Blue Ridge City Zoning Code
§ 20
ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.
20.1
ADMINISTRATION: The City Building Official shall administer and enforce this Ordinance, including the pre-permit plan review, the inspecting of property and premises and the issuing of building permits and certificates of occupancy and compliance. No building permit or certificate of occupancy shall be issued except where all the provisions of this Ordinance have been complied and all required fees have been paid, and any permit or certificate of occupancy issued without full compliance with this Ordinance or without the payment of appropriate fees may be revoked by the Building Official.
20.2
BUILDING PERMIT REQUIRED: No person shall erect or construct or proceed with the erection or construction of any building or structure, nor add to, enlarge, extend, move, or demolish any building or structure or cause the same to be done in any zoned district of the City of Blue Ridge or its extraterritorial jurisdiction without first obtaining a building permit thereof from the Building Official. No such building permit or certificate of occupancy shall be issued for any building where said construction, addition, alteration or use thereof would be in violation of any of the provisions of this Ordinance.
20.3
POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CITY BUILDING OFFICIAL:
A.
Whenever any building work is being done contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance, the City Building Official may order the work stopped and may also revoke the building permit theretofore issued by notice in writing served on any person owning such property or their agent or on any person engaged in the doing or causing such work to be done, and any such person shall forthwith stop or cause such work to be stopped until authorized by the City Building Official to proceed with the work or upon issuance of a building permit in those cases in which the building permit has been revoked and further, such stop work order and revocation of permit shall be posted on the work being done in violation of this Ordinance.
B.
Whenever any building or portion thereof is being used or occupied contrary to the provisions of this Ordinance the Building Official shall order such use or occupancy discontinued and the building or portion thereof vacated by notice served on any person using or causing such occupancy to be continued and such person shall vacate such building or portion thereof within ten (10) days after receipt of such notice or bring the building or portion thereof into compliance with the requirements of this Ordinance.
20.4
No person shall erect, excavate, construct, or proceed or continue with the erection or construction of any building or structure or add to, enlarge, move, or extend or demolish any buildings or structures or cause the same to be done in any newly annexed territory to the City of Blue Ridge without first applying for and obtaining a building permit.
20.5
PERMITS ISSUED BY THE CITY BUILDING OFFICIAL: In a territory newly annexed into the City of Blue Ridge no permit for the construction of a building shall be issued by the Building Official other than a permit which allows the construction of a building permitted in the “A-1” district unless and until such territory has been classified in a zoning district other than “A-1” district by the City Council in the manner prescribed by this Ordinance.
20.6
PERMITS ISSUED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: An application for a permit for any other use than that specified above shall be made to the Building Official and referred by him to the Planning and Zoning Commission for consideration and recommendation to the City Council.
20.7
PERMITS REQUIRED FOR BUILDING UNDER CONSTRUCTION: The owner, lessee, or any other person, firm or corporation owning, controlling, supervising or directing the construction of any building or structure in the process of construction and which is incomplete at the time the land upon which it is situated is annexed to the City of Blue Ridge, before proceeding any further with the construction, alteration or completion thereof shall apply to the City Building Official of the City of Blue Ridge for a permit authorizing further work on said building or structure and shall attach to said application for such permit, plans and specifications relating to the construction of said building or structure. Said construction work shall be suspended until the permit provided for herein has been issued or until final zoning regulations have been adopted, which permit the construction, use and occupancy of the structure or building.
20.8
CERTIFICATION OF OCCUPANCY AND COMPLIANCE:
A.
No land shall be occupied or used and no building hereafter erected, altered, or extended until a certificate of occupancy and compliance shall have been issued by the City Building Official stating that the building or proposed use thereof complies with the provisions of this Ordinance.
B.
No nonconforming use shall be maintained, renewed, changed, or extended without a certificate of occupancy and compliance having first been issued by the City Building Official therefor.
C.
Application for a certificate of occupancy and compliance shall be made with the application for a building permit or may be directly applied for where no building permit is necessary and shall be issued or refused in writing as soon as practical after the City has been notified in writing that the building or premises is ready for occupancy.
D.
The City Building Official shall maintain a record of all certificates and copies shall be furnished upon request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building affected.
E.
No permit for excavation or for the erection or alteration of or repairs to any building shall be issued until an application has been made for a certificate of occupancy and compliance.
F.
No permanent water, sewer, electrical or gas utility connections shall be made to the land, building or structure until and after a certificate of occupancy and compliance has been issued by the City Building Official.
G.
Upon request of the owner or authorized representative, the City Building Official may issue a temporary certificate of occupancy for the temporary use and occupancy of a portion of a building prior to the completion and occupancy of the entire building provided such temporary occupancy or use is permitted by this Ordinance and does not in any way or manner jeopardize life or property.
H.
The City Building Official shall issue a certificate of occupancy upon application of any person for the continuance of lawful nonconforming uses.
(Ordinance 2002-0305-AA, sec. 20, adopted 3/5/02)