Squires

Downtown residence living, detailed with quick access to transit, shopping, a quick walk to work, no maintenance yard and additionally, the view. It was on the spot no-one mentioned it was only temporary the birds-eye view of the town, the hills, and the breathtaking sunset that sold you.

What are the results just because a neighboring building is created only 18 feet away once the view that came together with your 33 story condo disappears? That's when he acquired a unit in the downtown Seattle Cosmopolitan building in 2005 what occurred to Benjamin Shanfelder.

He understood that other condos were slated for nearby improvements, but at the time, the height restrictions limited the number of floors of an adjacent building. The principles were changed and a 34 story property was built right nearby, reducing sunlight, Shanfelders view and privacy. Whose duty was it to share with the new tenants that the city regulations had changed? According to town demands, the adjacent home owners and the designer ought to be notified; however, future tenants are on their own to find these new developments.

A brand new development doesn't automatically assume the condo owner may lose their view. Different areas of the town have different separation demands centered on density. Some places require no separation where as the others mandate a minimum 60 to 200 feet.

Potential customers can't depend solely on their agent or designer for zoning information. Some nasty surprises may be saved by a bit of research before purchasing their property down the road. Below are a few places to consider:

Get as much information as possible from the designers regarding nearby plans for developments, zoning rules and whether they have used in air rights for the encompassing property to safeguard views.

Visit the city planning office and research the zoning regulations for the regional websites.

Research the details for any project programs and add your name and email address to the notification list for changes or new developments.

Talk to the town planners about possible changes to the existing zoning laws.

Allow your responses be heard at design review proceedings about future projects.

real estate lawyer brentwood

Spend the extra money to hire a land-use attorney to accomplish this research on your behalf.