Board of Zoning Appeals Online

---

Board of Zoning Appeals
General Information

• Introduction
• What to know about Variances
• What to know about Special Use Permits
• How the process works
• Application requirements
  
  
• Meeting Calendar
• Agendas
• Minutes
  
  
• Rules of Procedure
• City Attorney Opinions
• Wisconsin Case Law
  
  
• Home

Introduction

Applying for a hearing before the Board of Zoning Appeals (BOZA) is a complex process. It requires that you put materials together that will explain what you want to do and why you should be allowed to do it.

BOZA is authorized to hear appeals in matters relating to all zoning ordinances. Much of the information you will be asked to turn in with your application is needed to meet legal requirements because BOZA has been created by state statute and city ordinance as a quasi-judicial body.

Any decision of the Board may be appealed to the Circuit Court. It is important that the Board follows accepted procedures and fairly evaluates the relevant facts in each case that comes before it. This means that EACH APPEAL MUST MEET THE SAME STANDARDS, no matter how minor the case may appear to be.

Your application will be reviewed at several stages before the actual BOZA hearing, so it must have enough information to effectively communicate what you plan to do. It is very important that the information you turn in be clear and accurate. There will be members of the Board of Zoning Appeals and representatives from various city departments at the hearing who will depend on the materials you have submitted. They may also visit the property before the hearing.

If you are filing an application with BOZA, you are probably asking for one or both of the following:

• Special Use
• Variance

These types of cases are explained below and on the next page. Important information is included on what you will need to submit with your application.

Please remember that the zoning appeals process is a process that is separate from other plan review processes that are necessary to obtain your permits. Make sure that you apply for all of the necessary permits (building permit, occupancy permit, etc.) and that you submit all of the necessary plans for review of those permit applications and make certain that you schedule all necessary inspections. If you have questions regarding the permit process, please contact the Development Center Permit Desk at 286-8211.

next

Last updated: Friday, December 15, 2000. ©City of Milwaukee. All rights reserved.