Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Subdivision Regulations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clermont County commissioners approve subdivision change to allow phased building permits
Summary
On July 9 the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution 101-25 to amend Section 801(b)(2)(b) of the Clermont County Subdivision Regulations, allowing building permit applications to proceed once a utility bond is accepted while withholding certificates of occupancy until infrastructure is complete.
Clermont County commissioners on July 9 adopted Resolution 101-25 to amend Section 801(b)(2)(b) of the county Subdivision Regulations, allowing building permit applications to move forward once the required utility bond has been accepted but preventing certificates of occupancy until all water and sewer infrastructure is completed and approved.
The change was presented by Drew, senior planner for Clermont County, during a public hearing. Drew said the amendment "would still require full utility bonding equal to the cost of construction and inspection plus 30%, and approved by the prosecuting attorney," and that it aligns the county process with section 105.4 of the Ohio Building Code on phased approvals.
The amendment removes the current sentence that strictly prohibits issuance of building permits until all water and sewer infrastructure has been constructed, replacing it with language that allows permit applications and, in some cases, issuance under the Ohio Building Code's phased approval provisions. The revised text requires that a bond be accepted before any building permit is issued and makes clear that a certificate of occupancy will not be issued until construction of water and sanitary sewer infrastructure is complete in accordance with the Clermont County Subdivision Regulations and approved civil utility plans.
Drew explained the proposal also adds a definition for "civil utility plans" to Article 2, describing those plans as technical drawings prepared by civil engineers showing the layout and design of utilities (water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, electric, gas and telecommunications conduits) so developers and reviewers work from the same expectations.
Commissioners moved to add the item to the agenda following the public hearing and then voted to approve Resolution 101-25. The roll call on the resolution recorded three yes votes and the motion passed. The board directed staff that this recommendation will next be presented to the Clermont County Planning Commission; Drew said the file will be advertised and that the planning commission will consider it after the statutory notice period (he said there are "30 business days before we meet").
No members of the public provided proponent or opponent testimony during the hearing, county staff said.
The amendment aims to give developers more predictable permitting timelines while keeping the county's requirement for bonding and final infrastructure inspections in place. The board's action does not change the requirement that certificates of occupancy may not be issued until infrastructure is completed and accepted.
