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11/29/2016 03:30 PMFees for building department permits are going up as of Jan. 1, 2017, but the change supports a new cloud-based permitting technology starting about the same time that will save time and allow contractors to track a permit’s status online.
A new town building department fee schedule adopted at a Nov. 21 Town Meeting allows the town to recover more of the costs incurred to perform mandated plan reviews and inspections, according to Building Official David Maiden.
A key fee increase, from $20 to $35 for the first $1,000 of project value, is to pay for the town’s planned technology upgrade from paper records to the online town permitting system. The new software system the town has purchased will be operational by Jan. 1, 2017. The new system will save contractors and town employees time and reduce the potential for data-entry or transfer errors. It will also let contractors track remotely the status of a permit application and the dates for planned inspections.
For the first time, the town will begin charging for the time spent by town fire marshals and deputy fire marshals to perform state-mandated project plan reviews and field inspections of permitted building projects. The fee charged will be $8 for every $1,000 of value and portion thereof.
The increase from $50 to $200 to secure a demolition permit for a complete single-family home or a commercial structure was to reflect the amount of paperwork and inspections that the state requires before such a permit can be issued.
“The demolition permit is increased from $50 to $200 due to the inordinate number of hours spent on enforcement of the State Demolition Code during the permitting process,” wrote Maiden.
Also increasing from $100 to $200 is the cost for the town building department to review and inspect a new solar panel array installation. The higher fee reflects the fact that more of the installations require the roof support system (rafters, etc.) to be upgraded and strengthened to carry the load of the panels. This requires a more extensive plan review process and field inspections to confirm the installation as planned will be structurally sound.
Easement Approved
On Nov. 21, the Town Meeting also approved an easement for Barbara Peet, trustee of Barbara Peet Trust. The easement allows her to install two PVC pipes under Old Mail Trail, a town road. The pipes will connect a new two-bedroom house she plans to build on the north side of the road on property she owns with the home’s planned septic system, to be installed on property she owns on the south side of the road. The new home will meet standards for construction in a flood zone, and the septic system as planned will be health-code compliant, according to Peet’s professional engineer, Robert Doane.