Baltimore Building Permit (Annapolis: neighborhood, contractors, rooftop)

[diamondeye]

Hi all,

I've been trying for about a month to get a permit for my deck and as has been my past experience there's a lot of confusion and bureaucracy. After going back and forth with drawings and plans for a couple of weeks, I finally got the engineers to approve my drawings, but now it's stuck in the planning office with the message

" Your application has been referred to the Dept. of Planning for review because the property address is within an Urban Renewal, Planned Unit Development (PUD), floodway, floodplain, or critical area. You will receive notification when reviews are complete and your permit is ready to be issued."

So, my contractor had attempted to submit a permit previously in May of this year, and he got the same message and the permit literally never was moved once it got to this stage. I don't know how others are able to break the logjam but I can see this one heading to the same direction.

I really need to get this permit and get this moved through and I can see this thing being an endless bureaucratic nightmare. If anyone has suggestions as to how best to move it forward I am most appreciative.

[skeddy]

Originally Posted by diamondeye

Hi all,

I've been trying for about a month to get a permit for my deck and as has been my past experience there's a lot of confusion and bureaucracy. After going back and forth with drawings and plans for a couple of weeks, I finally got the engineers to approve my drawings, but now it's stuck in the planning office with the message

" Your application has been referred to the Dept. of Planning for review because the property address is within an Urban Renewal, Planned Unit Development (PUD), floodway, floodplain, or critical area. You will receive notification when reviews are complete and your permit is ready to be issued."

So, my contractor had attempted to submit a permit previously in May of this year, and he got the same message and the permit literally never was moved once it got to this stage. I don't know how others are able to break the logjam but I can see this one heading to the same direction.

I really need to get this permit and get this moved through and I can see this thing being an endless bureaucratic nightmare. If anyone has suggestions as to how best to move it forward I am most appreciative.

Regrettably you're stuck.... jobs have to be justified .... figure on the permit being issued the day after the first snowfall.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by diamondeye

Hi all,

I've been trying for about a month to get a permit for my deck and as has been my past experience there's a lot of confusion and bureaucracy. After going back and forth with drawings and plans for a couple of weeks, I finally got the engineers to approve my drawings, but now it's stuck in the planning office with the message

" Your application has been referred to the Dept. of Planning for review because the property address is within an Urban Renewal, Planned Unit Development (PUD), floodway, floodplain, or critical area. You will receive notification when reviews are complete and your permit is ready to be issued."

So, my contractor had attempted to submit a permit previously in May of this year, and he got the same message and the permit literally never was moved once it got to this stage. I don't know how others are able to break the logjam but I can see this one heading to the same direction.

I really need to get this permit and get this moved through and I can see this thing being an endless bureaucratic nightmare. If anyone has suggestions as to how best to move it forward I am most appreciative.

So here is my recommendation. Go to the planning department website and look up the planner assigned to your neighborhood. There is one assigned to each geographic section of the city. Call them and give them your permit number and ask for a call back or response ...they are likely researching your property for those itema you listed. Pray you don't live in a new development that was approved by a PUD. It could add a whole new level of review /restriction and maybe a hearing if you want to pursue it further. Same with flood plain and urban renewal plans. I would imagine that is where it is getting hung up. Good Luck

[pwduvall]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

So here is my recommendation. Go to the planning department website and look up the planner assigned to your neighborhood. There is one assigned to each geographic section of the city. Call them and give them your permit number and ask for a call back or response ...they are likely researching your property for those itema you listed. Pray you don't live in a new development that was approved by a PUD. It could add a whole new level of review /restriction and maybe a hearing if you want to pursue it further. Same with flood plain and urban renewal plans. I would imagine that is where it is getting hung up. Good Luck

Good advice. I am dealing with very very similar issues right now. I have a call in to the planning who is holding it and I intend to ask her precisely what is wrong and how to fix it. After all, the HDC has already given their approval. The planners have a job to do, but I think they could be more helpful. Interestingly, know and get along with the planner I am dealing with.

[diamondeye]

Thanks very much for the advice. I talked to a neighbor and she said to call and go down there in person and find out which one of the items I am listed in (I'm thinking probably PUD). A few weeks ago I called a permit expediter for guidance on how to make the drawings and possibly retain their services, and they actually gave me the advice and said call back if I need more help and wish to work with them. I'm wondering if this would be worth it? This company is based in Annapolis but they do permit work for every county and Baltimore City and I wonder if they may have some relationships built which would help move it through faster. Just wondering if anyone had any experience with a permit-expediter.

Agreed with PWDuvall on them needing to be more helpful. There's a lot of cutting off mid sentence, and they tend to be kind of bossy and unhelpful. I always dread interacting with them.

[diamondeye]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

So here is my recommendation. Go to the planning department website and look up the planner assigned to your neighborhood. There is one assigned to each geographic section of the city. Call them and give them your permit number and ask for a call back or response ...they are likely researching your property for those itema you listed. Pray you don't live in a new development that was approved by a PUD. It could add a whole new level of review /restriction and maybe a hearing if you want to pursue it further. Same with flood plain and urban renewal plans. I would imagine that is where it is getting hung up. Good Luck

Thanks, it looks like I am in urban renewal. I got the lady assigned to my permit. She said her system was down but she would ask a colleague to send it through and she would give me a call back, but I didn't and called her back. She said she emailed her colleague and hadn't heard back.

It seems the cycle is: they drop the ball, I pester, they get pissed that I pester then add more retaliatory hoops to jump. Baltimore...

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by diamondeye

Thanks, it looks like I am in urban renewal. I got the lady assigned to my permit. She said her system was down but she would ask a colleague to send it through and she would give me a call back, but I didn't and called her back. She said she emailed her colleague and hadn't heard back.

It seems the cycle is: they drop the ball, I pester, they get pissed that I pester then add more retaliatory hoops to jump. Baltimore...

Good to hear ..that ransomware must still be messing with folks ...you are in an urban renewal plan? Wonder why that would affect a deck ...unless it's a rooftop one perhaps

[diamondeye]

It's just a regular first floor back patio deck, 3 feet off the ground not a complex one.

[diamondeye]

Update: I got my permit! I was able to take off work yesterday and went down to the permit office and it was apparently approved and they were able to finish it out and print it for me. Thank god. My friend who knows a lot about working with the city said the best thing to do is go down there and deal with them in person. I think it's true; once they realize they are dealing with a real person they seem to be more helpful moving it forward; especially if they see a person coming multiple times to get it through.

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by diamondeye

Update: I got my permit! I was able to take off work yesterday and went down to the permit office and it was apparently approved and they were able to finish it out and print it for me. Thank god. My friend who knows a lot about working with the city said the best thing to do is go down there and deal with them in person. I think it's true; once they realize they are dealing with a real person they seem to be more helpful moving it forward; especially if they see a person coming multiple times to get it through.

Congrats... your friend is correct.. I have gone down and pulled permits for smaller projects and then had a contractor do the work.. though I still place the contractors name on the permit.. I was told that the permit office is more accommodating to homeowners than to contractors because most homeowners wont hesitate to get political(ie call their council rep) while most contractors have to simply "take it" from the permit office.. That is why many often ask upfront if you want a permit.. because they will charge you for the permit fee and their time down there to get it.. which can be substantial.. You are better off going down as you did...


If you were in any of those areas like PUD etc.. then you would still be caught in the red tape but a straight forward project as you described should always be no biggie...