Sunday, February 27, 2011

Chapter 5 - Ride A Horse The Way It's Going



Crafting your B&B to fit the Master Plan



There's an old saying in horse country - "Ride a horse the way it's going". There's lots of old sayings like that around. "Don't swim up stream." "Go with the flow." "Ease on down the road." They all mean the same thing - make things easy for yourself!

Ready for a ride?
Before you come up against a road block that you can't get around, find out where your region is going and craft your presentation accordingly.


Every community has a master plan - everything from rapid growth to no growth. Contact your business development office and ask to see it. Like all other county documents, it's probably on line.


Our poster boy!
A master plan is often a map with designated regions for residential growth, business development, historical and/or no growth areas, schools and so forth. The master plan will also have a focus. Our county's focus is "Business friendly in an agricultural environment" which means the county wants businesses that enhance our rural life style. Tourism is a business that's encouraged in our county.


Urban areas, suburban areas and small towns each have a different focus as do the sea shore, the mountains, and the desert. Find out what the focus of your area is and where your town or region is heading.


We were permitted, by right, what our county at the time called "transient lodgings." There was no designation for an actual bed and breakfast. We were clearly not a hotel or motel but we weren't a boarding house either. We were, in our county at least, a new entity.


Most people knew what a bed and breakfast was and had pleasant thoughts about the contribution one would make to our region but, even though we were permitted to rent "transient lodgings" by right, we had to apply for a variance.


A variance is a way that municipalities can see what you have in mind before you go ahead. It's a way of insuring that what you want to do fits with the spirit of the master plan.

Rural grace and charm

 For example, even though "transient lodgings" were permitted in our zone, to maintain our gracious rural style and encourage tourism, the county didn't want (and wouldn't approve) bulk transient lodgings for a group home or shelter in our zone.  A B&B, however, would certainly be in keeping with the master plan.


An ombudsman guided us through the zoning board/planning board processes. He reviewed our application before we submitted it, suggesting ways we could tweak it to mesh with the county's master plan so it would glide though easily.


Before you come up against a road block or brick wall, see where your area is heading and craft your presentaion to reflect that journey. Ride a horse the way it is going and you'll be home in time for dinner.

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