Opinion ID: 901335
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lake County Zoning Ordinances

Text: [¶9.] The Commissioners' delegation of authority for administering and enforcing building permits is found in Article VIII, § 801 of the Lake County Comprehensive Zoning Regulations. The authority is delegated to the county zoning officer. Section 801 provides: The provisions of this regulation shall be administered and enforced by a County Zoning Officer appointed by the Board of County Commissioners, who shall have the power to make inspection of building or premises necessary to carry out his duties in the enforcement of this regulation. Section 802 then identifies the circumstances that require a building permit and describes the information that must be included in a building permit application. Section 802 also defines the authority of the Zoning Officer; it directs as follows: If the proposed excavation or construction as set forth in the application are in conformity with the provisions of this regulation, and other regulations of the County then in force, the County Zoning Officer shall issue a building permit for such excavation or construction. If a building permit is refused, the County Zoning Officer shall state such refusal in writing, with the cause, and shall immediately thereupon mail notice of such refusal to the applicant at the address indicated upon the application. The County Zoning Officer shall grant or deny the permit within a reasonable time from the date the application is submitted. Article VI of the Ordinances further specifies that all questions of interpretation and enforcement shall be first presented to the County Zoning Officer. Article VI also clearly provides that such questions only come to the County Commission [] on appeal from the zoning officer's decision. Article VI is written as follows: It is the intent of this regulation that all questions of interpretation and enforcement shall be first presented to the County Zoning Officer, and that such questions shall be presented to the County Commission only on appeal from the decision of the administrative official, and that recourse from the decision of the County Commission shall be to the courts as provided by law.