Land Use & Zoning

What is 'spot zoning' and why is it controversial in Hawaii?

AA. Zoning applied to small individual parcels inconsistently with the surrounding area; controversial because it may benefit individual owners at the expense of the broader community and comprehensive planning✓ Correct

BB. A zoning technique for identifying historic preservation zones

CC. The practice of identifying optimal sites for commercial development

DD. Zoning created for specific industrial uses in residential neighborhoods

Explanation

Spot zoning involves zoning a single parcel or small area differently from the surrounding area without a comprehensive justification. It is controversial because it may benefit one landowner unfairly, undermine the comprehensive plan, and be susceptible to political influence.

People Also Study

Key Terms to Know

Zoning

Local government regulations that control land use by dividing areas into zones specifying permitted uses, building sizes, and densities.

Variance

Official permission to use land in a way that does not conform to the applicable zoning ordinance, granted by a zoning board when strict enforcement would cause undue hardship.

Eminent Domain

The power of government to take private property for public use, with the requirement to pay the owner just compensation.

Adverse Possession

A doctrine by which a person can gain legal title to another's land by openly, continuously, and adversely occupying it for a statutory period.