Opinion ID: 2107895
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Zoning Officer's Testimony

Text: The zoning officer, Guy E. Weston, also testified at the hearing. Weston testified that he told Cliff Walk that it did not require zoning relief before making the architectural changes that had been approved by the Historic District Commission. He reviewed the various plans submitted to the building official and he confirmed that the construction conformed to the plans. He testified that although the building permit did not specify that work would be done involving decks, stairs, or courtyards, the key words on the permit were, per plan, and that those improvements were depicted on the plans. He explained that with that notation on the permit, the building department clerk could retrieve the plans and show them to anyone inquiring about the permit. Significantly, he explained that neither the courtyards nor the garden walls required building permits and that neither the stairs nor the courtyard walls violated the setback requirements. Weston testified that he did not believe Cliff Walk's exterior improvements amounted to a substantial change to or expansion of the nonconforming use. He testified that on December 8, 2000, he issued the zoning certificate that approved the proposed parking-lot changes because in 1999, the board had decided that the entire lawn area in the southwest portion of the lot historically had been used for off-street parking.