No development shall be permitted or undertaken without the development review committee having first certified the predevelopment site plan and evidencing that the proposed development as depicted on said plan is to be in compliance with this ordinance, however:

(a)

Such certification shall not be required for single-family dwellings, permitted accessory structures, or agricultural-related accessory structures when located on a lot shown on a final plat of a residential subdivision which was approved prior to adoption of this ordinance.

(b)

The director's approval of a final plat for a residential subdivision shall serve as approval of the predevelopment site plan for single-family dwellings, permitted accessory structures, and agricultural-related accessory structures.

The director shall establish procedures for receipt, review, and approval/disapproval of predevelopment site plans. All developments which require the development review committee's certification shall be processed according to procedures so established.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08; Ord. No. 048-19, 10-1-19)

When reviewing predevelopment site plans, the development review committee may take any of the actions outlined below:

A.

Approve as submitted.

B.

Approve with minor changes, provided such changes are noted on the face of the plans.

C.

Deny as submitted.

D.

Postpone review of a site plan classified as a development of regional impact. The development review committee shall require that all findings, recommendations, and decisions resulting from regional and GRTA levels of review are made part of the site plan submitted for review.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08)

A.

A building permit issued by the building official is required in advance of the initiation of construction, erection, moving or alteration of any building or structure where the estimated value of such construction, erection, moving or alteration is estimated to be in excess of $500.00.

B.

The developer or builder shall stake out, or cause to be staked out, with markers at least 24 inches in height, the required setback distances (front, rear and side yards), building footprint, and property lines. All property lines shall be cleared. This clearing and staking shall be completed and be in place at the time the building official conducts the foundation/footings inspections.

C.

Upon completion of the building's foundation up to the first floor of the building, the builder or developer shall obtain a survey by a registered land surveyor or professional engineer specifying the elevation of the building's first floor, elevations of any floodplain on the lot on which the building is being constructed, and elevations of the ground in all directions 20 feet from the building. This survey shall be required before any further inspections are made or work is undertaken but only if any of the following conditions are met:

(1)

The final plat of the subdivision in which the lot is located shows a floodplain line on any portion of the subject lot.

(2)

The director indicates the apparent presence of a 100-year floodplain on the property unless a survey by a registered land surveyor or professional engineer states to the contrary.

(3)

A review of the flood boundary and floodway map(s) for the county prepared for the Federal Insurance Administration indicates a possibility of the presence of a 100-year floodplain on the subject property unless a registered land surveyor or professional engineer certifies to the contrary.

(Ord. No. 048-19, 10-1-19)

Any development requiring the development review committee's approval of predevelopment plans under subsection 243.2.1. is also subject to the requirements of this subsection. Accordingly, prior to obtaining a certificate of occupancy for any such development, the builder/developer shall obtain a final certification of zoning compliance from the development review committee. To obtain such final certification, the builder/developer must submit an as-built site plan to the planning department in accordance with such policies and procedures which the building official is to establish. In lieu of a complete as-built site plan, the builder/developer may submit an as-built plan for only those items developed different from the approved predevelopment site plan.

For all commercial and industrial development the as-built site plan submitted by the builder/developer shall bear an engineer's seal and the fire marshal's seal in order to secure a certificate of occupancy from the building official.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08)

Upon completion of construction activity requiring a building permit, the developer or builder shall obtain a certificate of occupancy. It shall be unlawful to use or occupy or permit the use or occupancy of any building or premises or both or part thereof so requiring a certificate of occupancy without first obtaining a certificate of occupancy for said building or lands. The building official shall be responsible for issuance or non-issuance of said certificate. Applications for a certificate of occupancy shall be made on such forms and contain such materials as required by the building official.

In the event an individual homeowner desires to replace his current dwelling with a new dwelling unit, upon application to and approval by the building official, such owner may be allowed to reside in his current dwelling unit during the time a replacement dwelling unit is being placed on his same lot. However, within 30 days after the new dwelling unit is ready for occupancy, the original dwelling unit shall be removed from said lot.

In no event shall more than one ready-for-occupancy dwelling unit be allowed to remain on the same lot for more than 30 days.

Any building permit issued shall become invalid unless the work authorized by it shall have commenced within six months of its date of issue, or if the work authorized by it is suspended or abandoned for a period of one year.

If it is found that any provisions of this ordinance are being violated, the person responsible for such violations shall be notified in writing indicating the nature of the violation and ordering the action necessary to correct it. Such written notice shall not be a necessary condition precedent to enforcement of the ordinance. The building official, director, or any other appropriate county authority shall order discontinuance of illegal use of land, buildings, or structures or of illegal additions, alterations or structural changes; discontinuance of any illegal work being done; or shall take any other action authorized by this ordinance to ensure compliance with or to prevent violation of its provisions. When ordering corrective action, the building official may order removal of structures or portions thereof installed or constructed illegally or otherwise in violation of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08; Ord. No. 048-19, 10-1-19)

Any certifications or permits issued on the basis of plans and applications approved by the development review committee authorize only the use, arrangement, and construction set forth in such approved plans and applications, and no other use, arrangement, or construction. Use, arrangement or construction at variance with that authorization shall be deemed a violation of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08)

In interpreting and applying the provisions of this ordinance, they shall be held to be the minimum requirements for the promotion of health, safety, and convenience of the general welfare. The lot or yard area required by these regulations for a particular building yard shall not be diminished and shall not be included as part of the lot or yard areas of any other building. The lot or yard areas of buildings existing at the time this ordinance became effective shall not be diminished below the requirements herein provided for buildings hereafter erected, and such required areas shall not be included as a part of the required areas of any building hereafter erected.

Editor's note— Ord. No. 016-24, adopted September 17, 2024, repealed § 276, which pertained to duties of director, board of zoning appeals, board of commissioners, and courts on matters of appeal and derived from Ord. No. 048-19, adopted October 1, 2019.

Any person violating a provision of this ordinance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished for each violation according to law. Each day such a violation continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

In case any building is erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, repaired, converted or maintained or any building or lot is used in violation of this ordinance, the building official, director, or any other appropriate county authority, or any person who would be damaged by such violation, in addition to other remedies, may institute injunction, mandamus, or other appropriate action in proceeding to prevent said violation in the case of each such building or use.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08; Ord. No. 048-19, 10-1-19)

The building official shall maintain records of all building permits and occupancy permits issued, with a notation of all special conditions involved. He shall file and safely keep copies of all sketches and plans submitted, and the same shall form a part of the records of his office and shall be available for use of the board of commissioners, the board of zoning appeals and other officials of Coweta County, and the public.

In addition to other fees assessed by the county as a prerequisite to securing building permits for various types of construction, the building official, director, or any other appropriate county authority shall assess and collect, on behalf of the board of commissioners, fees for actions pursuant to this ordinance based on fee schedules adopted by the board of commissioners and presented in the appendix of this ordinance.

(Ord. No. 035-08, 11-18-08; Ord. No. 048-19, 10-1-19)