A Zoning Officer shall be appointed by the Town Board for terms and for compensation to be set thereby. The Zoning Officer shall have initial authority to enforce, interpret and administer this chapter.

The powers and duties of the Zoning Officer shall include:

No building, or land nor any other facility such as a septic system shall be excavated for, erected, added to or structurally altered externally until a permit therefor has been issued by the Zoning Officer. Except upon final adjudication to the contrary by a board or court from which no appeal is taken, no such permit, nor a certificate of occupancy, shall be issued for any building where said construction, addition, or alterations or use thereof would not conform with the provisions of this chapter.

There shall be submitted with each application for a building permit four copies of a layout or plot plan showing the actual dimensions of the lot to be built upon, the actual size and location on the lot of the building and accessory buildings to be erected, the location of the septic tank (if any), location and size (length) of drain field (if any), the location of the well (if any), and such other information as the Zoning Officer may deem necessary. Details on footing and foundations, walls, joists, windows, doors, etc. must be submitted in a form adequate to ensure compliance with the State Building Construction Code. Such plans must also bear the stamp of a New York State registered architect or engineer. This procedure is necessary when the cost of the improvement exceeds $10,000 or the proposed building contains more than 1,500 square feet. Also excepted from the stamp requirement are buildings and improvements to be used solely for agricultural purposes.

One copy of such layout or plot plan shall be returned to the applicant when approved by the Zoning Officer, together with such building permit, upon payment of a fee as set by the Town Board.

The Zoning Officer shall not refuse to issue a building permit or a certificate of occupancy, provided that the sole reason for a proposed development lot not being in conformance with this chapter is by virtue of the fact that the lot is less than the required area and the lot is shown on a development plot plan which has been submitted to the Planning Board of the Town of Saratoga and given preliminary approval by the Planning Board prior to the adoption or amendment of this chapter.

One copy of a building permit suitable for exterior posting shall be supplied to the owner or his agent to whom such permit is granted; and such permit shall be posted conspicuously upon the exterior of the premises for which it is issued.

Applications for building permits may be made by the owner of the property, the lessee thereof or the legal agent of either. Failure to obtain a building permit prior to beginning construction shall be a violation of this chapter. If a contractor or builder performs construction work for which a building permit is required, he shall first ascertain that the owner, lessee or legal agent with whom he has contracted has secured the necessary permits before beginning construction or be in violation of this chapter.

Where a building permit therefor is required, no building hereafter erected or relocated, and no addition to or structural alteration of any building, shall be used or occupied for any purpose until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued stating that the building and proposed use thereof comply with the provisions of this chapter. Application for such certificates shall be made only by the owner, the lease holder or the proven legally constituted agent thereof.

Whether or not a building permit may be required, a certificate of occupancy is required for each new use or change in use of any building or lands. No such use or changed use of any building or land shall be occupied for such new or changed use until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued stating that the building or land and proposed new use or change in use thereof complies with the provisions of this chapter.

The Zoning Officer shall issue a certificate of occupancy within 10 days after any building erected, added to or altered, or relocated, or proposed change in use of any building or land, shall have been finally approved as complying with the provisions of this chapter.

Upon written request from the owner or his agent, the Zoning Officer shall issue a certificate of occupancy for any existing lawful nonconforming use and occupancy of the building and lands after verification by the Zoning Officer of the same, provided that there are no violations of law or orders of the Zoning Officer or Board of Appeals pending at the time of issuing such certificate.

No certificate of occupancy shall be issued upon a building constructed upon a street which is a part of a subdivision, the plot plan of which is required to be approved by the Town Planning Board, until such approval is obtained and the street is accepted as a Town road. This section shall not be effective against structures, the construction of which has been started and not abandoned as of the effective date of this section or upon which building permits have been issued.