runs with the land.
An easement by necessity is created by court order when a property is landlocked and has no access to a public road. It arises from the necessity of accessing the property, not from long-term use.
An easement by prescription is acquired through continuous, open, notorious, hostile, and uninterrupted use of another's land for a statutory period. It is similar to adverse possession but grants use rights, not ownership.
More Land Use Controls Questions
Zoning established by:
Nonconforming use:
A variance in Illinois zoning allows:
Building codes are primarily designed to establish:
A conditional use permit allows a property to be used in a way that is not permitted by right in a zoning district, provided that the use is:
- → In Mississippi, zoning regulations are established and enforced by:
- → What is a zoning variance?
- → Building codes establish:
- → North Dakota's oil and gas development impacts land use through:
- → Conditional use permit:
- → Which of the following best describes the relationship between Iowa's tornado risk and real estate transactions?
- → Variance allows:
- → Variance:
- → Vermont's Act 250 applies to:
- → Zoning established by:
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