Missouri Revised Statutes
Chapter 64 - County Planning — Zoning — Recreation — Natural Streams and Waterways
Section 64.281 - Members of county commission as board of zoning adjustment, meetings, notice, procedure, powers — special permits, judicial review (noncharter first class counties).

Effective - 28 Aug 1994
64.281. Members of county commission as board of zoning adjustment, meetings, notice, procedure, powers — special permits, judicial review (noncharter first class counties). — 1. Any county commission which has appointed a planning board, as provided in sections 64.211 to 64.295, shall create by order a county board of zoning adjustment. The board of zoning adjustment shall consist of three commissioners of the county commission whose terms shall be only for the duration of their tenure of office. The board of zoning adjustment shall adopt rules of procedure consistent with the provisions of the zoning regulations and the provisions of sections 64.211 to 64.295. The chairman, or in the chairman's absence the acting chairman, shall administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses. All meetings of the board of zoning adjustment shall be open to the public. Public notice of such meeting shall be given in at least one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least fifteen days before the date of the meeting. The notice shall state the time and place of the hearing and the official docket of the board of zoning adjustment and the place where the specific requests will be accessible for examination by interested parties. Minutes shall be filed in the office of the county clerk and shall be a public record. Appeals to the board of zoning adjustment may be taken by any person aggrieved or by a public officer, department, board or bureau affected by any order or decision of the administrative officer in administering county zoning regulations. The appeal shall be taken within a period of not more than three months, and in the manner provided by the rules of the board of zoning adjustment. The appeal shall stay all proceedings in furtherance of the action appealed from, unless the officer from whom the appeal is taken shall certify to the board of zoning adjustment that the grounds of appeal would, in the officer's opinion, jeopardize or be detrimental to life or property. The board of zoning adjustment shall have the following powers and it shall be its duty:
(1) To hear and decide appeals where it is alleged there is error of law in any order, requirement, decision, or determination made by an administrative official in the enforcement of the county zoning regulations;
(2) To hear and decide all matters referred to it or upon which it is required to pass under county zoning regulations;
(3) In passing upon appeals, where there are practical difficulties or unnecessary hardship in the way of carrying out the strict letter of such order, which difficulties or hardship constitute an unreasonable deprivation of use as distinguished from merely granting a privilege, the board of zoning adjustment may vary or modify the application of any of the regulations or provisions so the intended purpose of the regulations shall be strictly observed, public safety and welfare secured and substantial justice done.
2. In exercising the above powers, the board of zoning adjustment may in conformity with the provisions of sections 64.211 to 64.295, reverse or affirm wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirement, decision or determination appealed from and may make such order, requirement, decision or determination as ought to be made, and to that end shall have all the powers of the officer from whom the appeal is taken.
3. Regulations adopted pursuant to the provisions of sections 64.211 to 64.295 may include appropriate and reasonable provisions for the control of the use of buildings, structures, or land, which use of same cannot, in the opinion of the board of zoning adjustment, be placed, specified, or generally permitted in a specific district or districts because of the peculiar nature of the uses. The uses shall be limited to those which, if placed, specified or generally permitted in a specific district or districts, would pose undue regulatory difficulties. The uses shall be permitted only by a special permit issued by the board of zoning adjustment as a permissive use and not as a rezoning, after public hearing before the planning board, as provided by subsection 2 of section 64.271, and a report and recommendation made by the planning board to the board of zoning adjustment. The special permit shall set out regulations, restrictions, limitations and termination date so that reasonable control may be exercised over said uses. This section shall not allow the application of requirements for special use permits for any retail or retail service establishment in a district in which retail and retail service establishments generally are permitted uses, nor for any wholesale distribution establishment in a district in which wholesale storage and distribution establishments generally are permitted uses.
4. Any person aggrieved by any decision of the county board of zoning adjustment, or of the county commission, or of any officer, department, board or bureau of the county may present to the circuit court having jurisdiction in the county in which the property affected is located, a petition in the manner and form provided by section 536.110.
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(L. 1959 S.B. 309 § 14, A.L. 1994 H.B. 1175)

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