CRJ200 FLT CREW REPORTS NOSE GEAR FAILED TO RETRACT AFTER TKOF. AFTER COMPLYING WITH CHECKLIST PROCEDURES AND BURNING OFF EXCESS FUEL AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING ENSUES.

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AFTER LIFT-OFF; THE LNDG GEAR WAS SELECTED UP; THE MAIN GEAR CAME UP NORMALLY; BUT THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED DOWN. ABOUT 6 SECONDS LATER; A GEAR DISAGREE WARNING MESSAGE WAS POSTED ON THE EICAS. WE CLBED TO 5000 FT AND LEVELED OFF. ATC WAS ADVISED THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH THE NOSE GEAR AND NEEDED TO RUN THE CHKLIST. THE GEAR-UP DISAGREE QRH PROC WAS PERFORMED; AND THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED WITH THE MANUAL EXTENSION HANDLE. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND REQUESTED PRIORITY HANDLING AND ASKED TO HOLD. AT THAT TIME WE WERE OVER OUR MAX LNDG WT LIMITATION AND NEEDED TO BURN OFF FUEL TO MEET LNDG WT. WE NOTIFIED THE COMPANY AND ADVISED OUR MAINT CTLR OF THE PROB AND TOLD HIM WE WOULD BURN THE FUEL OFF. THE MAINT CTLR SUGGESTED WE WERE OK TO LAND OVERWT; AS LONG AS WE TOUCH DOWN WITH A DSCNT RATE OF LESS THAN 350 FPM. I SAW NO REASON TO DISREGARD A LIMITATION. THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE THREAT TO SAFETY THAT REQUIRED US TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. WE HELD FOR ABOUT 40 MINS PRIOR TO COMMENCING THE APCH. CFR WAS STANDING BY JUST IN CASE WE HAD ANY PROBS. WE LANDED NORMALLY. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE; A MECH MET THE PLANE AND INSPECTED THE GEAR. THERE WAS NOTHING BINDING THE GEAR; AND HE PINNED THE GEAR. THE DISPATCH RELEASE WAS AMENDED FOR THE DIVERSION AND THE DISCREPANCY WAS LOGGED IN THE MAINT LOG. I BELIEVE SAFETY WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED IF WE CHOSE TO LAND SOONER AND LAND OVERWT. WE ARE TAUGHT TO OPERATE THE ACFT WITHIN ITS LIMITATIONS UNLESS A DIRE EMER REQUIRES US TO OPERATE OUTSIDE OF THE LIMITS. THERE WAS NO DIRE EMER. THE SUGGESTION BY THE MAINT CTLR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. THIS TYPE OF SUGGESTION MAY LEAD OTHER CREWS TO DISREGARD A LIMITATION NEEDLESSLY AND COMPROMISE SAFETY.