Opinion ID: 1401724
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Zoning and Plat Approval

Text: Zoning and plat approval for subdivision development are crucial tools for the orderly development of our cities and counties. Yet, these tools impact significantly on the freedom of landowners to do what they might want with their real property and on the relative value that any particular piece of property might have. Zoning and plat approval represent different types of authority in political subdivisions. Zoning is the exercise of legislative authority as to what land uses are in the interest of the public for particular areas within the political subdivision. The governmental body has great latitude in this regard. Plat approval is the ministerial application of zoning requirements, uniformly, to all particular parcels within the zoned area. Far less latitude exists in this regard, as each landowner is entitled to equal application of the zoning and planning laws applicable to his property. See generally, Yokely, E.C., Law of Subdivisions 217-318 (2d ed.1981).