What should a landowner with physical difficulties in property development seek to obtain?

When a landowner faces physical difficulties in property development, seeking a variance is the most appropriate course of action. A variance is a type of permission granted by a local zoning board that allows the landowner to deviate from zoning regulations. This may be necessary when specific physical characteristics of the property—such as topography, shape, or accessibility—make it impractical to comply with standard zoning laws for building or altering a structure.

For instance, if local zoning regulations impose strict setback requirements but the landowner's property has unique physical constraints that prevent compliance, obtaining a variance allows them to build closer to the property line or in a different configuration that accommodates their physical difficulties.

In contrast, alternatives like building permits are more procedural and relate to the approval of plans that comply with existing laws rather than exceptions to those laws. An easement typically relates to the right of use over someone else's property and would not address the landowner's personal development challenges. A zoning change involves altering the zoning classification of the property, which is a more complex and less likely solution for addressing individual physical challenges related to property development. Thus, a variance is specifically tailored to provide the flexibility needed in response to physical constraints.