Dear Editor,
Within recent times, the Public Relations Section of the council has been receiving numerous calls from citizens with questions about building operations in Georgetown. Some building contractors have had their plans approved by the City Engineer but do not know how to proceed or begin work. Here are seven steps necessary before commencing building operations:
1. Every person, who has received the City Engineer’s approval to begin building, must give seven days’ notice in writing to the City Engineer of his intention to commence such operations.
2. Those, who intend to do any building operations or to cause same to be executed shall, where any thoroughfare will be obstructed or rendered inconvenient by means of such operations―
a) before commencing the same, unless the City Engineer otherwise consents in writing, cause sufficient close-boarded boards or fences, to the satisfaction of the City Engineer, to be put in order to separate the building where such operations are to be carried on from the thoroughfare;
b) if the City Engineer so requires, make a convenient platform and handrail to serve as a footway for passengers outside for such board or fence;
c) continue such board or fence with such platform and handrail as aforesaid standing and in good condition to the satisfaction of City Engineer during such time as he may required by the City Engineer to do so;
d) cause the same to be properly lighted every night from sunset of the one day to sunrise of the next succeeding day;
e) remove the same when required by the City Engineer.
3. No one shall put and board or fence in such a way as to obstruct or impede the surface drainage over or trough or any thoroughfare.
4. No one has the right to place any materials, rubbish or other thing upon, or to make any hole in, a thoroughfare without the permission, in writing, of the City Engineer, and the person causing any materials, rubbish or other thing to be laid upon, or any hole to be made in, a thoroughfare without the permission of the City Engineer shall, his own expense, cause a proper light to be fixed in a proper place upon or near same and continue such light every night from sun-setting of the one day to sun-rising of the next succeeding day while such materials, rubbish or other things or hole remain, and the shall also, at his own expense cause such materials, rubbish or other things and such hole to be sufficiently fenced and enclosed, until they are removed or the hole filled in or otherwise made secure.
5. Any plan of any building or part thereof approved according to the Georgetown building by-laws, by notice in writing to the builder, to be declared by the Council to be of no effect if the building operations to which the plan relates are not commenced within twelve months after the date of the approval thereof.
It must be noted that if any building operations commenced within twelve months after the date of the approval of the plan thereof the City Engineer may cancel his approval thereof and the building operations described on that plan shall not be commenced or executed by and builder until a new notice to commence operations is given and a new plan is laid over under the building regulations.
Every person who commences building operations shall complete them with twelve months after the commencement thereof, unless that period has been extended by the Council for good cause shown by that person.
Also, where any structure erected in the course of building operations which have not been completed within twelve months after they were commenced, or within any extended period allowed for completion by the Council, is in the opinion of the Council unsightly or dangerous, the Council may be notice in writing require the builder to pull down the same.
6. No building operation should deviate from the plan approved by the City Engineer or breach any of the building regulations. The City Engineer may, by notice in writing require the building involved to rectify that deviation or to comply with the by-laws within the time specified in the notice.
7. Every builder who is executing any building operations shall at all reasonable time afford the City Engineer and all persons duly authorized by him writing free access to the land and premises on which such building operations are being executed.
We would appreciate it very much if those citizens with additional questions contact the Public Relations Section of the Mayor and City Council.
Yours faithfully,
Royston King
Public Relations Officer
Mayor and City Council
