The City’s Board of Zoning Appeals meets the third Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers. The Board’s purpose is to hear and determine appeals from and review any order, requirement, decision or determination made by the zoning office or the Planning Commission in the enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance; requests for variances; or conditional use permits.

The Board approves variances by applicants where such variance from the terms of the ordinance will not be contrary to the public interest, and where, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the ordinance will result in unnecessary hardship, and so that the spirit of the ordinance shall be observed and substantial justice done.  The Board also reviews conditional use permit requests.

The Board of Zoning Appeals consists of five residents of the City who are appointed by the Mayor with the consent of Council. Three of the members must have been residents of the City for at least ten (10) years preceding the date of their appointment. No member of the Board shall be a member of the Planning Commission, nor shall any member hold any elective office in the City or Ohio County. Members of the Board serve without compensation.