Council approves six-month extension for 415 Bunker Hill Rd. after contractor worked without a valid permit

Mayor Pro-Tem Susan Schwartz and the City Council on April 15 approved a six-month extension to the building permit for a new home at 415 Bunker Hill Road after staff discovered the project had been proceeding without a valid permit.

Elvin Hernandez, the city’s Public Works Director, told the council the original permit was issued Dec. 28, 2020, and expired Dec. 28, 2022. Hernandez said the city’s permit software does not generate automatic notifications when permits expire and that Council action was required once staff became aware of the lapse. Hernandez recommended approval to allow the home to be completed.

The contractor, Nick Bregenzer, attended the meeting and said the house is a two-story, approximately 17,000-square-foot home and that he had been unaware the permit had lapsed. Bregenzer cited COVID-19 and rising construction-material costs as factors that disrupted the project schedule. The property owner attended via Zoom.

Councilmember Keith Brown moved to approve a six-month extension; Councilmember Carl Moerer seconded the motion. The motion carried 3-0.

The city record notes that, per Chapter 4, Section 4-13 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, building permits expire 24 months after issuance and a one-time six-month extension may be added; any extension beyond that requires City Council approval. Council members said completing the home is in the community’s interest and followed staff’s recommendation.