Useful Community Development: What's New
Here are the most recent important changes to our website, including new articles, visitor questions, and editors' answers. You'll also find links to significantly revised pages and time-sensitive or short items we want to bring to your attention. Sometimes we also add short items of interest, especially time-sensitive notes about conferences, webinars, or seasons.
Property Upkeep Code to Protect Neighborhood Quality
Visitor Question: We live in a neighborhood of single family homes. Because we are in the county and not the city, the International Property Maintenance
Continue reading "Property Upkeep Code to Protect Neighborhood Quality"
Special exception for commercial tree company
Visitor Question: A commercial tree company has filed for a special exception next door to me in our rural residential town. It would be completely out
Continue reading "Special exception for commercial tree company"
Rural community opposes wedding venue
Visitor Question: I live in a rural community where there is a house that has sold to an individual that intends to transform this home into a wedding
Feel harassed by code enforcement officer
Visitor Question: I was given a code violation for graffiti on my fence. Every year I have had to correct this. This year in around April I had to paint
Continue reading "Feel harassed by code enforcement officer"
Planning Commissioners' Decisions and Conditional Use Permits
Visitor Question: Can Planning Commissioners legally reference the General Plan as a basis for their decisions on a conditional use permit? Editors Reply:
Continue reading "Planning Commissioners' Decisions and Conditional Use Permits"
Are parks in a separate zoning district?
Visitor Question: We are redoing our comprehensive plan in our town, and I am helping with some of the outreach to our residents. I wanted to know if parks
What is abolitionist housing policy
Visitor Question: Last night I attended my second meeting as a member of the city's community development advisory board. One woman is quite knowledgeable,
Do housing codes violate civil rights
Visitor Question: It seems like many housing codes are very restrictive about what my neighbors and me can and cannot do on our own property. The housing
Criminals in your neighborhood
Visitor Question:> How can you deal with criminals in your neighborhood? My neighborhood is being terrorized by a relatively few bad buys (and one bad
Signs of neighborhood decline
Visitor Question: What are the signs of neighborhood decline? I have been in a nice enough neighborhood for about 25 years. My next door neighbor has been
How Far from Property Line Should Trees Be
Visitor Question: How far from someone's property line does someone have to be in order to plant large growing trees? Editors Reply: In most places, the
Continue reading "How Far from Property Line Should Trees Be"
Stop construction on vacant land next door.
Visitor Question: The property next door to me was recently purchased by a developer who intends to build a house. The land is 2 sq ft short of being
Continue reading "Stop construction on vacant land next door."
How to stop construction of a three story building
Visitor Question: How does a town stop the construction of a three-story building? Currently, the first request by the applicant to the town was denied,
Continue reading "How to stop construction of a three story building"
How often do cities update their zoning maps
Visitor Question: Is there some sort of schedule when cities are required to update their zoning maps? It seems like the zoning gets applied here, and
Continue reading "How often do cities update their zoning maps"
How to convert commercial property to residential
Visitor Question: A friend of mine owns a building that is currently considered commercial property and wants to change it to residential. The land itself
Continue reading "How to convert commercial property to residential "
Subscribe to our monthly e-mail newsletter, called USEFUL COMMUNITY PLUS, which provides you with short features or tips about timely topics for neighborhoods, towns and cities, community organizations, rural environments, and our international friends. Unsubscribe any time. Give it a try.