RobG,

I thought initially that would be the process I would follow or something close. I have called the county and they basically told me I need hire a surveyor that is familiar with the way the county does things and if I wanted a variance to consult with a lawyer. My impression is they don't want to deal with home owners . I ran into a similar response when I went to pull permits to build my shop but got it done myself. A friend who has been dealing with land in my county his entire life told me I would need to attend a public hearing for the variance.
Maybe I need to go to the zoning dept in person and have a chat.