It shall be unlawful for any building to be structurally altered and/or any building to be located, erected, moved, or added to, in excess of $2,500.00 construction cost without obtaining a building permit issued by the building official. No building permit shall be issued except in conformance with the provisions of this chapter. This does not include repair and maintenance of an existing building.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.1)

(a)

An application for a building permit shall comply with all requirements of the 2006 (or most recent edition) of the International Codes adopted by the City of Greensboro, from time to time. Said application shall at a minimum be accompanied by two copies of a dimensional sketch and a to-schedule plan, signed by the owner, or his authorized agent, to include, the following:

(1)

Lot dimensions with property line monuments located thereon;

(2)

Shape, size, height, and location of the buildings proposed to be erected, demolished, altered, or moved, and of any buildings already on the lot, yard dimensions and use of structures, including the number of dwelling units within each structure where appropriate;

(3)

Easements (private and public);

(4)

Watercourses;

(5)

Fences;

(6)

Street names and street right-of-way lines;

(7)

Such other information regarding abutting property as directly affects the application;

(8)

Current erosion and sedimentation requirements set by state law and county ordinances.

(b)

Each permit shall be conspicuously posted and displayed on the premises described during the period of construction or reconstruction.

(1)

If the proposed excavation, filling, construction, or movement set forth in said sketch or plan are in conformity with the provisions of this chapter, and other appropriate codes and ordinances of the City of Greensboro then in effect, the zoning administrator shall sign and return one copy of the sketch plan to the applicant and shall issue a building permit. The zoning administrator shall retain one copy of the building permit and one copy of the sketch or plan for his records.

(2)

If the sketch or plan submitted describes work which does not conform to the requirements of this chapter, the building inspector shall not issue a building permit but shall return one copy of the sketch of plan to the applicant along with a signed refusal and shall cite the portions of this chapter with which the submitted sketch plan does not comply. The zoning administrator shall retain one copy of the sketch plan and two copies of the refusal.

(3)

Any building permit shall automatically expire six months from the date of issuance if the person, firm, or corporation to which the certificate or permit was issued has not clearly demonstrated that the permit is being exercised for the purpose for which it was issued, or if the work so authorized is suspended or discontinued for a period of six months or more.

(c)

Special processing of building permits for the Greensboro Historical District, Greensboro South Main Street Overlay District, and Greene County Industrial Park.

(1)

Historical district. Requests for building permits for new construction, repair, alteration, etc., of existing structures or property located within the designated historical district must receive a certificate of appropriateness from the Greensboro Historical Preservation Commission prior to submission to the building official for issuance of a building permit. (Also see chapter 107, Historic Preservation.)

(2)

South Main Street Overlay District. Requests for building permits for new construction, repair, alteration, etc., of existing structures or property located within the designated South Main Street Overlay District are subject to review and approval by the Greensboro Architectural Approval Board prior to submission to the building official for issuance of a building permit. (Also see section 121-291.)

(3)

Greene County Industrial Park. Requests for building permits for new construction, repair, alteration etc., of existing structures or property located within the Greene County Industrial Park are subject to review and approval by the Greene County Development Authority (GCDA) prior to submission to the building official for issuance of a building permit.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.2)

(a)

Upon payment of any required fees, the building inspector shall sign and issue a certificate of occupancy if the proposed use of land or buildings, as stated on the application for such certificate and signed thereto by the owner or his appointed agent, is found to conform to the applicable provisions of this chapter and if the building, as finally constructed, complies with the sketch or plan submitted for the building permit.

(b)

A certificate of occupancy issued by the building inspector is required in advance of occupancy or use of:

(1)

A building hereafter erected;

(2)

A building hereafter altered so as to affect the front, side or rear yards thereof or its height;

(3)

A building or premises altered or erected in which there is a change of use in an existing building;

(4)

A building moved from one location to a second location where that building will house persons or property;

(5)

Any nonconforming use that is existing at the time of enactment of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived or an amendment thereto that is changed, extended, altered, or rebuilt thereafter. The certificate of occupancy shall state specifically where the nonconforming use fails to meet the provisions of this chapter.

(c)

Within three working days after the application for a certificate of occupancy, a final inspection of the property in question shall be made.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.3)

A record of all certificates shall be kept on file in the office of the city clerk and copies shall be furnished on request to any person having a proprietary or tenancy interest in the building or land involved.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.4)

A certificate of occupancy shall not be issued unless the proposed use of a building or land conforms to the provisions of this chapter, or unless the building complies with the sketch or plan upon which the building permit was issued. The building inspector shall state in writing the reasons for denying such certificate of occupancy.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.5)

The building inspector, or his authorized assistants, has the power to make inspections of buildings (their construction and use) and the land (its use development and subdivision) to determine if they conform to the requirements of this chapter. If the building inspector shall determine that any such building or land does not conform to this chapter, the building inspector or any person so designated by the city council to enforce this chapter shall notify the owner thereof in writing of the manner in which such building or land does not conform and the owner shall have 60 days in which to remedy the conditions therein specified; provided, however, that the building inspector may, at his discretion, extend the time for compliance with any such notice.

(Zoning Ord. 2007, § 12.6)