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Commission postpones new certificate‑of‑occupancy requirement for single‑ and two‑family homes
Summary
Staff recommended delaying a proposal to require certificates of occupancy for single- and two‑family homes until the planning department assesses capacity and Act 250 tier 1a workload; commissioners agreed to postpone.
City planning staff recommended postponing a proposed requirement that single- and two-family homes obtain certificates of occupancy (COs) until the department understands its capacity to administer the change.
A staff member explained the office is preparing to take on new Act 250 tier 1a responsibilities and is exploring ways to streamline inspections with the fire department. "We felt that we would not want to be in a position where we put in a policy, and then we're asking to remove it because that would create a lot of confusion," the staff member said, recommending the item be postponed to the next round of amendments after further experience.
Commissioners raised questions about staffing and inspection roles; staff described the current inspection team as including a senior development review planner, a development review planner and others, with building-safety and electrical inspectors on the fire prevention side. Commissioners agreed to delay action on COs so staff can return with more detailed capacity analysis.
