Department of Inspections and Permits BUILDING SAFETY: INSPECT DECKS ANNUALLY

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1 Anne Arundel County Department of Inspections and Permits September 2011 Inside this issue: Understanding ESD to the MEP 2 Does your project require a permit? 2 Water and Electricity Do Not Mix! 3 Home Based Business News 3 Employee Spotlight 4 Robert C. Hubbard, Director Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Department of Inspections and Permits e newsletter. My hope is you, our customer, will find this a useful tool as we provide insight into the policies, procedures and people of the department. Each issue, published quarterly, is intended to present updated code information, enlightening investigations, an introduction to a staff person, a response to frequently asked questions, FROM THE DIRECTOR S DESK a message from me and some statistics addressing departmental activity levels. This e newsletter will be posted on our website but we would also like to e mail a personal copy to you. Please e mail us at or write to us with your e mail address and request a copy. In the same correspondence tell us what you like and don t like about the newsletter and any suggestions to improve the contents making the newsletter more meaningful to you. Enjoy. BUILDING SAFETY: INSPECT DECKS ANNUALLY Stay in touch with what is happening in the Department of Inspections and Permits. Have this newsletter sent directly to your , send your request to aacounty.org. Ask Jan 5 Bill Bryant, Code Enforcement The Inspection Services Division reminds homeowners that it is important to regularly inspect your decks and balconies. Each year hundreds of people are injured as a result of deck failures that could have been avoided by performing routine preventive maintenance. Failures also occur because of faulty construction. It is important to always obtain the proper permits and inspections whenever constructing or repairing a deck. Use the following checklist to ensure the safety of your family and guests. Check support posts and beams for rot, splitting or abnormal movement Check attachment points between the deck and the house. Inspect all fasteners, bolts, brackets, etc. for rust and corrosion. Check all guards and rails to be sure they are sturdy and well secured. Use grills, heaters and outdoor fire pits with care and always observe manufacturer s operating instructions.

2 ESD TO THE MEP? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? John Peacock, Environmental Code ESD to the MEP is the latest acronym you may hear involving all the efforts to help restore the Chesapeake Bay. ESD to the MEP is short for Environmental Site Design to the Maximum Extent Practicable, which is a new and more environmentally sensitive way to manage the storm water runoff that is known to be a significant source of bay pollution. The Maryland Storm Water Management Act of 2007 mandated the concept of ESD to the MEP. In May 2009, the Maryland Department of the Environment developed the technology and code changes necessary to implement ESD to the MEP statewide. As of May 2010 all new development projects throughout the State must manage storm water runoff by implementing ESD to the MEP. Prior to changing code requirements, development sites managed their storm water runoff by directing it to the street as quickly as possible. This allowed runoff collected in a storm drain system to be directed to a larger basin, typically a storm water management pond. Environmental Site Design uses a combination of environmentally sensitive planning techniques, reductions of impervious surfaces, and a series of micro practices spread throughout the development site to reduce the Continued on page 5 WHEN DOES A HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECT REQUIRE A PERMIT? Bob Winchester, Code Compliance Oftentimes, we make plans to undertake home improvements and focus on the immediate issues: How much will this cost? Can I do this myself in my spare time? Will it add to the value of my property? When is my neighbor going to return the circular saw he borrowed from me last year? In general, an issued building permit is required by law anytime a building or structure is constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved or demolished. As a general rule, if you can reasonably apply any of the terms shown above in italics to the work proposed, an issued building permit is required before work commences. This also applies to specialized trade work such as electrical, plumbing and HVAC mechanical work subject to permits issued to licensed trade contractors, and well and septic work regulated by the County Health Department. Similarly, outside site work involving any grading or cutting of vegetation within the Critical Area 100 buffer or expanded buffer requires prior approval(s), as does any grading, paving, tree cutting or other site work which will disturb greater than 5,000 square feet of land anywhere in the County. When in doubt, check us out. Visit ; click on Inspections & Permits under Top Searches and select the Frequently Asked Questions tab. In general, a building permit is required by law anytime a building or structure is constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved or demolished. Page 2

3 WATER AND ELECTRICITY DO NOT MIX: THE REASON FOR GROUND FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTERS Bill Bryant, Code Enforcement Every household presently being built in the U.S. will have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFI) outlets of GFI protected circuits installed at various locations within them. The purpose of GFI is to protect from electrical shock hazards in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, hot tubs, and generally in any area where a person may be using an appliance and in contact with water. The GFI device accomplishes its protection by measuring current flow to and from an appliance. If the electrical current flow returning from the appliance drops by 5 milliamperes, the GFI shuts off power within a few hundredths of a second. GFI devices have built in test mechanisms and should be tested periodically. GFI receptacles have a test and reset button on them. Take an ordinary household lamp and plug it into the GFI receptacle and with the lamp turned on press the test button. This should cause the lamp to turn off immediately. Press the reset button and the lamp should turn back on. If the lamp does not turn off after pressing the test button, there is a good chance that the outlet is defective or not wired correctly. If this happens consult an electrician for repair and/or replacement. HOME BASED BUSINESS NEWS Joannie Coleman Casey, Zoning Enforcement Supervisor You have just finished placing the finishing touches on your new home business and proudly hang your new sign adorned with balloons and streamers announcing your grand opening. However, instead of a customer, the first knock at the door is a zoning inspector advising that a complaint was filed about a business operating in a residential area. You can avoid this situation by following a few simple steps. Before opening any business, contact the Zoning Enforcement office ( ) to make sure your business will meet all the requirements for a home occupation. The Zoning code contains a list of permitted home based businesses that include: offices, hair salons and child care establishments. Home occupations may not occupy more than one quarter of the floor area of a home and may not employ more than one individual who is not a resident of the home. Signage is limited to one sign that is no larger than 3 square feet and balloons or other wind activated signs are not permitted. All businesses are required to apply for and receive a zoning certificate of use, which certifies that the business meets all the applicable zoning requirements. An application is available on A zoning inspector will visit the home to verify that the business meets code requirements before the certificate is issued. A little research before starting your business can prevent many headaches later. Remember also to obtain any required state or federal permits. With all required permits in hand, you can rest assured that any knocks at the door will be customers. Good Luck! DID YOU KNOW? Anne Arundel County does not require a rental license to rent a residential property if it is a single family home, townhouse or condo. A multiple dwelling license is required when the owner or agent rents two or more nonowner occupied units within a structure. Multiple dwelling license applications are available from the license section of Inspections and Permits, at Page 3

4 EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: MIKE WILLIAMS Each newsletter will highlight an employee in the Department who goes above and beyond to provide excellent service to the citizens of Anne Arundel County. In this issue we are highlighting Michael Williams. Mr. Williams is the Chief Building Inspector for the Department of Inspections and Permits. Williams began his career with the County 36 years ago as a rodman in the Survey Division. He later joined the Department of Inspections and Permits as a residential building inspector. He is a certified commercial building inspector and is currently serves as the County s Chief Building Inspector. Last year, Mr. Williams was named 2010 Building Inspector of the Year by the Maryland Building Officials Association. Most recently, during Hurricane Irene, Mr. Williams worked through the night during the most dangerous part of the storm responding to multiple structural damage calls. Mr. Williams work ethic, professionalism and commitment to his position serve as a role model to his employees. Director of Inspections and Permits, Robert C. Hubbard offered the following characterization about Mr. Williams. Mike Williams is an excellent example of a dedicated and hardworking employee. He is always professional and committed to providing outstanding service to the residents of Anne Arundel County. Mike Williams is an excellent example of a dedicated and hardworking employee. He is always professional and committed to providing outstanding service to the residents of Anne Arundel County. Public Meetings Calendar Tuesday, September 27, 2011 Thursday, October 6, 2011 Odenton Town Center Plan Oversight Committee Severn River Commission Western District Police Station 2664 Riva Road, 4th Floor 8273 Telegraph Road Severn Room Odenton Annapolis Contact: Michael Fox Contact: Brenda Weeks To view all meetings and happenings in the County visit and click on the County Events button on the left side of the page. Page 4

5 Anne Arundel County 2662 Riva Road Annapolis, Maryland Phone: Continued from page 2 quantity of runoff and take advantage of the grounds natural ability to slow flow and reduce runoff by groundwater infiltration. The goal of ESD to the MEP is to create post development runoff characteristics that mimic the pre development to the extent possible. The majority of the new ESD to the MEP micro practices, such as rain gardens and rain barrels, are also suitable for use by individual homeowners whom wish to voluntarily manage their property runoff as their contribution to help restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay. Rain barrels are attached to the roof downspouts and serve to collect and store rooftop runoff so it can be discharged at a slower rate or better yet, used to water the grass or landscape plantings. This serves to reduce demands on potable water supplies as well as providing for groundwater recharge that would be lost if the runoff was discharged to an impervious surface. Rain gardens are depressions dug into the ground and planted with water loving trees and shrubs. The depression serves as a sump area to collect and slow down the flow of runoff. The plantings serve to soak up the stored water and return it to the atmosphere as water vapor in a process called evapo transpiration and depending on the soil conditions, infiltrates a portion of the stored water back into the ground. ESD to the MEP will certainly change the nature and look of new residential subdivisions and commercial development sites. Everyone will need to get used to living with the new environmental planning techniques such as reduced pavement widths, clustered subdivisions, multi level parking garages, micro practices, roadside swales in lieu of storm drain systems, and other such concepts. But it is all part of the overall effort to restore and save the Chesapeake Bay. This technique can be implemented by anyone who wishes to do their part by contributing to the effort to reduce pollution resulting from unmanaged storm water runoff. ASK JAN By Jan Russell If you have a question for Jan please send it to ipmailbox@aacounty.org As a homeowner, am I responsible for ensuring my permit is completed with a final inspection? Yes. As a property owner you are responsible for any permit passing a final inspection on all grading, building or trade permit work done on your property, even if you purchase the property after the work is done. You can check the status of all these permits online. Go to the Inspections and Permits home page and click on View Permit Status in the Quick Links on the right. Then click on Permit Inquiry and search for your property by address or tax identification number. Your property will be displayed whether or not there are any pending, active, completed, or expired permits. If a permit was issued and did not pass a final inspection, this is considered a violation of the County Building Code that prohibits the issuance of any new permits, unless it is to complete the work started on an expired permit. You can also search for other violations and complaint investigations online. Go to the Inspections and Permit webpage and click on Compliance Case Database in the Quick Links and follow the instructions. The best way to search for your property is by entering the tax account number that appears on property tax bills. Your County tax identification number is typically the same as the State tax identification number.