The building official is hereby appointed as the zoning administrator and it shall be his/her duty to administer and to enforce this ordinance. The zoning administrator is authorized to issue building permits, construction permits, certificates of occupancy and any duly authorized legal document or order that affects the use or development of property within the jurisdictional or administrative boundaries of the City of Millen. He is also authorized to issue citations answerable to the Municipal Court of the City of Millen when he detects a violation of the ordinance. He is also authorized to issue subpoenas and take out warrants answerable to the Municipal Court of the City of Millen.

A building permit, or a sign permit in case of a sign, issued by the zoning administrator, is required in advance of the initiation of construction, erection, moving, or alteration of any building or structure, including manufactured housing, or sign. No building permit or sign permit shall be issued except in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance; however, a building permit issued before the adoption of this ordinance shall remain valid with the same qualifications as issued under this ordinance.

All applications for building/development permits, shall be accompanied by two site plans drawn to scale showing the actual dimensions of the lot to be built upon, the size and location of the lot, the number of dwelling units the building is designed to accommodate, the setback lines of the building on the "permit lot", the various easements on the lot and such other information as may be essential for determining whether the provisions of this ordinance are being observed. Applications shall also include construction documents (building plans) along with any other documentation required by the building/zoning administrator. The following is required on the site plan before the site plan is considered by the zoning administrator and any permits are approved (single-family residential, duplexes and agricultural buildings, and their accessory uses are excluded from the following items except number 3 below):

1.

Topography (MSL) existing and proposed;

2.

Drainage plans;

3.

Location and size of ingress/egress;

4.

Water and sewer mains and services, both existing and proposed;

5.

Water services as well as fire hydrants in the lot and the specific meter size and location.

Any building/development permit shall become void if the work involved has not begun within six months after the date of issuance of the permit or if the work or development authorized by such permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of six months after the work or development is commenced; provided that extensions of time and periods not exceeding six months each may be allowed in writing by the zoning administrator. Any unapproved deviation from the site plan shall cause the zoning administrator to not issue a certificate of occupancy.

Toilet facilities shall be provided for construction workers, and such facilities shall be maintained in a sanitary condition, that conforms to ANSI Z43.

Building sites and/or work sites must have a dumpster on site (either city furnished, at owner's expense, or by private company), and the site must be maintained in a clean manner.

The applicant for a building permit shall submit a certificate with his application which certifies that the lot which he proposes to develop is a lot of record. When the lot in question does not meet the lot width and lot area requirements of this ordinance, then the applicant shall certify that such lot was a lot of record prior to the adoption of this ordinance or is a lot which has been created through governmental taking of property. In such case, the applicant shall file a copy of the recorded deed showing the date that the property was transferred and the deed recorded, or, in the case of condemnation, the easement or order of taking and survey showing the date and scope of the taking. All applications for a building/development permit shall be closely coordinated with City of Millen's Soil and Sedimentation and Erosion Control Ordinance.

The zoning administrator shall receive applications for the construction of signs, as required by this ordinance. Such applications shall follow the same forms as required for building permits, and shall contain information required by this ordinance in section 8. The zoning administrator shall process such sign applications and shall issue sign permits and sign permit numbers for proposed signs which comply with the requirements of this ordinance.

In case any building or structure is erected, constructed, reconstructed, demolished, altered, repaired, moved, converted, or maintained in violation of this ordinance, the offender shall be guilty upon conviction and shall be punished as provided in section 6-103 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Millen for each separate offense.

In case any building or structure is erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, repaired, converted, or maintained, or any building, structure, or land is used in violation of this ordinance, the zoning administrator or any other appropriate authority, or any adjacent or neighboring property owner who would be damaged by such violation, in addition to other remedies, may institute injunction, mandamus, or other appropriate action or proceedings to prevent the violation in the case of such building, structure, or land.

A demolition, building, or sign permit shall be stopped by the zoning administrator when the method of demolition, construction, or use violates any provision contained in these regulations, or any state or local ordinance or resolution. Upon such work stoppage, any further work upon the demolition, construction, alteration, or repair on said building or structure, and any further use of said building or structure or land, shall be deemed a violation. Each and every day such unlawful demolition, construction, alteration, or repair on said building or structure, or further use of said building or structure or land continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

Certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the zoning administrator in accordance with the following provisions:

10-8.1.

Certificate of Occupancy Required. A certificate of occupancy issued by the zoning administrator is required in advance of occupancy or use of:

(1)

A building hereafter erected.

(2)

A building hereafter altered so as to affect height, the side, front or rear yard.

(3)

Any building or premises where a change in the type of occupancy or use will occur.

10-8.2.

Issuance of Certificate of Occupancy. Upon payment of any required fees, and completion of the application for certificate of occupancy, the zoning administrator shall sign and issue a certificate of occupancy if the proposed use of land or building as stated on the certificate of occupancy is signed thereto by the owner or his/her appointed agent and is found to conform to the applicable provisions of this ordinance and if the building and site plan, as finally constructed complies with the plans submitted and approved for the building permit. One copy of the certificate of occupancy issued which contains a statement for the intended use of the applicable property, floor loads, and other pertinent information, signed by the occupant or his/her agent shall be kept on file in the office of the zoning administrator; a second copy shall be posted in a conspicuous public place on the premises.

10-8.3.

Denial of Certificate of Occupancy. A certificate of occupancy shall not be issued unless the proposed use of a building or land conforms to the applicable provisions of this ordinance, and the structure conforms with the applicable provisions of the building code and complies with the sketches or plans submitted for obtaining the building permit.

It shall be duty of the building officials to assign a proper street number (an interim number system if applicable) at the time of the building permit issuance and/or to each house or building within the city and said number shall be posted prior to a residential acceptance or issuance of certificate of occupancy. A temporary building number for construction purposes shall be installed in a conspicuous place; where apartments or multi-units are involved, those numbers shall also be posted. It shall be unlawful and a violation of this code for any property owner, after being notified of such number assigned to his/her property by the building officials pursuant to this chapter, to have posted or displayed upon his/her property a number different from the number so assigned said property. If numbers are placed on the residential structure, they must be four inches in size or if on a mailbox, they must be three inches in size, and both must be reflective.

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs, pursuant to the Georgia Planning Act, has established criteria for the identification of certain large-scale developments, which have the potential to cause land use impacts beyond the boundaries of the respective local government where a project might be proposed. These developments known as Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs) shall be submitted, based on established DCA standards, procedures, and format, to the CSRA Regional Commission for review and recommendation prior to issuance of any local building or development permit, utility tap, or rezoning, whichever occurs first. As such, these requirements establish an official delay in the local permitting and/or review process to allow for compliance with these requirements.