How to Rezone Property Posted: 07 Jul 2016 05:00 PM PDT Most counties and municipalities have specific zoning specifications for every property within the community, including residential, commercial, industrial agricultural and mixed use. Within each class are subcategories that specify building details like frontage and land requirements. Often, a property owner would like to rezone a property so that it can have a different use. The most common need for rezoning is when an owner wants to open a business on a property that is zoned for residential use or to change a commercial property from one type of zoning to another. The steps for rezoning vary by location, but there are a few common steps to follow when figuring out how to rezone property. EditResearching Zoning and Other Municipal Rules - Find out the zoning category for the neighborhood in which you are interested. Contact the local municipal planning and building department. Ask them into what zoning category your desired neighborhood falls. [1]
- A typical zoning category is single-family residential. This means that the principal permitted uses of property in this neighborhood include single-family dwellings, churches, schools, parks and community facilities.[2]
- A multi-family residential zoning district allows multi-family structures. These include condominiums, townhouses, duplexes, apartments and group homes.[3]
- A transitional zoning district is at the junction of commercial, residential, public and industrial areas. This means that residential lots exist near busy roads with many stores or other commercial buildings. Residential properties are allowed to have limited office or commercial space, but the residential character of the home must be maintained.[4][5]
- Mixed-use zoning areas are common in high-density population areas where commercial, residential, cultural and industrial properties must coexist. These zoning districts allow a mix of single-family and multi-family residential units with commercial businesses and services. This kind of zoning results in compact development, which allows for efficiency of land use while reducing energy consumption and transportation costs.[6][7]
- Determine if your plans for the property fit in with the zoning category of the neighborhood. Decide how you want to use the property. Compare your ideas with the zoning category of your neighborhood. This will tell you whether or not you need to apply to rezone your property. Your real estate agent or attorney may be able to help you.[8]
- If you plan to run a home business in an area that is zoned residential, you will have to check with the municipal rules to see if it is allowed. Some municipalities allow exceptions for certain kinds of businesses, like a home child care.[9]
- Remodeling and landscaping plans may run into zoning issues. Some ordinances and zoning rules prohibit adding structures, cutting down trees, changing the layout of a house, or even changing the paint color or putting up a fence. Keeping farm animals and parking oversized vehicles or boats may also be disallowed.[10]
- Find your local zoning rules and ordinances. Visit the website of your local municipality and county. You will find information about zoning ordinances there. Also, you can go to your local office of planning and building in person and request a zoning map for the area. This will let you see how the property is zoned. The clerk in the office or a zoning officer will be able to answer many of your questions about how the property is zoned and whether you will need to apply for a variance, or a request to break the set zoning law.[11]
- Historical sites typically have very strict restrictions on the property's appearance and how the property is to be used.
- Your local government may have developed long-range plans that impact the way property is zoned. If your request to rezone property doesn't align with the long-term goals of the municipality, it might be difficult to get the variance.[12]
EditApplying for Rezoning - Submit an application. Go to the office of planning and building in your municipality. Ask for an application to petition for rezoning. You will need to know the existing zoning classification of the property and the category to which you want to change it. Bring a map and parcel number of the property with you.[13]
- You will need to specify the existing land use and how you plan to use the property differently.
- Fees for the application vary depending on the size of the property. Expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 for less than an acre to $5,000 for 25 acres or more.[14]
- Know the time limit for submitting an application. Your municipality will require you to submit your application within a certain amount of time before the next scheduled meeting of the planning commission.
- Provide public notification. Some states require that all petitions for zoning variances be published in a local newspaper. This is to inform area residents that you are proposing a use for the property that may impact surrounding properties, roads or public utilities. You will need to publicize your petition within a specified amount of time prior to the meeting of the zoning board. The date time and place of the meeting must be stated. Your municipality may also specify which newspaper you must use.[15]
- Prepare for a review of your application. The zoning board will review your application. First, they will do an on-site inspection of your property. They will also assess neighboring properties to determine the potential impact of your petition on them. They will review existing public services and consult with any relevant municipal departments to see how rezoning could impact surrounding land uses. Finally, they will review existing municipal ordinances, rules and any long-range plans for land use in the municipality.[16]
- Wait for a recommendation from the zoning board. If the board deems that your request aligns with existing land uses and municipal ordinances and long-range plans, then they will recommend that the rezoning request be granted. They will recommend a denial if they believe that the rezoning request would conflict with ordinances or potentially harm the surrounding property. In making these recommendations, the board considers the health and welfare of the applicant, the adjacent neighbors and the entire community.[17]
- You will receive written notification of the board's recommendation and their findings prior to the public hearing.
- Attend a public hearing. The zoning board will vote on your rezoning request at their next scheduled meeting. These meetings are open to the public. It gives local residents an opportunity to express their support or opposition to your zoning request. The zoning board will then vote to recommend or deny your application.[18]
- They may also vote to grant you a zoning variance that is different from what you requested but which is more closely aligned with the needs of the community and local ordinances.
- Wait for legislative action. In some states, if your request is recommended, it is then sent to the local city council or county commission for final action. This governing body needs to vote to finalize approval of your application. This process may take up to two months. The city council or county commission may require a public notice period before hearing the request. Also, they may have a mandatory waiting period after the hearing before finalizing the approval.[19]
EditAppealing a Zoning Decision - File an appeal with your city council or county commission. If your zoning application is denied, you may be able to file an appeal with your local governing body. You will have to pay additional filing fees. The appeal process may take up to two months to go through the system. An appeal must be filed within a specific time period after the public hearing for your zoning application.[20]
- Dispute the zoning board's decision. You have a chance of convincing your governing body to reverse the zoning board's decision if you can show that the decision deprives you of your right to use the property. Demonstrate how your intentions for the property do not negatively impact the surrounding area. Also, point out whether the board's decision was arbitrary or was not supported by the facts. In addition, you might be able to demonstrate that the board's decision did not meet the legal requirements for an adverse decision.[21]
- File a lawsuit in circuit court seeking a certiorari review of the decision. If the city council or county commission denies your appeal, you can file a lawsuit in circuit court. The circuit court will perform a certiorari review of the case. This means that they will request a transcript of the proceedings in order to review the case.[22]
- The zoning board will submit a transcript and sworn copies of the record to the circuit court.
- Wait for a decision from the court. The court will either affirm, reverse or modify the zoning board's decision. In most cases, the circuit court defers to the ruling of the zoning board. Even if the court would have made a different decision, it usually upholds the zoning board's ruling as long as it is supported by the evidence and is in accordance with the law. If the court does overturn the zoning board's decision, the case will be sent back to the zoning board along with the court's recommendations. [23]
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How to Write a Reflection Paper Posted: 07 Jul 2016 09:00 AM PDT Reflection papers allow you to communicate with your instructor about how a specific article, lesson, lecture, or experience shapes your understanding of class-related material. Reflection papers are personal and subjective, but they must still maintain a somewhat academic tone and must still be thoroughly and cohesively organized. Here's what you need to know about writing an effective reflection. EditSample Outline and Paper EditBrainstorming - Identify the main themes.[1] In your notes, summarize the experience, reading, or lesson in one to three sentences.
- These sentences should be both descriptive yet straight to the point.
- Jot down material that stands out in your mind. Determine why that material stands out and make another note of what you figure out.
- For lectures or readings, you can jot down specific quotations or summarize passages.
- For experiences, make a note of specific portions of your experience. You could even write a small summary or story of an event that happened during the experience that stands out. Images, sounds, or other sensory portions of your experience work, as well.
- Chart things out.[2] You may find it helpful to create a chart or table to keep track of your ideas.
- In the first column, list the main points or key experiences. These points can include anything that the author or speaker treated with importance as well as any specific details you found to be important. Divide each point into its own separate row.
- In the second column, list your personal response to the points you brought up in the first column. Mention how your subjective values, experiences, and beliefs influence your response.
- In the third and final column, describe how much of your personal response to share in your reflection paper.
- Ask yourself questions to guide your response. If you are struggling to gauge your own feelings or pinpoint your own response, try asking yourself questions about the experience or reading and how it relates to you. Sample questions might include:[3]
- Does the reading, lecture, or experience challenge you socially, culturally, emotionally, or theologically? If so, where and how? Why does it bother you or catch your attention?
- Has the reading, lecture, or experience changed your way of thinking? Did it conflict with beliefs you held previously, and what evidence did it provide you with in order to change your thought process on the topic?
- Does the reading, lecture, or experience leave you with any questions? Were these questions ones you had previously or ones you developed only after finishing?
- Did the author, speaker, or those involved in the experience fail to address any important issues? Could a certain fact or idea have dramatically changed the impact or conclusion of the reading, lecture, or experience?
- How do the issues or ideas brought up in this reading, lecture, or experience mesh with past experiences or readings? Do the ideas contradict or support each other?
EditOrganizing a Reflection Paper - Keep it short and sweet. A typical reflection paper is between 300 and 700 words long.
- Verify whether or not your instructor specified a word count for the paper instead of merely following this average.
- If your instructor demands a word count outside of this range, meet your instructor's requirements.
- Introduce your expectations.[4] The introduction of your paper is where you should identify any expectations you had for the reading, lesson, or experience at the start.
- For a reading or lecture, indicate what you expected based on the title, abstract, or introduction.
- For an experience, indicate what you expected based on prior knowledge provided by similar experiences or information from others.
- Develop a thesis statement. At the end of your introduction, you should include a single sentence that quickly explains your transition from your expectations to your final conclusion.
- This is essentially a brief explanation of whether or not your expectations were met.
- A thesis provides focus and cohesion for your reflection paper.
- You could structure a reflection thesis along the following lines: "From this reading/experience, I learned..."
- Explain your conclusions in the body. Your body paragraphs should explain the conclusions or understandings you reached by the end of the reading, lesson, or experience.
- Your conclusions must be explained. You should provide details on how you arrived at those conclusions using logic and concrete details.
- The focus of the paper is not a summary of the text, but you still need to draw concrete, specific details from the text or experience in order to provide context for your conclusions.
- Write a separate paragraph for each conclusion or idea you developed.
- Each paragraph should have its own topic sentence. This topic sentence should clearly identify your major points, conclusions, or understandings.
- Conclude with a summary. Your conclusion should succinctly describe the overall lesson, feeling, or understanding you got as a result of the reading or experience.
- The conclusions or understandings explained in your body paragraphs should support your overall conclusion. One or two may conflict, but the majority should support your final conclusion.
EditAs You Write - Reveal information wisely. A reflection paper is somewhat personal in that it includes your subjective feelings and opinions. Instead of revealing everything about yourself, carefully ask yourself if something is appropriate before including it in your paper.
- If you feel uncomfortable about a personal issue that affects the conclusions you reached, it is wisest not to include personal details about it.
- If a certain issue is unavoidable but you feel uncomfortable revealing your personal experiences or feelings regarding it, write about the issue in more general terms. Identify the issue itself and indicate concerns you have professionally or academically.
- Maintain a professional or academic tone. A reflection paper is personal and objective, but you should still keep your thoughts organized and sensible.
- Avoid dragging someone else down in your writing. If a particular person made the experience you are reflecting on difficult, unpleasant, or uncomfortable, you must still maintain a level of detachment as you describe that person's influence. Instead of stating something like, "Bob was such a rude jerk," say something more along the lines of, "One man was abrupt and spoke harshly, making me feel as though I was not welcome there." Describe the actions, not the person, and frame those actions within the context of how they influenced your conclusions.
- A reflection paper is one of the few pieces of academic writing in which you can get away with using the first person pronoun "I." That said, you should still relate your subjective feelings and opinions using specific evidence to explain them.
- Avoid slang and always use correct spelling and grammar. Internet abbreviations like "LOL" or "OMG" are fine to use personally among friends and family, but this is still an academic paper, so you need to treat it with the grammatical respect it deserves. Do not treat it as a personal journal entry.
- Check and double-check your spelling and grammar after you finish your paper.
- Review your reflection paper at the sentence level. A clear, well-written paper must have clear, well-written sentences.
- Keep your sentences focused. Avoid squeezing multiple ideas into one sentence.
- Avoid sentence fragments. Make sure that each sentence has a subject and a verb.
- Vary your sentence length. Include both simple sentences with a single subject and verb and complex sentences with multiple clauses. Doing so makes your paper sound more conversational and natural, and prevents the writing from becoming too wooden.
- Use transitions. Transitional phrases shift the argument and introduce specific details. They also allow you to illustrate how one experience or detail directly links to a conclusion or understanding.
- Common transitional phrases include "for example," "for instance," "as a result," "an opposite view is," and "a different perspective is."
- Relate relevant classroom information to the experience or reading. You can incorporate information you learned in the classroom with information addressed by the reading, lecture, or experience.
- For instance, if reflecting on a piece of literary criticism, you could mention how your beliefs and ideas about the literary theory addressed in the article relate to what your instructor taught you about it or how it applies to prose and poetry read in class.
- As another example, if reflecting on a new social experience for a sociology class, you could relate that experience to specific ideas or social patterns discussed in class.
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How to Prepare for Pregnancy After 40 Posted: 07 Jul 2016 01:00 AM PDT Many women decide to have children later in life and many give birth to healthy babies. With increases in technology, advanced maternal age is safer than ever. However, pregnancy after 40 still poses some additional risks and complications to the mother and baby. Preparing yourself before you become pregnant can help you get your body in condition for a successful pregnancy. EditSeeing A Doctor - Schedule a pre-conception consultation with your primary caregiver or gynecologist. As people age, the likelihood of suffering from common health conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes increases and older women may also be more likely to have conditions that impair fertility.
- Your health care provider will perform a routine exam and probably do a pap smear and pelvic exam. The exam should not take more than 15 or 20 minutes but you may take more time to talk to your provider about getting pregnant.[1]
- Ask your doctor how to increase your chances of conceiving and what lifestyle changes you can make to assure you have a healthy pregnancy. Be honest about your current lifestyle and be open about any recommendations for changes.[2]
- Discuss whether you will be able to continue using any medications you are currently taking while you try to conceive and while pregnant or breastfeeding. Ask your doctor if alternate therapies or medications safe during pregnancy, and if such routes are realistic for you given your medical history.[3]
- Evaluate with your doctor which health problems are most important for you to address before pregnancy. As certain health problems, like high blood pressure, get worse with age it's important to discuss how to manage these issues with your doctor.[4]
- Get any immunizations your doctor recommends. Your doctor may perform blood work to check for immunity to diseases such as rubella and chickenpox. Wait a month to try conceiving after you get a vaccine.[5]
- Your doctor may wish to perform labs to evaluate your ovarian reserve, or the probability that good eggs still remain.
- Discuss your risks for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. The risk for certain pregnancy-related health issues increases with age. Discuss your personal risk with your doctor and what you can do to reduce that risk.
- High blood pressure can sometimes temporarily develop in pregnant women and some research suggests the risk increases with age. Women of any age have their blood pressure monitored regularly during pregnancy, so your physician will strive to make sure your blood pressure is under control. You may need to be on certain blood pressure medications during pregnancy to assure a healthy delivery.[6]
- Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs only during pregnancy. It becomes more common with age. Untreated gestational diabetes will cause the baby to grow much larger than average, so you will have to control your blood sugar levels with exercise, diet, and possibly medication if you are diagnoses with gestational diabetes.[7]
- Go over your options for childbirth. Many women over 40 give birth naturally. However, due to an increased risk of pregnancy-related complications, the likelihood of a C-section increases with age.
- Go over a specific birth plan with your doctor and make sure you take the possibility of a C-section into account. If you've already had one child via C-section, some doctors will not allow you to give birth vaginally. Discuss any concerns with your doctor and let her know your preferences for giving birth.[8]
- The strain of childbirth is harder if you're older. Problems related to high blood pressure and issues with the placenta during birth increase with age. Your doctor should carefully monitor your health throughout pregnancy. If she believes you're at risk for delivery complications, she may want to induce labor and deliver the baby via C-section.[9]
- Consider fertility treatments. It can be more difficult to conceive after 40, so you may need fertility treatments. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of fertility enhancing drugs or surgical treatments.
- Oral medications, such as clomiphene or clomiphene citrate, are taken by the mouth during days three through seven or days five through nine of the menstrual cycle. These medications increase the chance of ovulation. However, oral meds do increase the chance of multiple pregnancy. There is a 10% chance of twins on such medications. These meds have about a 50% success rate for conception and delivery, but only if the patient is not ovulating. They do not increase pregnancy rates substantially if the patient is already ovulating on her own.[10]
- Gonadotropins and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) are hormonal injections used to boost fertility in older women. Injections start two to three days into the menstrual cycle and continue for seven to 12 days. You will need a health care provider to perform a transvaginal ultrasound during treatment to monitor egg size. The rate of multiple births are high for such treatments. About 30% of women who conceive via hormonal injections have multiple births, and two thirds of these births are twins.[11]
- If there is any damage to the reproductive system that is causing difficulties with delivery, a doctor may want to perform a surgery to correct the issue. If successful, surgeries should greatly increase the chance of conception.[12]
EditChanging Your Lifestyle - Manage any existing health problems before conceiving. If you have any existing health problems, make sure they're under control before you try to conceive.
- Sexually transmitted infections can prevent your ability to conceive, so get tested if there's any risk you have an STI. Most STIs can be treated effectively with antibiotics. Get proper treatment for sexually transmitted infections and diseases immediately and do not try to conceive until you're STI free.[13]
- If you're on any medication for a chronic condition, such as hypothyroidism, you should take a blood test before attempting to conceive to make sure it's under control. You will need periodic testing throughout your pregnancy and your doctor may need to alter medication dosage over time.[14]
- Start eating a healthier diet. Dietary changes are important during pregnancy as you'll need increased amount of certain nutrients during pregnancy. Make sure you're prepared for a healthier diet.
- Over half the grains you eat each day should be whole grains. This means whole-grain cereals, brown rices, whole-wheat pasta, and whole-wheat bread. You should also eat a wide variety of healthy fruits and vegetables throughout your pregnancy.[15]
- You should also strive to get extra protein, preferably in the form of lean meats, nuts, eggs, and legumes. Fish is a good source of nutrition and high in protein, but you should avoid fish like king mackerel, shark, swordfish, and tilefish as they may be high in mercury.[16]
- Dairy products are also important during pregnancy due to the calcium and vitamin D they contain. You can talk to your doctor about calcium supplements if you're unable to digest dairy.[17]
- There are a variety of foods that are off limits during pregnancy as they can be harmful to a fetus. Raw meats and deli meats can contain contaminants that are harmful to a fetus. Smoked seafood can also be harmful. Anything that contains raw eggs or egg yolk can be damaging, so make sure your eggs are cooked all the way through. Soft cheeses, like brie, are often made from unpasteurized milk and should be avoided. Caffeine intake should be lessened during the first trimester.[18]
- Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight or underweight, your doctor will likely want you to get your weight into a healthy range before you conceive. Talk to your doctor about how to gain or lose weight in a healthy fashion and work with her to form a diet and exercise regimen that works for you.[19]
- Underweight is defined as having a BMI under 18.5 and overweight is a BMI over 25. A BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. If you're underweight prior to pregnancy, you'll be expected to gain more weight throughout your pregnancy and if you're overweight you'll be expected to gain less. As weight can be somewhat hard to control during a pregnancy, it's best to strive for a healthier weight before conceiving.[20]
- Being overweight during pregnancy increases the risk for gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Being underweight can increase the risk for a premature birth, and your body may not be strong enough to support a pregnancy.[21]
- Work with your health provider prior to conceiving on achieving a healthy weight for your height. Talk about exercise and nutrition and what changes you should make to your lifestyle to achieve a healthy weight.[22]
- Avoid harmful substances. Tobacco, alcohol, and recreational drugs of any kind will be off-limits during pregnancy, so you should avoid using such substances while you're trying to conceive. You should also minimize caffeine intake, as caffeine should only be used in moderation during pregnancy. If you're a heavy caffeine drinker, work on cutting back before trying to conceive to minimize symptoms of caffeine withdrawal. You should only have about 150 mg of caffeine a day, which comes to about two cups of coffee.[23]
- Exercise. Exercise is safe and even encouraged during pregnancy, and there are a variety of pregnancy-safe exercises you should be engaging in before and during your pregnancy.
- Aerobics, resistance, and flexibility exercises are important for pregnant women. Walking, stationary biking, yoga, swimming, and weight lifting are generally safe for pregnant women. However, every pregnancy is different so discuss your health with your doctor beforehand. She may recommend more or less exercise depending on your overall health.[24]
- Your heart rate should raise during a work out, but if you're over 40 it's important to keep your heart rate between 125 and 140 beats per minute. You can measure your heart rate by taking your pulse through your neck or wrist and counting the number of beats in a 60 second timeframe.[25]
- Be careful about abominable exercises that involve lying on your back. These can be dangerous to the fetus as they restrict blood flow.[26]
EditUnderstanding Risks - Consider the risk of chromosomal birth defects. The rate of chromosomal birth defects is higher in infants born to women over 40. Be aware of these risks and be open to testing for chromosomal abnormalities.
- Aneuploidy, or an abnormal number of chromosomes, is more likely to occur with age, and can cause disabilities such as Down Syndrome. A person is born with a set number of eggs, and healthier eggs tend to be released at a younger age. Eggs with chromosomal abnormalities are more likely to be released and then fertilized in your 40s. By age 40, the chance of Down Syndrome is 1 in 60 and that number continues to increase with age.[27]
- There are a variety of tests that can be conducted to check for abnormalities. A sample of amniotic fluid or placenta tissue can be used for testing. Such tests do come with a slightly increased risk of miscarriage but there are new test that can be done at no risk to the fetus. A simple blood test, called a Cell Free DNA test, can now be used to detect fetal abnormalities.[28]
- Take into account the higher rate of pregnancy loss. Pregnancy loss can be very traumatic, and the risk increases with age. Whether via stillbirth or miscarriage, you will be at an increased risk if you're over 40.
- Carefully consider the possibility of pregnancy loss before trying to conceive. While many women do deliver healthy babies after 40, miscarriages due to preexisting health conditions and hormonal abnormalities become more common. Make sure you prepare for the emotional impact pregnancy loss will have on you, in the event that it occurs.
- Close monitoring of the fetus throughout pregnancy is important if you're over 40, as it can prevent the likelihood of pregnancy loss. Talk to your doctor about any personal risks associated with your age and ask her for increased monitoring during pregnancy.[29]
- At 40, the rate of miscarriage increases to 33% and that number gets higher as you age. By 45, the miscarriage rate is at 50%. Talk to your doctor about what you can do to prevent miscarriage.[30]
- Understand the increased risk for multiple births. The chances of having twins or triplets increases with age, especially if you use in-vitro fertilization or fertility drugs to increase your chance of conceiving.
- Make sure you're financially able to support a multiple pregnancy. Educate yourself about the specifics of carrying twins, including options for delivery. Many twins need to be delivered via C-section.[31]
- Have patience. It can take much longer to conceive if you're over 40. Older women's eggs are not fertilized as easily as younger women's, and it may take over six months to conceive. If you still have not successfully conceived after six months, talk to your health care provider.[32]
- The chances for multiple births depend on a variety of factors, but certain fertility treatments increase the rate. Hormonal injections have a 30% chance of multiple births and oral medications carry a 10% chance of twins.
- If you have a family history of a certain genetic disease, you might want to consider genetic counseling. A geneticist will take an overview of your family tree and also do blood work on you and your partner to evaluate your risk for passing on certain diseases.
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