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258 <br /> property under the premise that the construction <br /> was done by a qualified person. Even though <br /> inspections may indicate no problem, structural <br /> problems can occur later on. Additional review <br /> time can be used to determine more precisely who <br /> will be doing the work, and whether or not that <br /> person is qualified to do so. This represents a <br /> benefit to future buyers, as well as property <br /> owners who may unknowingly allow work to be done <br /> by unqualified persons. The additional review <br /> thus provides protection to the homeowner against <br /> poor workmanship. <br /> 2. Under the current system, there is no in-depth <br /> review of soil and drainage conditions. Review <br /> is limited to determining the location of <br /> floodplains. Permits can be approved in areas of <br /> poor soils and high erosion, and siting of <br /> buildings can result in drainage problems. Such <br /> problems often surface after homes have been <br /> sold, and can result in legal problems for the <br /> seller. Under the proposed system, all permits <br /> would be reviewed by the Erosion Control Officer. <br /> Changes in design, construction, or location <br /> could be incorporated into building plans prior <br /> to construction. The owner could proceed with <br /> construction knowing that any potential problems <br /> had already been identified. <br /> 3. Under the current system, there is no in-depth <br /> review of ordinance requirements. As an example, <br /> a building permit was recently approved without <br /> requirements for landscaping and parking. <br /> However, such an error on the part of the <br /> Planning Department does not relieve the <br /> applicant of responsibility for compliance. This <br /> is stated in Section 105.9 of the Building Code <br /> and N.C. General Statutes 153A-362. This poses a <br /> problem for the applicant in that he is now <br /> responsible for additional requirements he was <br /> previously aware of. Such problems are usually <br /> brought to our attention by angry neighbors who <br /> are not afforded the protection from visual and <br /> other impacts provided through land development <br /> ordinance. <br /> 4. Currently_, it takes anywhere from 20 to 40 <br /> minutes to issue a building permit, depending on <br /> the information provided by the applicant. (This <br /> includes the entire permitting process for <br /> electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits as <br /> well. ) On a daily basis, there are times when 1 <br /> to 2 people may be waiting for permits to be <br /> issued to those ahead in line. On less frequent <br /> occasions, there may be as many as 4 people <br /> waiting for permits. Thus an applicant may be <br /> faced to wait 1 to 2 hours for a permit, or <br /> return at a later time. Even after waiting, the <br />