variance Tag

Zoning Board of Adjustment: What Happens After Your Hearing   Philadelphia Zoning specializes in Zoning Variance coordination. Whether it is a regulated use registration for a new business or a height bonus for a home addition, in order to get approval from the City to execute a development plan which is not expressly allowed by the Zoning Code, you must obtain letter granting you special approval from...

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Philadelphia Zoning was founded in large part to help new business owners obtain the proper zoning to operate their business. One of the most common types of projects we have worked on throughout the years has been Zoning Variance for Body Art and Tattoo Use.  Because this is a controlled use, obtaining a permit always requires special approval by the Zoning Board of Adjustment.    In addition to obtaining...

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Philadelphia Zoning is Here For You   Here at Philadelphia Zoning, we specialize in obtaining permits in a timely fashion. A task which we have often alluded to in our previous posts, as one which requires a certain level of expertise.  Expertise, not everyone who needs a permit in the city of Philadelphia has.   Luckily for you, our goal here at Philadelphia Zoning is not only to...

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An additional information request is sent by Licenses and Inspections whenever one of their plans examiners wants to know more about your project.  Getting this letter is not an indication of failure, it is actually considered a standard response as requirements for permits can be as unpredictable as the weather. However, in the off chance you do not receive a request for additional information, you deserve...

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By Right Development   Projects which are allowed by the zoning code are known as by-right developments. Every parcel and property in the city of Philadelphia falls into a distinct category of the zoning code which can be found by searching the address in the City Atlas. This tool allows users to see the zoning classification, relevant overlays, registered neighborhood associations, past appeals, and more. The value...

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permit-tracker

When we started out at Philly Zoning, we got a version the same question every week:  Where's my permit?  Once someone gets started on a permitting project, they want to know how far along the permit is, and how they can check its progress.   We give our clients weekly updates to answer that question, but we also think it might be helpful to provide an overview...

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One of the most sensible and also counter-intuitive parts of the zoning process in Philly is the community review.   Any time you want to use your property for something that the zoning code doesn't allow, you must seek a variance from the City of Philadelphia (as we've discussed).  When you seek a variance, a community organization in Philadelphia gets to review the proposal before the City...

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We here at Philadelphia Zoning like to think we have answers for you.  We tell you we can saw through forests of red tape, and we mean it.  But sometimes, we get a question that has about a hundred different answers.  "How much does a permit cost?" is one of those questions.   There are a few reasons why such a simple question has so many different answers.   First,...

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Philadelphia Zoning - Developing Your Dreams

Zoning in Philadelphia is a strange enterprise.  The ideas behind it are simple, and the people working the desks downtown are generally helpful and clear.  But in practice, it can be quite confusing.  This little overview probably won’t make the strange details of zoning any less confusing, but it may give you a clearer picture of the overall structure of zoning complaints, requests, and applications...

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Zoning in Philadelphia is a strange enterprise.  The ideas behind it are simple, and the people working the desks downtown are generally helpful and clear.  But in practice, it can be quite confusing.  This little overview probably won’t make the strange details of zoning any less confusing, but it may give you a clearer picture of the overall structure of zoning complaints, requests, and applications...

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