Need Advice about Residential Use Variance for Hobby Breeder - Page 1

Unfortantely this is a last minute request.  I have a meeting with my city's Zoning Board of Appeals tonight.  I'd like some help presenting my request to breed my German Shepherds, something I have been doing for years.  However now I have an anti-breeder neighbor, who just moved in, has complained by letter about it to my city's officials (mayor, city council, police). Claiming I am running an unauthorized business.  So at the request of my local Zoning & Code Enforcement Officer, I have applied for a Use Variance to keep up to 6 adult dogs, and breed up to 2 litters in a year.

Would anyone have any helpful information I could use at the meeting tonight that would help me convice at least 4 out of 7 members vote in my favor?  There is a good chance that my neighbor will be there to speak out against me.  Has anyone been approved for this kind of variance? 

Could you get any of your long term neighbors to write reference letters for you?  That might help.

I have at least 6 neighbors who support me, including my city's very recently retired Chief of Police.  Each has given me permission to share their phone number with the Board if they need to be contacted for questions.  However none will be attending the meeting, nor have they agreed to write letters.  I am considering a petition if that will satisfy the boards concerns.

Signed letters from neighbors staing your dogs are not a bother (i.e. not running loose, no bad odors, no excessive barking)
Letter from vet stating you are a responsible owner and dogs health is properly maintained
Proof of training accomplishments (temperament test and obedience)

Good luck.

---Mary

Are there currently laws in your city that limits the amount of dogs you may own at your property? In the city I'm in there are no laws about how many dogs you may own. You may breed as long as you don't make over $10,000 a year. In that case you will have to file for a business permit. My city will not issue business permits for kennels or boarding facilities in residential areas. I am not a breeder but curiousity led me to recently research this subject for my area.

move

Moving is generally easier said than done.

You should have hired a land use lawyer already.  If the hobby breeding is a high priority for you, your should have built the fees for such consultation into your budget for the year (BTW, I am in the land use business on the design side).  If you have not already, you need to set your hobby up as a business, to be run that way forever or until you cease to do so.  If you are currently running your hobby as a business and pay taxes on the profits, any fees for the lawyer that involves money on which you should be paying taxes are probably tax-deductible. 

how did the meeting go?