Committee advances tougher front-yard impervious-surface penalties and corrective-action requirement

The Transportation Committee advanced a building-code amendment that increases penalties for creating impervious surfaces in front-yard setbacks without permits and requires property owners to apply for corrective permits to restore compliance.

Supervisor Asha Safai said the proposal adds administrative enforcement tools so Department of Building Inspection (DBI) staff can respond when inspectors are already in the field. Bill Strum of DBI said the department and its inspection commission unanimously support the measure, noting DBI generally responds to complaints within 48 to 72 hours and that expanding enforcement tools should improve compliance. The ordinance introduces civil penalties described in committee as daily fines for uncorrected violations, while existing planning-code penalties (including daily fines tied to notices of violation) remain in effect. Safai said the ordinance also requires that an owner or the owner's representative apply for a permit to bring the property back into compliance, rather than allowing a one-time fine to be treated as the only corrective step.

Committee members asked for clarification on how enforcement and follow-up inspections would be coordinated between DBI and Planning; DBI said follow-up inspections would verify corrective action. The committee moved the ordinance forward with a recommendation to the full Board without recorded objection.