A local ordinance states that no sign can extend more than two feet above the roofline. The Morgans want to put a sign on their roof, but the sign is six feet high. To install legally, they must apply for a:

• A. Variance
• B. Permit
• C. Special Exception
• D. Zoning Amendment

Answer: (A)

The situation hinges on getting relief from a zoning rule that the property can’t meet. When a proposed improvement violates a specific requirement, the proper route is to seek a variance. A variance lets the zoning authority relax the rule for that property because there are unique circumstances or hardship that make strict compliance impractical. It’s a discretionary decision granted after review and usually a hearing, and it allows the Morgans to install the six-foot sign legally, provided the variance is approved and any conditions are met.

A permit by itself would not overcome the restriction; even with a permit, the project must still comply with the height limit. A special exception applies to a permitted use that’s allowed only under certain conditions, not to relax numerical standards. A zoning amendment would change the ordinance itself for the area, which isn’t the remedy for an individual property’s constraint.