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Hampshire board adopts changes to building permit fees, shifts plan review to hourly billing
Summary
The board approved a revised building permit fee schedule that moves plan review to an hourly charge, raises inspection and some commercial fees, and adds temporary certificate-of-occupancy extension and fire-specialty permits to encourage timely completion of new homes.
Mike Khan summarized proposed changes to the Village of Hampshire building permit fee schedule and told trustees the goal is to better align fees with staff review time and reduce cross-subsidization between residential and commercial applicants. "With this fee schedule the plan review is going to a per-hour basis," Khan said, adding that inspections would be increased from $42 to $52 and certain commercial fees would rise to reflect greater review effort.
Khan said the change will lower fees for many simple residential permits (fence, deck, patio) when those permits require fewer review iterations but will more fairly distribute costs for projects that require multiple plan iterations. The schedule adds two new permit categories — a fire pump system permit and a fire specialty system permit for kitchen hood suppression — and includes a new temporary certificate-of-occupancy extension fee aimed at discouraging builders from leaving landscaping and finishing work incomplete after occupancy.
Trustees asked how the per-hour plan-review approach will affect homeowners doing small remodels and whether the village will provide examples of approved plans. Khan said staff already provides small-permit handouts and will expand guidance and example plans to reduce repeated reviews. "I answer questions about building code questions best to my ability. If not, then I reach out first to the Safe Built team," Khan said.
After discussion about homeowner impacts and fire-district requests for a classification fee, the board moved and approved the revised fee schedule. Khan said, if approved, staff will return to adjust code language so fees are set administratively while preserving the board’s authority to set rates.
