One Baltimore County lawmaker wants to crack down on people who begin home improvement projects but never finish, creating unsafe and unattractive construction sites of idle machinery, dumpsters and untouched piles of plywood and sheet metal.
Members of the county council will vote Tuesday on a proposal to revoke building permits immediately if county inspectors determine abandoned or sluggish construction endangers the public health or safety. District 2 Council Member Kevin Kamenetz said he introduced the bill, which targets only single-family homes, after noticing steel beams on the yard of a 30,000- square-foot home under construction in his district.
“This guy could be doing one day of work every six months and that?s not a code violation under existing law,” Kamenetz said. “This really is a continuing problem in our neighborhoods.”
Under existing law, the county issues building permits but doesn?t impose time limits for completion. Permits become invalid after six months if homeowners haven?t started or have abandoned their work, but are renewable forever, Kamenetz said.
If adopted, the law empowers county inspectors to fine homeowners $200 for each day in violation, or immediately revoke their building permit.
Council members at their work session Tuesday expressed enthusiasm about the bill, which Kamenetz said would not likely be aggressively enforced.
Council Member Joe Bartenfelder (D-District 6) said he wanted the proposed provisions extended to subdivisions. Bryan McIntire (R-District 3) half-joked the bill discriminates against poor people who run out of money for their home improvement projects.
“They shouldn?t bite off more than they can chew,” Kamenetz told him.
The council is also scheduled to vote on a bill that would allow county officials to terminate nonconforming uses ? the use of a building in a way not permitted by county code because it existed before the law ? if the owner is found to be a chronic code violator.
The council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday because of the Labor Day holiday.
