A property owner wants to use his single-family residence as a day-care center for up to ten children but local zoning limits the property to single-family residential use. The owner must

A building permit is generally required for construction or significant modifications to a structure but does not address zoning issues. Since the zoning law restricts the property's use to single-family residential, simply obtaining a building permit would not authorize the owner to operate a day-care center.

Modifying the local master plan involves broader alterations to zoning designations and land use policies and is not a direct solution for an individual property owner's situation. This process is typically lengthy and complex, requiring community input and approval, and does not specifically address the immediate need for a variance to operate a day-care center.

Filing an appeal with the local court is a legal remedy typically pursued after a decision has been made by a zoning board or local government. In this case, the property owner has not been denied permission yet; thus, an appeal is premature and irrelevant to the process of seeking permission to change the property's use.