Connecticut law authorizes local Zoning Boards of Appeals to grant variances to zoning laws in limited circumstances. Variances are reserved for applicants who demonstrate an “exceptional difficulty or unusual hardship” complying with the applicable zoning regulations or, in some cases, reducing an existing legal non-conformity.

However, the terms “exceptional difficulty or unusual hardship” are not defined in Connecticut law, which has left it up to the courts to interpret what constitutes a hardship worthy of a variance. Over time, the courts have narrowly construed the definition, making it difficult to prove that a legal hardship exists. For example, financial hardship is not considered a legal hardship for zoning purposes.