Planning staff summarizes 2024 permitting, unsafe structures and stormwater enforcement

City planning and building officials presented a year‑end overview of planning, preservation and design activity on Jan. 21, summarizing permitting volumes, demolition work, nuisance cases, unsafe-structure enforcement, and the municipal separate storm sewer (MS4) program.

Dewey, the building inspector, told the board the office issued 182 building permits in 2024 (54 commercial, 128 residential) and managed more than 450 permit-type transactions overall. He reported 181 identified unsafe-structure cases since January 2022, of which 104 have been abated and 77 remain open; staff classifies roughly 54 of the open cases as vacant or abandoned rather than immediately hazardous.

On stormwater enforcement, staff said they received 219 complaints related to illicit discharges and other stormwater issues, and that the city recently adopted a stormwater ordinance and completed required MS4 audit work with minor findings that are being addressed. Inspectors showed photographs the staff called examples of illicit discharges — cooking oil and paint dumped near storm drains — and described corrective actions and contractor cleanups in some instances.

Dewey said the department has been standardizing excavation and right-of-way procedures to better protect sidewalks and paved streets when private and public contractors dig in public space. He also described the department's ongoing effort to recertify unsafe structures annually and to compile plans for abatement or rehabilitation so the city can act when property owners do not move projects forward.

Board members asked for follow-up on several long-standing vacant properties, and staff committed to pursue outreach and, when necessary, enforcement steps. The presentation closed with a set of before-and-after photos of completed rehabilitation projects and an emphasis from staff that PACE and other programs have helped leverage private investment in preservation.