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Council keeps story-pole certification after debate over cost and accuracy
Summary
Site & Architectural Commission recommended retaining certification of story poles; council members debated homeowner costs vs. neighbor confidence and agreed not to change the current certification requirement at this time.
Council debated whether to remove the requirement that story poles be certified by a surveyor or civil engineer. One council member described instances where applicants had "gamed the system" with inaccurate poles; another said modern 3‑D models can render more accurate visuals and that certification imposes costs on homeowners.
Staff told council it had not studied a comprehensive cost analysis but reported one respondent estimated the certification fee at about $500. Site & Architectural Commission had recommended keeping certification by a 4–1 vote. After discussing tradeoffs — neighbor confidence in project depiction versus homeowner expense — council members agreed not to alter the certification requirement during this ordinance action.
