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Board grants three-month extension to allow final inspection at completed Harbor View home
Summary
The board approved a three-month extension for a permit at 1105 Harborview Drive so the contractor can arrange final inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy for a completed home whose permit had lapsed.
The Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals unanimously granted a three-month extension Feb. 4 to allow final inspection and closeout of a single-family home at 1105 Harborview Drive, whose permit had expired in May 2022.
Philip J. Douglas, Inc., the general contractor for the project, told the board the house is complete and that the contractor had scheduled a final inspection Dec. 19. City staff advised that the permit had already expired, so a board extension was required before staff could perform final inspections.
Phil Douglas described delays early in the project: although the permit was issued in 2020, piling and vertical construction did not begin until later in the year, producing an initial lag. He also cited pandemic-era supply-chain disruptions that slowed delivery of certain materials. Owner representatives also told the board that international shipping delays affected some custom materials.
City staff reiterated the ordinance requirement that permits expire after 24 months and that the board may grant extensions under section C of chapter 10; staff said long lapsed permits raise issues of accountability and fee assessments but recognized that this project is finished and posed no ongoing hazard.
A commissioner moved to grant the variance and specify a three-month extension to allow the final inspection schedule to proceed; the motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The board directed staff to prepare the extension order and coordinate the scheduling of the final inspection.
Board members asked whether a longer extension should be required and were satisfied that three months would allow staff to complete inspections. The board recorded no stop-work orders for the project and noted that contractor documentation for final submittal was complete.
The decision applies only to this permit and does not amend the underlying ordinance. Staff and the board discussed possible future code amendments to better handle very large or long-term projects, and the board requested a workshop on BBA procedures and purview for newer members.
