MEDIA ADVISORY

Mayor: Jennifer P. Dougherty

CONTACT: Nancy Gregg Poss, Public Information Officer, 301-360-3842

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, August 15, 2003

CITY OF FREDERICK REFINES BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS FOR MINOR PROJECTS

Frederick, Md. --- Recently the City of Frederick's Department of Permits and Inspections initiated a new building permit process designed to accelerate the timeframe of return for select permits. This change was a result of a citizen who applied for a building permit for a minor work to be done to their property in the historic district and was surprised to learn that it would take 10-15 days for processing.

Traditionally the City of Frederick's permit process involves a number of steps and from when the application is accepted by the City to the actual issuance of a building permit. All building permits are routed to review agencies including: building plan review, engineering, planning, fire review and sometimes public works. Each review agency must check the submitted plans to verify that adequate and complete information has been submitted to complete and verify that the submission meets all applicable codes, ordinances, and regulations. Naturally this process takes a substantial amount of time. The processing time may also increase if one of the reviewing bodies requires additional information from the applicant.

A new system has been established to lessen the processing time for permits involving minor work in the Historic District. The new system routes permit applications only to those reviewing agencies which have applicable regulations and that eliminates excess review time.

Effective immediately, building permits with the following descriptions of work will be processed in a quicker manner due to the new limited routing process:

· Residential gutters and downspouts
· Commercial store front doors
· Residential exterior doors
· Fences
· Storm windows
· Exterior renovations, excluding brickwork
· At grade patios
· Retaining walls under 3 feet in height, other than masonry
· Roof cover replacement (non-structural)
· Residential window replacement, excluding bedrooms

For additional information on this new building permit process please contact the Department of Permits and Inspections, at 301-360-3802.