STEPHENVILLE — A stop-work order has been issued to the owner of the property at 23 Main Street in Stephenville.
The order passed at the council meeting Thursday ordering the proponent to cease construction immediately until an approval in writing is received from the Town of Stephenville.
According to council, the applicant asked for permission to do the foundation of the building — the future home of a chiropractic clinic — but development didn’t stop there and the building went up.
Asked if he had any reaction to the stop-work order, the owner of the property declined comment.
Coun. Cecil Stein said he believes the town council needs to revisit how council is issuing permits, but Mayor Tom O’Brien defended the process.
He said people have the opportunity to apply for outline planning approval before development can move ahead.
“Approval in principle is something to help applicants move ahead with their project with no cost associated with it,” he said.
“Once outline planning approval is received, an applicant can move toward bringing their development to reality with a level of confidence their development will receive final approval from all the governing bodies.”
O’Brien said without outline planning approval applicants risk spending considerable money on property, engineered plans and other costs only to find themselves in a position of not getting the finished project approved.
“As an example, a particular development may not be permitted in a particular zone and therefore unable to meet the zoning requirement,” he said.
Once an applicant receives outline planning permission, he or she can proceed with a level of confidence the project would receive final approval upon completion of the necessary engineer stamped drawings and approval of all government service agencies.
“Once council has approved it, in effect that is approval for town management to issue the permit once these conditions are met,” he said.
Many municipalities will give an approval-in-princple for a building to be constructed on a particular site. Once that approval is given, the proponent will then commission detailed architectural and engineering drawings. To expediate construction, some municipalities will issue a permit for excavation and foundations, while all the other drawings are being completed. Once these drawings are completed, and reviewed for fire exiting, fire separations, fire alarms, rails, guards, and other life safety items, amongst other things, a permit for the balance of the construction is then typically issued. I support the stop work order. Installing foundations is one thing, but the guy could be installing interior walls and exit doors that posse a life safety concern. If I were him and someone identified concerns, I'd like to hear about them now rather than after the building is fully completed. This sounds like the developer didn't fully understand the process of developing. I'd also support enhanced public education to avoid this in the future, but, in the end, there will be people out there who will always try to break the rules and then ask for forgiveness. I'm not saying that is what happened here but I wouldn't be so quick to condem the town.