Practice Areas - Zoning and Drafting
What is zoning or land use planning work?
Zoning and land use planning involves the rules and regulations, many of which are local,
which affect how a person can use his or her land. A hundred years ago it is likely there
were no zoning or land use regulations to worry about. Normally a person owns a parcel of
land and wishes to develop it, build on it, or conduct some other activity on it. The zoning
or planning question will be what work can legally be done on this land, and how this can best
be accomplished. If a landowner believes he or she is being denied the right to use his or her
land in a way that is permissible, or an abutter believes that a person is using land in a way
that is not permissible, then there are appeals, usually to local board and then to the Superior
Court.
Patrick S. Bedard spent approximately 14 years on the Kittery Zoning Board of Appeals, most of it as chairman, and is familiar with these legal issues and can assist any person in navigating the local boards. He has represented many clients in boards in Maine and New Hampshire in zoning and land use areas, and has previously authored an article on Shoreland Zoning in the State of Maine.
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