(A) Permit required. Any owner or authorized agent who intends to demolish or remove a building or structure, or to cause any such work to be done, shall first make application to the Department and obtain the all required permits. No property owner wrecking permit shall be issued until and unless the building or structure sought to be wrecked has been inspected by the code official and it has been determined that the wrecking of the building or structure can be safely and properly undertaken by such owner.
(B) Notice of intent.
(1) Before a building or structure can be demolished or removed, the permit holder or their agent shall notify in writing the owners of each potentially affected adjoining lot, building or structure at least one week prior to the commencement of the work. The notice shall request license to enter, if necessary the potentially affected lot, building or structure prior to the commencement of work and at reasonable intervals during its prosecution to inspect and preserve it from any damage which might result from the intended work.
(2) If afforded the necessary license to enter the adjoining lot, building or structure, the permit holder or their agent causing the demolition or excavation to be made shall at all times and at their expense preserve and protect lot, building or structure from damage or injury. If the necessary license is not afforded, it shall be the duty of the owner of the adjoining lot, building or structure to make safe their own property, for the prosecution of which said owner shall be granted the necessary license to enter the premises of the demolition or excavation.
(C) Removal of utilities. Before a building or structure can be demolished or removed, the owner or agent shall notify all utilities having service connections to the structure such as water, electric, gas, sewer, telephone and other connections. A permit to demolish or remove a structure shall not be issued until a release is obtained from the utilities stating that their service connections and appurtenant equipment, such as meters and regulators, have been removed or sealed and plugged in accordance to their laws and regulations.
(D) Wrecking operations. The demolition or removal, of any building or structure shall be executed only by the person, partnership, firm, or corporation to whom the permit has been issued, and no person, partnership, firm, or corporation shall conduct wrecking operations under a wrecking permit issued to some other person, partnership, firm, or corporation.
(1) After obtaining the permit from the Department, as well as securing the permission of the Department of Public Works and Assets or any other Metro/state department/agency required for the occupancy of any public property or right of way, the permit holder or their agent shall proceed to erect all required protections and shall notify the Department to inspect the protections before proceeding with the wrecking operations.
(2) The wrecking company or person who secures the permit for the demolition of the structure will be held responsible for compliance with all applicable regulations laws.
(3) The methods used in wrecking shall not create hazards to the public or unnecessary danger to the workers and shall be in accordance with OSHA and all other industry accepted practices. The wrecking company or person who secures the permit for the demolition of a structure shall be responsible for repairing and making safe any utility service damaged during wrecking operations.
(4) When required by the Department in individual cases, detailed plans and proposed procedures for the demolition of the structure shall be submitted with the application for approval.
(5) Suitable provision shall be made for the disposal of materials which are accumulated during the wrecking operations. All putrescible rubbish, debris and excess materials shall be removed from the site and legally disposed of before any basement, cellar, cistern, privy, well or other hole can be filled. Foundations must be removed to below grade level unless otherwise authorized by the Department. No part of the structure shall be overloaded by excessive storage of materials or debris so as to cause possible collapse. Chutes, scaffolds, derricks, and hoists must be suitable and safe for use. All materials, debris and rubbish generated during the wrecking operations and removal of the same shall be controlled to prevent the creation of air pollution.
(6) No open fires or other source of flame, except necessary cutting torches will be permitted on the wrecking site, nor in close proximity to flammable materials outside of the site, and every precaution shall be taken to prevent the possibility of fire.
(7) When a structure involving a party wall is demolished, the owner of the demolished structure shall at their own expense close all open beam holes and maintain the safety and usefulness of the standing wall to current code requirements for the same.
(8) When the demolition of an existing building is of greater height than adjoining buildings, the roof, roof outlets, and roof structures of adjoining buildings shall be protected against damage with adequate safeguards.
(9) Blasting and the use of explosives shall be done only by a company or person licensed and permitted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky Bureau of Mines to perform such work.
(10) All basements, cellars, cisterns, privies, wells and holes shall be removed or broken up so as to allow for drainage of the site and be properly filled to a depth of 24 inches below the existing grade with approved non-combustible and non-putrescible materials. Fill material shall then be placed in one-foot depth horizontal layers with each layer compacted. The last two-foot layer of fill material shall be free of all debris, waste, brick, stone, or any other similar materials. Existing drainage patterns shall be maintained so as to not cause additional surface water run-off to adjacent properties or standing water. Foundations shall be broken up unless specifications stating otherwise are approved by the Code Official.
(11) The wrecking permit holder or the agent shall be responsible for notifying the appropriate Fire Department/or District before removal of standpipes, sprinklers, or fire protection systems and associated water service.
(12) The wrecking permit holder or the agent shall notify in writing the Department the location of the sites on which they will be disposing of all materials, rubbish, debris associated with the wrecking operations and the removal of the structure(s).
(13) The requirements of this section are designated as a minimum necessary for average conditions and in the case of unusual or dangerous situations, adequate provision shall be made and every precaution taken to protect the safety of the public and workers and adjoining properties.
(14) If during the wrecking of the building or structure it appears to the Code Official that the provisions of this section or the permit are not being complied with or that proper safety precautions are not being taken or that there is a threat to the health or safety of persons or property, the Code Official may immediately issue an order to cease all wrecking operations. This order shall be effective immediately and shall be complied with by wrecking permit holder and their representatives. This order may be appealed to the Director of the Department within ten days of its issuance.
(Lou. Metro Ord. No. 267-2007, approved 12-10-2007)