A. General Requirement. Every Lot without public wastewater treatment shall have at least one (1) buildable area. All buildings, garages, accessory buildings, and individual on-site sewage disposal systems shall be constructed within a buildable area. All drain field sites for Subsurface Treatment Systems (SSTS) shall be staked, fenced, barricaded or otherwise isolated from the site of any construction so that soils in the drain field site are not disturbed or compacted during construction. Accessory buildings constructed on a buildable area separate from the buildable area upon which the principal structure is constructed shall have a buildable area which is two times (2x) the square footage of the lowest floor(s) of the accessory buildings if there is no SSTS needed for the accessory buildings. If there is plumbing in the accessory building, the buildable area shall be increased by 2,000 square feet to accommodate a 20’ x 100’ drainfield.
B. Survey Elevations. Semi-permanent elevation markings are required to be placed on the construction site to aid city officials in their determination that the elevation requirements of this Code have been met. It is advisable for the surveyor to place durable markers, e.g., 6 feet or 8 feet steel fence posts, with finish elevations marked on each post, at each corner of the buildable area(s), at two opposite corners or ends of the drain field area(s), and at least one post adjacent to each segment of the driveway(s). If the elevation markings are not present upon the completion of construction, either the Building Inspector or the Zoning Administrator shall have the authority to require an additional survey to verify that the construction elevation requirements of this Code have been met.
C. Penalty. Construction elevations in the City of Columbus are critical measurements. During the time period between the placement of the elevation markers by a surveyor and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, any person who moves, alters, or otherwise tampers with construction elevation markers shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine or by imprisonment in accordance with the provisions of the City Code.
[§ 7A-802, formerly, § 7A-818, amended by Ord. No. 91-2, effective June 12, 1992, amended by Ord. No. 07-02, effective March 1, 2007; amended by Ord. No. 21-09, effective December 8, 2021.]