Date: Fri 09-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

commercial-permit-fees

Full Text:

Selectmen Hike Commercial Permit Fees

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The Board of Selectmen Monday voted to increase the fee for commercial

building permits. From now on, builders will be required to pay a flat $10 fee

for every $1,000 in construction costs.

The building department had been charging $30 for the first $1,000 and $6 for

each additional $1,000 -- the same rate charged for residential construction,

which requires less time spent on plan review and inspections.

Building Official Tom Paternoster used the construction of the assisted living

center at Ashlar of Newtown as an example.

"This department has done 112 in-field inspections ranging in time from a half

hour to more than an hour," he said. "On larger projects, the time spent will

increase."

Mr Paternoster said the certificate of occupancy inspection can take a full

day to accomplish with several re-inspections required. Occasionally, the

department is required to hire an outside consultant for particularly large

projects. The building official said the increase in fees is specifically

designed to address the larger projects.

According to Mr Paternoster, Newtown's commercial permit fees were

significantly less than five area towns he surveyed.

Mr Paternoster originally suggested the town raise the fees to $40 for the

first $1,000 and $8 for each additional $1,000. However, the selectmen felt it

was the right time to go forward with the flat $10 fee per $1,000.

"We can go to $10. I recommended $8 only because it was a substantial increase

from where we were," Mr Paternoster said.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal voted in favor of the increase, but did so with

a some reluctance. He said he doesn't want the town to lose potential economic

development simply because it pushed its permit fees up a bit.

"We're certainly not at a loss for residential development. We don't have

enough commercial development," he said. "I'd hate to see this affect

businesses coming here. I don't want to make the fees unattractive."

Selectman Joe Bojnowski felt the $10 was fair. The $4 hike is justified by the

fact that the fees have not been raised in so long, he said.

Last June, the selectmen raised the building department's fees from $20 per

$1000 in construction costs/$5 for each additional $1,000 to $30 per $1,000 in

costs/$6 for each additional $1,000.

"I did not get one complaint," Mr Paternoster said.