(A) Permits.
(1) No person or business shall cause any building or structure to be erected, constructed, reconstructed, converted or substantially enlarged, extended or raised, or moved onto any premises within the city limits of the city, unless a permit therefor is obtained from the Board of Adjustment.
(2) Application for a permit shall be made to the City Finance Officer and at the time of making application, the applicant shall furnish in writing the following information:
(a) The name of the applicant;
(b) The location of the premises on which the building or structure shall be located;
(c) The nature of the work or construction to be done;
(d) The estimated cost of the work to be done;
(e) The size of the lot or lots upon which the work or construction is to be done;
(f) The size of the proposed building or structure including the width, length and height;
(g) The distance the building or structure will be located from the front, rear and side lot lines;
(h) The permit becomes null and void if work or construction authorized is not commenced within one year;
(i) A site plan which would include the following: drawn (preferably) to scale; includes a north arrow; includes property lines; shows all dimensions of structures; includes all structures (existing and proposed) and setbacks from property lines includes appropriate roads, driveways, or parking areas; is clear and legible.
(j) A statement by the applicant that all work done will conform with the zoning ordinance of the city.
(3) The application must be accompanied by an amount equal to the residential and commercial building permit fee schedule that is shown below:
Valuation | Fees |
Valuation | Fees |
$0 through $1,000 | $15 |
$1,001 through $5,000 | $15 plus $4 or each addition $1,000 or part thereof over the first $1,000 |
$5,001 through $10,000 | $35 plus $3.75 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $5,000 |
$10,001 through $20,000 | $60 plus $3.50 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $10,000 |
$20,001 through $30,000 | $100 plus $3.25 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $20,000 |
$30,001 through $40,000 | $140 plus $3 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $30,000 |
$40,0001 through $50,000 | $180 plus $2.75 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $40,000 |
$50,0001 through $100,000 | $225 plus $2.50 for each additional $1,000 or part thereof over the first $50,000 |
SQUARE FOOT VALUATION BASIS FOR NEW BUILDINGS AND ADDITIONS THERETO | |
Dwellings - Single family dwelling, duplex, townhouses | |
Finished habitable space | $65 per square foot |
Finished basements | $35 per square foot |
Unfinished space (basement or upper levels) | $20 per square foot |
Attached garages | $22 per square foot |
Detached garages | $20 per square foot |
Storage shed (garden) | $12 per square foot |
Pole shed or other storage shed | $20 per square foot |
Commercial buildings | |
Pole shed or other storage shed | $20 per square foot |
Finished building | $60 per square foot |
“Non-valued” fees | |
Fence (new build, not replacement of existing) | $25 per square foot |
Patio deck/wood or concrete (new build, not replacement of existing) | $25 per square foot |
Failure to file a building permit | $75 penaltiy in addition to above fee schedule |
Variance request | $75 flat fee |
(4) The Finance Officer shall give the Planing and Zoning Board a copy of the completed building permit applications. The Planning and Zoning members shall meet prior to the Gregory City Council meeting and give their recommendations on each of the building permits that have been submitted to them to the Gregory Council.
(5) The Gregory City Council members, sitting as the Board of Adjustment, shall review each of the building permits applications submitted to them by the Planning and Zoning Board members at their next regularly scheduled Council meeting, at which time the applicant shall be heard along with any objectors to the granting of the permit. Within 48 hours after the hearing, the City Council shall notify the applicant as to whether his or her permit has been granted.
(6) The permit will consist of a copy of the permit signed by the Planning and Zoning Board Chair and the Mayor of the City Council and a statement stating that the permit has been approved and that the applicant can proceed in accordance with the plan submitted with his or her application.
(7) In the event a permit is not granted, a written statement signed by the City Finance Officer and the Mayor of the City Council shall be delivered to the applicant, stating that his or her application for a permit is denied and shall describe the reason therefor.
(8) Request for variance. In the event that the applicant requests a variance because the required setbacks can’t be met, a request for variance form must be submitted along with the building permit application. The fee for a variance permit shall be $75. The variance request form shall be provided to the applicant by the City Finance Officer and will contain the following items:
(a) Name, address, phone number, legal description, present zoning of the property and present use of the property;
(b) Reasons for request for variance;
(c) Names and address of adjacent property owners;
(d) Attach a scaled accurate drawing of the site and surrounding area of the site and survey area of at least 300 feet from each boundary;
(e) Survey pins located, if pins are not found, a survey will be required and paid for by the applicant.
(f) Applicant signature, verifying that the information contained in the variance application and all attachments is true and correct.
(Prior Code, § 17.04.030) (Ord. 41, passed - -1977; Am. Ord. 2014-02, passed 8-4-2014)
(B) Permit guidelines for signs.
(1) Definitions. For the purpose of this section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
BILLBOARD. A free standing sign with an advertising area of more than 50 square feet which is supported by one or more uprights, poles, or braces in or upon the ground.
OFF-PREMISES SIGN. Any sign with a maximum advertising area of 50 square feet not located on the same property for which the advertisement is intended.
PORTABLE SIGN. Any sign with a maximum square footage of 32 square feet and is not permanently anchored to the ground or permanently mounted to a building, which is capable of being moved from location to location.
SIGN. Any permanent object, including its structure and component parts, which is used or intended to be used to attract attention to the subject matter for advertising or other purposes and does not include paint on the surface of a building relating to the activity conducted in the building.
TEMPORARY SIGN. Any sign, banner, pendant, valance, or other advertising display constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, paper, wallboards or other light materials, with or without frames, which may only be displayed not more than 30 days within a calendar year.
(2) Building permit required. No sign, other than a temporary sign, bill board or off-premises sign shall hereafter be erected, re-erected, constructed, altered or maintained within the zoning jurisdiction of the city unless a building permit has been issued by the City Superintendent for the specific sign and location. No off-premises sign or bill board may be issued a building permit without prior approval of the City Council.
(3) General sign regulation.
(a) Height and location of sign. All signs that are within 100 feet of a public approach or intersection shall be at least 20 feet away from the street or the lowest part of the sign and 7 feet above grade for traffic visibility considerations. No sign may be located in a manner that obstructs or otherwise interferes with the view of an official traffic sign, signal, or device or to obstruct or interfere with a driver's view of approaching, merging or intersecting traffic.
(b) Sign illumination. All sign illumination shall be from the interior or from floodlight projection shielded which may not shine directly upon public rights-of-way and neighboring properties.
(c) Public right-of-way. No sign shall encroach upon or overhang any public right-of-way. No sign shall be attached to any utility pole, light standard, street sign or any other public facility.
(d) Condition and maintenance. All signs shall be maintained in good condition. Every sign, together will all of its supports, braces, guys and anchors shall be kept in good repair and in safe state of preservation. The display surface of each sign shall be kept neatly painted or covered at all times.
(e) Billboards. All billboards shall have a maximum height from adjacent grade of 36 feet; a maximum advertising area of 300 square feet; minimum ground clearance of 8 feet; minimum distance from residential zones of 200 feet measured along the street; minimum distance from other billboards of 300 feet; minimum distance from street intersection of 100 feet as measured from the right-of-way; and the maximum number per parcel of property is one.
(f) Off-premises signs. All off-premises signs shall have a maximum height from adjacent grade of 15 feet; a maximum advertising area of 50 square feet; minimum ground clearance of 7 feet; minimum distance from residential zones of 100 feet measured along the street; minimum distance from street intersection of 20 feet as measured from the right-of-way; and the maximum number per parcel of property is one.
(4) Exemptions. The following signs shall be exempt from licensing provisions of this chapter: official notices authorized by a court, public body or public safety official; directional, warning or information signs authorized by federal, state, or local government; memorial plaques, building identification signs and building cornerstones when made an integral part of the building or structure; flag of a government or non-commercial institution, religious symbols and non-commercial seasonal decorations appropriate to the holiday season; real estate for sale signs provided that all signs shall be located upon the property to which they apply and shall not have a maximum advertising area greater than 4 square feet; and community event message signs owned by a non-profit, civic organization or a governmental entity.
(C) Permit guidelines for fences.
(1) Construction standards. Any fence that is erected within the city limits shall not be constructed of any metal guards and barbed wire, unless first being approved by the City Council. No such fence shall be of material that will limit or conflict with the values or appearance of abutting property in any way, and no fence shall be erected or maintained in such a manner as to reasonable obstruct the view of others or their access to light or air.
(2) Location, height and materials. Privacy fences can’t be built past the front of any house towards the street side. The privacy fence can be built adjacent to the front of the house towards the backyard but shall not extend beyond the front of any adjacent house. Privacy fences shall be a minimum of 6 feet tall with a maximum height of 8 feet tall. a chain link fence may be built in the front yard, adjacent to the front of the house to the front lot line, with the maximum height of 4 feet tall. A wooden, picket type fence may also be built in the front yard towards the front lot line, with the maximum height of 4 feet. Any allowed fence may be placed on the property owner’s lot line with the exception of any fence built adjacent to the alley, the fence shall be build a minimum of 5 feet away from the alley right-of-way.
(Ord. 153, passed 4-3-2000; Am. Ord. 2017-07, passed 12-4-2017)