(A) Enforcement officer. The Building Inspector is hereby designated and authorized to enforce the Zoning Code.
(B) Improvement location permits. Within the jurisdiction of the county’s Advisory Plan Commission, no structure, improvement or use of land may be altered, changed, placed, erected or located on platted or unplatted lands, unless the structure, improvement or use and its location, conform with the Comprehensive Plan of the county, and this code of ordinances, and an improvement location permit for such structure, improvement or use has been obtained from the Building Inspector by the owner(s) of the property or his or her agent.
(1) Compliance with Comprehensive Plan. The Building Inspector shall issue an improvement location permit, upon written application, when the proposed structure, improvement or use and its location conform in all respects to the Comprehensive Plan of the county.
(2) Building permits. The Building Commissioner may issue a building permit which may include an improvement location permit.
(C) Application for improvement location permit.
(1) Any person, who shall make application for an improvement location permit, shall, at the time of making such application, furnish a site plan or development plan of the real estate upon which said application for an improvement location permit is made at least five days prior to the issuance of said improvement location permit, which five-day period may be waived. Said site plan shall be drawn to scale showing the following items:
(a) Address of property and a legal or site description of the real estate involved including acreage;
(b) Location and size of all buildings and structures, existing and proposed;
(c) Width and length of all entrances and exits to and from said real estate;
(d) All adjacent and adjoining roads, alleys or highways and their names;
(e) Lot number and area in square feet;
(f) Actual shape and dimensions of the lot to be built upon;
(g) Front, side and rear yard lines and their distance from the street or lot lines;
(h) Number of families or housekeeping units the building is designed to accommodate and such other information in regard to the lot and neighboring lots and their use as may be necessary to determine and provide for the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter; and
(i) Any other items required by this chapter.
(2) Applications including site plans or development plans so furnished shall be filed and shall become a permanent record of the Plan Commission.
(D) Basic duties of Building Inspector.
(1) Issue, in the name of the Board of Zoning Appeals, improvement location permits and certificates of occupancy and maintain records thereof.
(2) Conduct inspections of buildings, structures and use of land to determine compliance with the terms of this chapter, and report the findings and violations to the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals for the purpose of ordering compliance thereof.
(3) Provide interpretation of the Planning and Zoning and Building Construction codes when necessary and such technical and clerical assistance as the Commission and Board may require.
(4) Provide and maintain a public information service relative to all matters arising out of the Planning and Zoning and Building Construction Codes.
(5) Maintain permanent and current records of the Planning and Zoning and Building Construction Codes, including but not limited to, all maps, amendments, improvement location permits, building permits, certificates of occupancy, variances, special exceptions and appeals and applications therefore and records of hearings thereon.
(6) Review of applications for improvement location permits and subdivisions to ascertain as to whether the proposed use lies in a flood hazard area as defined in this chapter. If the proposed use is found to lie in such an area, the Building Inspector will enforce the requirements set forth in § 150.44 of this code in the event that any structures involved are not directly covered by the Building Code regulations.
(7) The Building Inspector, during his or her review of improvement location permits and building permits, shall assure that all national flood insurance program regulations pertaining to state and federal permits, subdivision review, mobile home tie-down standards, utility construction, record keeping (including lowest floor elevations) and water course alteration and maintenance have been met.
(E) Responsibility of the Building Inspector.
(1) (a) The official assigned to administer and enforce the provisions of this chapter is designated the Building Inspector. He or she shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The authority to perform inspections, review applications and issue permits may be delegated to such other officials by the Building Inspector.
(b) In the performance of these functions, the Building Inspector and such other officials shall be responsible to the county’s Plan Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.
(2) If the Building Inspector shall find that any of the provisions of this chapter are being violated, he or she shall notify in writing the person responsible for the violations, indicating the nature of the violation and ordering the action necessary to correct it. He or she shall order discontinuance of illegal use of land, buildings or structures; removal of illegal buildings or structural changes; discontinuance of any illegal work being done; or shall take any other action authorized by law to ensure compliance with or to prevent violations of the provisions of this chapter.
(3) It is the intent of this chapter that all questions of interpretation of provisions of this chapter be first presented to the Building Inspector. Recourse from the decision of the Building Inspector (on matters pertaining to zoning) shall be only to the Board of Zoning Appeals, and recourse from the decision of the Board shall be to the courts as provided by law.
(F) Relocation of proposed building, structure or exit. The Building Inspector may require the relocation of any proposed building or structure or exit or entrance shown on the site plan or the location of new exits or entrances not shown on the site plan before issuing an improvement location permit when such action is necessary to carry out the purpose and intent of the Zoning Code.
(G) Certificate of compliance for industrial uses. An application for an improvement location permit for any use subject to the provision of §§ 156.029 and 156.030 of this code shall be accompanied by a certificate of compliance, subscribed by a registered professional engineer of the state, certifying that the use intended will satisfy the performance standards of the open industrial use or enclosed industrial use, as the case may be, and in the district in which it is to be located. The Building Inspector may take ten days in which to study the application, during which time he or she may consult with appropriate technical consultants. If, after the ten-day period, the Building Inspector has not required any additional information or stated any objection in writing, the Building Inspector shall issue the improvement location permit.
(H) Site plans must be filed for record. Site plans so furnished shall be filed and shall become a permanent public record.
(I) Special exception. The Building Inspector shall issue an improvement location permit for a special exception use only following receipt of notice from the Board that the application therefore has been approved by the Board.
(J) Certificate of occupancy.
(1) No land shall be occupied or used and no building hereafter erected, reconstructed or structurally altered shall be occupied or used, in whole or in part, for any purpose whatsoever, until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued stating that the building and use comply with all of the provisions of this chapter applicable to the building or premises of the use in the district in which it is to be located.
(2) Such a certificate of occupancy shall be required before any existing building can be put to a business use different from the former use of the building. Such a certificate of occupancy shall be required even though the building has undergone no reconstruction and no structural alteration. Failure to obtain such a certificate of occupancy is a violation of this chapter.
(K) Completion of improvements. On completion of the improvement covered by the improvement location permit, the Building Inspector shall cause an inspection of the premises, and, if this inspection shall reveal that the improvement has been completed in substantial conformity with the site plan or development plan, and certificate of compliance when required, submitted in the application pursuant to division (C) above, a certificate of occupancy shall then be issued.
(L) Temporary certificate. A temporary certificate of occupancy may be issued by the Building Inspector after application has been made for completed portions of a development plan which has been approved as a special exception, provided that a certificate of occupancy is required upon completion of the total development plan.
(M) Change of use. No change shall be made in the use of land or in the use of any building or part thereof, now or hereafter erected, reconstructed or structurally altered, without a certificate of occupancy having been issued, and no such certificate shall be issued to make such change unless it is in conformity with the provisions of this chapter.
(N) Coincidental application. A certificate of occupancy shall be applied for coincidentally with the application for an improvement location permit and shall be issued within ten days after the lawful change of use, lawful erection, reconstruction or structural alteration of such building or other improvement of the land shall have been completed, provided the Building Inspector has been notified of such completion by the applicant.
(O) Certificates of occupancy filed for record. A record of all certificates of occupancy shall be kept on file in the office of the Building Inspector and copies shall be furnished upon request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building or land affected.
(P) Excavations. No improvement location permit shall be issued for excavation or for the erection, reconstruction or structural alteration of any building, before application has been made for a certificate of occupancy.
(Q) Health requirements.
(1) An application for an improvement location permit for any use shall not be approved until it has been ascertained by the Building Inspector that the proposed use meets the minimum standards for a sewage disposal system and water supply system as required by the county’s Health Officer.
(2) No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for a commercial or industrial structure or for any other applicable use until the plans for such structure shall have been approved by the state’s Department of Fire Prevention and Building Safety.
(R) Time limit.
(1) The work or use authorized by an improvement location permit, certificate of occupancy or permit for a variance, contingent use or other permit, except for a conditional use, must be commenced within six months of the date of issuance of such certificate or permit; otherwise, the same shall lapse and become null and void.
(2) All work so authorized shall be completed within 12 months from the issuance of the certificate or permit therefore, except for a special exception and provided that for good cause shown, the Building Inspector can extend the completion of time.
(S) Proper compliance.
(1) The Zoning Inspector shall review all development (and subdivision) proposals to assure compliance with the Floodplain District requirements of this chapter. All development applications for uses located in the Floodplain District which are not permitted by right (see § 156.031 of this code) will require the review and approval by Natural Resources prior to the issuance of an improvement location permit or building permit. The Zoning Inspector shall forward all these specifications, along with plans and specifications, to Natural Resources for review and comment.
(2) The Zoning Inspector, during his or her review of improvement location permits and building permits, shall assure that all National Flood Insurance Program regulations pertaining to state and federal permits, (subdivision review), mobile home tie-down standards, utility construction, record keeping (including lowest floor elevations) and water course alteration and maintenance have been met.
(T) Soil and drainage conditions met.
(1) An application for an improvement location permit for any use shall not be approved until it has been ascertained by the Building Inspector that the proposed use meets the applicable criteria of the county’s Soil and Water Conservation District for the lot or tract of land concerning types of soils involved and the conditions which are requisite to assure proper execution of erosion and sediment control and proper drainage.
(2) Also, the Building Inspector must be satisfied that any state Drainage Code requirements have been met before approving applications for improvement location permits.
(V) Issuance of permits. Any permits authorized by the county, including but not limited to improvement location permits, permitting the erection, alteration or relocation of structures and other improvements within the jurisdiction of the county’s Advisory Plan Commission, shall be issued only if, in addition to satisfying the requirements of this code of ordinances, the proposed street right-of-way as set forth in the Thoroughfare Plan will be protected from encroachment. In this instance, the proposed street right-of-way lines will be considered as the front lines of lots and tracts bordering such street, subject to building setback lines as set forth in § 156.067 of this code.
(W) Certain requirements regarding real estate transfers. All offers for the sale of real estate shall be accompanied by a description setting forth the zoning classification and permitted uses of the real estate being offered for sale, which description shall be provided by the seller or his or her agent.
(X) Erroneously issued permits; restrictive covenants. The issuance of an improvement location permit and/or a certificate of occupancy in no way validates such a permit or certificate in the event that same is erroneously issued or does not comply with applicable laws and this code of ordinances: Furthermore, the issuance of an improvement location permit and/or a certificate of occupancy in no way permits the violation of any restrictive covenants relative to the real estate. (See § 156.003 of this code.)
(Ord. 8-7-12-3, passed 10-10-1961; Ord. passed 1- -2004) Penalty, see § 156.999