(a) Vacant land shall not be occupied or used, except for agricultural purposes, and a building erected or altered shall not be occupied or used until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Chief Building Official.
(b) Occupancy Requiring a Certificate. A certificate of occupancy shall be required for any of the following:
(1) Occupancy and use of a building hereafter erected, altered, enlarged or moved;
(2) Change in the use of an existing building to a use of a different classification;
(3) Occupancy and use of vacant land except for agricultural uses;
(4) Change in the use of land to a use of a different classification except for agricultural uses; or
(5) Any change in the use of a nonconforming use.
(c) Certificate for Use of a Building. A certificate of occupancy for a new building or the enlargement or alteration of an existing building shall be applied for coincident with the application for a building permit, and the certificate shall be issued after the request for it has been made in writing to the Chief Building Official, after the erection or alteration of the building or part thereof shall have been completed in conformity with the provisions of these regulations. Pending the issuance of a regular certificate, a temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued by the Chief Building Official for a period not exceeding 120 days, during the completion of alterations or during partial occupancy of a building pending its completion. The temporary certificate shall not be construed as in any way altering the respective rights, duties or obligations of the owners or of the City relating to the use or occupancy of the premises or any other mater covered by this Zoning Code, and the temporary certificate shall not be issued except under the restrictions and provisions as will adequately insure the safety of the occupants. Prior to issuing a temporary certificate of occupancy, the Chief Building Official may require the applicant to post a reasonable compliance cash deposit or performance bond, or such other security for performance as may be approved by the Chief Building Official, and may require the applicant to comply with such other conditions as may be reasonable under the circumstances. A report shall be sent to the Clerk of Council on a form approved by Council in all instances where a temporary occupancy permit has been applied for, whether it has been granted or denied.
(d) Certificate for Use of Land. A certificate of occupancy for the use of vacant land or the change in the character of the use of land, as herein provided, shall be applied for before any of the land shall be occupied or used for any purpose except that of tilling the soil and the growing thereon of farm, garden or orchard products; and a certificate of occupancy shall be issued after the application has been made, provided the use is in conformity with the provisions of these regulations.
(e) Contents: Filing Fee. All applications for a certificate of occupancy shall be made on a printed form to be furnished by the Chief Building Official, and shall contain accurate information and dimensions as to the size of and location of the lot, the size and location of the buildings or structures on the lot, the dimensions of all yards and open spaces, and any other information as may be necessary to provide for the enforcement of these regulations. The certificate of occupancy shall state that the building or proposed use of a building or land conforms to the provisions of this Zoning Code. A record of all certificates shall be kept on file in the Office of the Chief Building Official, and copies shall be furnished, on request, to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building or land affected. A fee as provided in Section 1301.01 of the Codified Ordinances shall be charged for each original certificate of occupancy, and a fee of one dollar ($1.00) shall be charged for duplicate copies of the certificate; however, no fee shall be charged for an original certificate of occupancy when any work is done which requires a building permit.
(Ord. 1988-056. Passed 4-26-88.)