Zoning officers are usually pin-headed little pipsqueeks who have nothing to do except persecute the public who is usually taxed for the non service that they offer to the community. I had plenty of experience with one such a fellow in a community that was a suburb of Chicago. He'd spend the slow hours of the afternoon measuring the address/house numbers on folk's home to see if they were up to code.

You could always tell where he'd been, because the homeowners, myself included always went out and bought the biggest numbers they could find and painted them the most gawd awful flourescent colors that money could buy.

I hope that particular zoning officer rots in zoning violation hell!!!!!

Seriously, there's not much you can do but comply, unless you have an attorney friend who wants to have some entertainment with the $%$##$ zoning official.

Hardiman