What is a “variance”?
A variance is a permission to deviate from the Township Zoning Ordinance.
The Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) may grant variances from the applicable ordinance requirement for setbacks, lot size and various other specific items. The ZBA may not grant use variances; that is the granting of permission to use a property for a purpose other than that which is permitted by its zoning classification.
The ZBA may interpret the Zoning Ordinance in certain cases, and make judgments regarding the applicability of certain ordinances in specific
situations. The Zoning Administrator should be consulted for more detail on these specific situations.
The granting of a variance depends on the existence of a “practical difficulty”. A practical difficulty is a situation not of the property owners making which prevents the property from being used for the purpose for which it was intended. Economic issues do not constitute a practical difficulty.
