If the Inspector of Buildings shall be informed or have reason to believe that any provisions of this chapter have been, are being or may be violated, he shall make or cause to be made an investigation of the facts and inspect the property where such violation may exist. If he shall find any violation, he shall give notice thereof, in writing, to the owner or his duly authorized agent and the occupant of the premises, and he shall order that any use of any building or land contrary to the provisions of this chapter shall immediately cease.

If, after such notice, the unlawful use shall be continued or if any owner occupant shall fail to obey any lawful order of the Inspector of Buildings in respect to any violation or use contrary to the provisions of this chapter, the Inspector of Buildings shall revoke the permit for occupancy and institute appropriate legal proceedings to enforce this chapter, to restrain by injunction any violation thereof, or both, and he shall take any and all action as may be necessary to enforce its provisions.

If the Inspector of Buildings is requested, in writing, to enforce any provision of this chapter against any person allegedly in violation thereof, he shall notify, in writing, the party requesting such enforcement of any action or refusal to act and the reasons therefor within 14 days of the receipt of such request.

The Inspector of Buildings shall also make a report annually to the City Council at the first regular meeting in October of all violations of this chapter which he has discovered or which have been brought to his attention, together with a report of his action thereon, and the City Council shall make appropriate recommendations to the Mayor relative to the prompt disposition thereof, if necessary.

Violations and penalties. Whoever shall violate any provision of this chapter shall, for each and every day that such offense continues, be subject to a fine of not more than $300.

Noncriminal disposition. In addition to the procedures for enforcement as described above, the provisions of this chapter may also be enforced by Inspector of Buildings by noncriminal complaint pursuant to the provisions of MGLA c. 40, Section 21D. Each day on which a violation exists shall be deemed to be a separate offense. The penalty for violation of any provision of the City of Waltham Zoning Chapter shall be $50 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $300 for the third and each subsequent offense thereafter committed within a twelve-month period.

Expeditious construction required. Any construction or operations under a building or special permit not commenced within a period of six months after the issuance of a permit shall be subject to any subsequent applicable amendment to this chapter and, in the case of construction, shall proceed to completion as continuously and expeditiously as is reasonable.

Whenever a petition requesting a change of any provision of this chapter has been filed in the office of the City Clerk, the City Clerk shall, as soon as possible, schedule a joint public hearing in accordance with MGL c. 40A, Section 5, and send a notice by mail, postage paid, to all parties in interest, as defined by MGL c. 40A, Section 11. Said notice shall contain the name of the petitioner, a description of the area or premises, street address, if any, or other adequate identification of the location of the area or premises which is the subject of the petition, the date, time and place of the public hearing, the subject matter of the hearing and the nature of action or relief requested. Such public hearing shall be presided over by the President of the City Council, and shall be conducted in accordance with the Rules of the Waltham City Council as most recently amended.

As used in this chapter, "parties in interest" shall mean the Waltham Board of Survey and Planning, the Planning Boards of Belmont, Lexington, Lincoln, Newton, Watertown and Weston, the Waltham Inspector of Buildings, the Waltham Planning Director, the Massachusetts Department of Community Affairs, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, the petitioner and the owners of the parcels which are the subject of the petition; and provided further, that where the petition requests a change in the zoning designation of 25 or less parcels of land or portions thereof, "parties in interest" shall also include all abutters to the subject parcels, abutters to the abutters who are within 300 feet of the property line of any of the subject parcels and owners of land located across a public or private street or way from a subject parcel as appearing in the most recent applicable tax list, notwithstanding that the land of such owner is located in another City or town, provisions of Section 5 of said Chapter 40A shall be given. The assessors maintaining any applicable tax list shall certify to the City Council the names and addresses of parties in interest, and such certification shall be conclusive for all purposes. Where any portion of a parcel of land upon which there is located a condominium or condominiums, established under the provision of Chapter 183A of the General Laws, is located within 300 feet of said property line, notice shall be sent, postage prepaid, to every member of the condominium association, whether or not the individual condominium owned by said member is located within said 300 feet. The City Council may accept a waiver of notice from or an affidavit of actual notice to any party in interest or, in his stead, any successor owner of record who may not have received a notice by mail and may order special notice to any such person, giving not less than five nor more than 10 additional days to reply.

(Reserved)[1]

The requirements of this chapter shall be in addition to the requirements of notice and publication provided for in MGL c. 40A, Section 5, or any other law; provided, however, that where the notice requirements are duplicative, only one notice need be sent to a party in interest of a particular public hearing.