A building line is the distance beyond which building construction cannot extend on a city lot. It is determined by the municipality and varies depending on local zoning laws. It helps track the layout of city blocks and streets and allows for the inclusion of utility lines and sidewalks. The type of building line is determined by the local jurisdiction and varies for business and residential areas. Exceptions may be made for certain facilities, but changing a building line requires approval from the local planning commission.
Also known as a line back, a building line is the distance from the ends and sides of a city lot beyond which building construction cannot extend. The exact location of the construction line is determined by the municipality in which the lot is located and may vary depending on local zoning laws applicable in that section of the city. Establishing designated building lines is useful for tracking the layout or placement of city blocks and city streets that connect these city street blocks in both commercial and residential areas. From this point of view, a line of buildings makes it easier to incorporate plans for the inclusion of utility lines, sidewalks, and to maintain a uniform look to the area.
It is important to note that the local jurisdiction determines the type of building line that will apply to a given area of the municipality. Typically, the construction of buildings in business districts must follow lines that take into account the need for rail, road and even pedestrian traffic in the immediate vicinity. Likewise, residential areas will ban the construction of fences and other structures along the front of housing lots, allowing space for sidewalks to be installed in those neighborhoods.
While the construction line along the front of a city lot is likely the same for all lots in the immediate area, there may be some exceptions. For example, a municipality may allow a health care facility such as a hospital to extend construction as a covered receiving area closer to the street, while requiring that a business a few blocks away limit construction to areas further back on the lot. The intended use of the facility can play a role in determining the location of the construction line, taking into account citizen safety concerns, as well as allowing for a uniform layout or mapping of an area layout.
In some countries, it is not uncommon for a construction line to also be identified as a disposition in wills or deeds, housing developments and planned neighborhoods often have input into where a backline is established for a particular street, making it easier to maintenance the look and feel of the development. Changing a building line is usually not an easy task, but it can be done with approval from the local planning commission. Modifications are rarely granted simply because a property owner requests them. If the commission finds significant benefits both from granting an exception to allow construction beyond the current line and from the fact that moving the line would in some way improve the prospects for a given geographic area of the city, the chances that check for an adjustment is significantly boosted.
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