Summit County Board of Adjustment

The Board of Adjustment considers variance applications to provide relief in cases of development hardships, as provided by Colorado State Statutes. All board members are Summit County citizens appointed by the Board of County Commissioners.

Meetings


  • 5:30 p.m., third Wednesday of each month, as needed
  • Buffalo Mountain Room, County Commons
    0037 County Rd. 1005
    Frisco, CO 80443
Agendas & Minutes

Board Members

  • Anthony Lord
  • Brian Birenbach
  • Ira Tane
  • Randy Lewis
  • Stephanie Cohen
  • Ted Pilling
  • Tim McKennie

Eligibility for Variances

Summit County has the authority to grant relief from the requirements of certain regulations in cases where the regulations would result in exceptional practical difficulties or undue hardships related to the development and use of property. Economic hardship alone is not sufficient justification for the granting of variances. 

Variances are not required where a particular standard or provision of a regulation specifically allows for administrative relief. The Board of Adjustment may include conditions in an approval to minimize avoidance of regulations and to ensure the variance does not constitute a grant of special privileges in excess of that enjoyed by other property owners in the same zoning district. 

The power to grant variances does not extend to use regulations. Variances shall not be granted for parcels created in violation of Summit County zoning or subdivision regulations or in violation of Colorado State Statutes. 

Variances are governed by Section 12500 et. seq. within Chapter 12 of the Summit County Land Use and Development Code (pdf).

Criteria and Standards 

The following criteria and standards must be met and findings made by the Board of Adjustment to approve variances to development regulations and standards, except variances to minimum lot size requirements: 
  1. The strict application of the County's zoning regulations would result in peculiar and exceptional practical difficulties to, or exceptional and undue hardship upon, the property owner in the development of the property because of special circumstances applicable to the property such as size, shape, topography or other extraordinary or exceptional physical conditions.
  2. The variance can be granted without substantial detriment to the public health, safety and welfare.
  3. The variance can be granted without substantial impairment of the intent of the County's zoning regulations.
  4. Granting the variance does not constitute a grant of special privilege in excess of that enjoyed by other property owners in the same zoning district.
  5. Reasonable use of the property is not otherwise available without granting of a variance and the variance being granted is the minimum necessary to allow for reasonable use.
  6. The parcel for which the variance is being granted was not created in violation of County zoning or subdivision regulations, or in violation of Colorado State Statutes.