Chapter 57

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Town of Chestertown: Art. I, 3-19-1973 (Article 5 of the 1973 Code); Art. II, 7-2-1984. Amendments noted where applicable.]

GENERAL REFERENCES

Historic area zoning -- See Ch. 93.

Property maintenance standards -- See Ch. 135.

Subdivision of land -- See Ch. 148.

Zoning -- See Ch. 170.

ARTICLE I

General Regulations

[Adopted 3-19-1973 (Article 5 of the 1973 Code)]

~ 57-1. Title and purpose.

This Article, adopted for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the construction, alteration, removal, demolition, equipment, use and occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings and structures, shall be known as the "Building Code of the Town of Chestertown."

~ 57-2. Adoption of standards by reference; copies on file.

Pursuant to the provisions of ~ C2-8B(10) of the Municipal Charter of the town, there is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the Town of Chestertown that volume known as the "BOCA Basic Building Code, 1981 Edition," and all subsequent additions, supplements and amendments, published by the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc., hereinafter designated the Basic Building Code to be in effect within the corporate limits of the town. The provisions of the above-cited BOCA Basic Building Code, save and except such portions as are hereinafter deleted, modified or amended, of which not less than three (3) copies have been and now are filed in the office of the Town Manager of the Town of Chestertown, are hereby adopted and incorporated as fully as if set out at length herein, and from the date on which this Article shall take effect, the provisions thereof shall be controlling in the construction or alteration of all buildings and other structures within the corporate limits of the town.

~ 57-3. Office of Town Building Official created; appointment and compensation; powers and duties.

A. The office of Town Building Official is hereby created. The designation or appointment of the person to fill this office shall be made by the Mayor, and the compensation for the office shall be set and determined by the Mayor and Town Council.

B. The duties of the Town Building Official shall be generally to administer and enforce the provisions of the Town Building Code by issuing permits, conducting inspections, establishing administrative procedures and carrying out those other duties and functions imposed upon his office by the various provisions and sections of the Basic Building Code. It shall also be the duty of the Town Building Official generally to enforce the provisions of the Housing Code of the Town of Chestertown established in Chapter 135, Property Maintenance, of the Code of the Town of Chestertown.

~ 57-4. Board of Appeals.

In accordance with the provisions of Section 124.0 of the BOCA Basic Building Code, there is hereby created the Board of Appeals, which shall be constituted in accordance with the provisions of the above-cited section of the BOCA Basic Building Code and whose members shall be appointed by the Mayor.

~ 57-5. Violations and penalties.

A. Any person, firm, partnership or corporation which shall violate any provision of this Article or the Basic Building Code or any rule or regulation adopted by the Mayor and Council or the Town Building Official pursuant to authority granted by said provisions shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.) or by imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, and each day's failure to comply with any such provision shall constitute a separate violation.

B. Nothing in this Article shall be deemed to excuse any person, partnership or corporation engaged in construction efforts within the Town of Chestertown from complying with all laws and paying all fees which may be required under the laws and regulations of Kent County or the State of Maryland.

ARTICLE II

Fee Schedule

[Adopted 7-2-1984]

~ 57-6. Permit fees.

The fees for building permits shall be as follows:

A. Residential construction.

(1) The permit fees for residential construction shall be as follows:

Size of Structure

(square feet) Fee

0 - 200 $10.00

200 - 1,200 20.00

1,201 - 1,800 30.00

1,801 - 4,000 40.00

More than 4,000 50.00

(2) Apartments. The permit fee for apartments, per unit, shall be twenty-five dollars ($25.).

B. Commercial, industrial or public construction.

(1) The permit fees for commercial, industrial or public construction shall be as follows:

Size of Structure

(square feet) Fee

0 - 200 $ 30.00

201 - 1,200 40.00

1,201 - 1,800 50.00

1,801 - 4,000 60.00

More than 4,000 100.00

(2) Shopping centers. The permit fee for shopping centers, per storefront, shall be fifty dollars ($50.).

C. Fences and other improvements. The permit fee for the construction of fences or other improvements, i.e., roofs, siding, storm windows and doors, gutters, etc., shall be five dollars ($5.).

D. Signs. The permit fee for the construction of a sign shall be ten dollars ($10.).

E. Swimming pools. The permit fee for the construction of a swimming pool shall be ten dollars ($10.).

F. Demolition of buildings. The permit fee for the demolition of a building shall be ten dollars ($10.).