Norton City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XI
Administration and Enforcement
§ 175-11.1 Administration by Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner.
[Amended 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4]
This bylaw shall be administered by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner.
§ 175-11.2 Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner duties.
[Amended 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4]
The duties of the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner shall include, but may not be limited to, the following and all acts necessary in the implementation of the following:
A.
Review all plans and proposals for the construction, demolition, reconstruction, and relocation of buildings and structures in Norton, issuing building permits for construction meeting all applicable laws, bylaws and safety standards and denying such permits whenever insufficient information is presented, unsafe or hazardous conditions or a violation of this bylaw or other laws, bylaws or regulations administered by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner would result.
B.
Maintain records of all business and activities of his office.
C.
Make inspections as required to perform his duties. The Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner shall have the right to enter upon any lands and any building or structure under construction or open to the public at all reasonable times in performance of his duties and may at all reasonable times and after due notice enter any dwelling or occupied premises not open to the public whenever the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner has reason to believe that a violation of this bylaw or unsafe or hazardous conditions exist therein.
D.
Issue certificates of occupancy which certify that the existing or proposed use described therein of the specified premises conforms to the requirements of this bylaw.
E.
Investigate, upon a written complaint or on his own initiative, alleged violations of this bylaw. When the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner determines that a zoning violation exists, he shall serve a written notice on the responsible persons, demanding the abatement of such violation within a reasonable time and, upon a failure to comply fully, shall prosecute such violation as provided by law.
F.
The Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner shall adopt and make available to all interested parties a procedure for application for and issuance of building permits and certificates of occupancy, together with the required forms and a schedule of fees. Such procedure, forms and fees shall be approved by the Select Board and the Town Counsel.
§ 175-11.3 Building permits and certificates of occupancy.
[Amended 10-17-2020 STM by Art. 4]
A.
No building or structure, except a building or structure 100 square feet or less in area or eight feet or less in height, shall be erected, reconstructed, altered, added to, moved or demolished without a permit therefor issued by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner.
(1)
Applications for building permits shall be on the form prescribed by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner and shall be accompanied by construction or architectural plans and by a plot plan showing the outside dimensions of the building and the lot and the dimensioned location of the building on the lot. The plot plan shall show all information necessary to verify the compliance with this bylaw, such as the size of the yards, the dimensions of any required driveways, parking, landscaping, water bodies, signs requiring permits, fences and walls, provisions for drainage and for water supply and sewage disposal, or so much of the above as may be applicable for alterations and additions. Plans shall bear the seal of an architect, professional engineer or land surveyor as required by state law.
(2)
Whenever a sewage disposal system is required, a percolation test shall be conducted in the period as required by the Board of Health by and under the direct supervision of a registered professional engineer or sanitarian designated or approved by the Board of Health, who shall certify to the Board of Health the results of such test. No building permit shall be issued for any building requiring a sewage disposal system unless the Board of Health approves such certified percolation test or specifies requirements for the installation of a leaching field.
(3)
The failure to commence construction within six months after the issuance of a building permit or to complete construction within two years shall invalidate the permit.
B.
No new, reconstructed or enlarged building shall be occupied and no nonconforming commercial or industrial use shall be changed to a different use without a certificate of occupancy. Such certificate shall be issued by the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner upon certification that the building on the lot, the lot and the specified proposed use thereof comply with the use and dimensional requirements of the bylaw or are permitted by the Board of Appeals or are exempt under state law, and that three permanent bounds have been placed on the lot, a house number has been affixed to the building, and that construction has been completed and buildings are safe and ready for occupancy.
C.
In the Village Center Core District, the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner may approve an application for reoccupation or reuse for the same purpose without Site Plan Review through the issuance of a Building Permit. The Inspector of Buildings / Building Commissioner is empowered to approve such application only where:
(1)
All structures on the site were previously reviewed and approved after the establishment of the Village Center Core District.
(2)
No new structures are proposed when compared with the most recent site plan approval.
(3)
No change in parking is proposed when compared with the most recent site plan approval.
(4)
No increase in the number of on-site residential units is proposed when compared with the most recent site plan approval.
(5)
Any expansion to existing structures on-site is incidental to, code compliance, or providing access to people with disabilities.
Where the above conditions are met, the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner may still require site plan review under Article XV and submit documentation to the Planning Board for their comment if the Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner feels existing complexities with the site or an intensification in use warrant such action.
D.
The Inspector of Buildings/Building Commissioner shall be notified prior to any excavation along a public way; and prior to placement of a foundation, it shall be inspected for proper setback and side yard placement.