1) APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED/UNDER REVIEW
a) File 16-029 VAR – Type III variance requesting Planning Commission approval to waive parking drive aisle requirements. A second hearing was conducted on October 24 and the the applicant requested a continuance of that hearing to January 23, 2017.
b) File 16-039 SUB/VAR – Type III subdivision and variance for a 38 lot subdivision on Arletha Court (Birdsong Subdivision). The Commission will review this application at their January, 2017 meeting.
c) Urban Growth Boundary project udpate – The draft UGB Expansion report has been sent to DLCD and was released to the public on October 20th. We held a public hearing before the Planning Commission on November 28, 2016 and the commission has forwarded a recommendation to the City Council.
2) BUILDING DIVISION ACTIVITY
a) Total value for the month was $183,198.
b) 0 permits for single family dwellings.
c) 2 permits for additions to single-family dwellings with a value of $8,848.
d) 0 duplexes.
e) 5 commercial permits with a value of $276,372.
Other Projects: We recently started conducting a customer survey for the Building Department. The Planning Director and City Manager are conducting one-on-one interview/surveys with various contractors who have done work in Sandy in the last year or so. Questions are being asked regarding the process for obtaining permits, the permit inspection process and other general questions. We anticipate completing these interviews in the next month of so and will share this information with the Council when the results are compiled.
FROM TERRE GIFT, BUILDING OFFICIAL – The year is proving to be a better year than expected. A total of 82 for single-family residences and townhouses have been permitted so far this year – which is expected to exceed the record number from 2014.
The three most active builders in November’s report are Vista Homes and Hayden Homes, with a total of 18 new single-family houses and townhouses each, followed by Palladin Group, with 13 townhouses permitted and 18 more currently in submittal stage. Hayden Homes is nearing completion of their last three homes, and will no longer lead as the busiest of the residential contractors. Ron Haggerty has 3 custom homes underway. Stonewood Homes, Raasch Construction and Vanport Builders have 2 permitted each. Richard Haggerty Construction and Jim Raze Custom Homes each have one custom home nearing completion. And Alan Seymour is on the finishing stage of his own custom home.
Commercial activities continue steadily along as we near the end of 2016, with 89 non-residential permits so far as we enter into December. The most prominent projects include the new Goodwill Store and PAD Building on Hwy 26, and the new La Bamba restaurant location on Strauss, west of the Sandy Elementary School. Also worth noting, interior demolition at the old Sandy High School complex has begun.
One last item worth mentioning is that the Planning and Building Department has began the process of updating our permitting and plan review software. Permit Specialist, Noryne Robinson, has been working exceptionally hard to simplify and streamline the permit process. Live date is scheduled early 2017.