A variance may be granted when obstruction is 'unnecessary hardship' and the variance is not contrary to public interest and the spirit of the ordinance is maintained. Which wording best captures the required conditions?

• A. Unnecessary hardship only
• B. Unnecessary hardship and no public interest
• C. Unnecessary hardship and not contrary to public interest and spirit of the ordinance
• D. Public interest only

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that a variance is allowed only if the property owner truly faces unnecessary hardship, and the change still respects the community's interests and the ordinance’s intent. The strongest wording includes all three elements: unnecessary hardship, not contrary to public interest, and the spirit of the ordinance maintained. This combination ensures the variance is truly a relief from a genuine constraint on the property, while preventing changes that would negatively impact neighbors or undermine the purpose and goals of the zoning rules. The other options fail because they omit one or more of these essential checks: granting a variance solely for hardship ignores public impact and the ordinance’s intent; tying it to hardship and no public interest plus spirit is too strict or mismatched in wording; and focusing only on public interest omits the required hardship.