[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council
of the Town of Rock Hall 10-6-1977 by Ord. No. 26. (The provisions of this
chapter are derived from Chapter 6 of the former Code of Ordinances
of the Town of Rock Hall, adopted 10-6-1977 by Ord. No. 26.) Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Amended 8-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-6; 12-2-1980; 5-6-1993 by Ord. No.
93-2; 9-7-1995 by Ord. No. 95-03; 12-9-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-01]
There is hereby adopted by the Town of Rock
Hall for the purpose of establishing rules and regulations for the
construction, alteration, removal, demolition, equipment, use and
occupancy, location and maintenance of buildings and structures, including
permits and penalties, the certain building codes known as the International
Code Council (ICC) International Building Code (2009 Edition); the
ICC International Residential Code (2009 Edition); the ICC International
Energy Conservation Code (2009 Edition); and the Maryland Building
Performance Standards (MBPS) pursuant to COMAR 05.02.07.01 through
.09, as amended by the additions and deletions attached hereto. Not
fewer than two copies of each have been and now are found in the office
of the Clerk of the Town of Rock Hall, and the same are hereby adopted
and incorporated as fully as if set forth at length herein. In the
event of any conflict between any provision of the International Building
Code, the International Residential Code, the International Energy
Conservation Code or the MBPS and any provision of the Code of the
Town of Rock Hall, the Code of the Town of Rock Hall shall apply.
The office of Building Inspector may be created
by resolution of the Mayor and Council. Upon creation of such office,
the Building Inspector shall be appointed by the Mayor and Council,
and his compensation shall be determined by the Mayor and Council.
A.
Upon receipt of an application for new buildings, such application and the payment of the fees as provided in Chapter 102, Fees, the application shall be laid before the Building Inspector or, if no Building Inspector is appointed, before the Town Clerk, and a permit shall be issued only after the approval thereof by the Mayor and Council.
[Amended 8-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-6]
B.
In the event that any application for a permit is
disapproved, the fees paid on account thereof shall not be returned
to the applicant upon demand. The Clerk shall cause to be kept on
file all applications, plans and specifications which shall have been
submitted, and the same shall be open for public inspection.
[Amended 9-10-1987 by Ord. No. 87-7; 9-5-1996 by Ord. No. 96-02]
A.
A permit shall be obtained before beginning construction,
alteration or repairs, other than ordinary repairs, using application
forms furnished by the Building Official. Ordinary repairs are nonstructural
repairs and do not include addition to, alteration of or replacement
or relocation of water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas,
soil, waste, vent or similar piping, electrical wiring or mechanical
or other work for which a permit is required by the Building Official.
B.
The occupancy of any building or structure shall not
be changed to require greater strength without a permit.
C.
The use of any building or structure may not be changed
without a permit.
D.
No equipment for which provisions are made or which
is regulated by code may be installed or altered without a permit.
E.
No development shall be commenced in any floodplain
area or in the critical area without a permit.
F.
All federal, state or county permits or approval must
be obtained before any town permit shall be issued.
[Amended 8-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-6]
Every person who erects or causes to be erected any building within the town limits or makes any structural alterations or additions, except painting, to the same shall, before commencing work, make a written application to the Mayor and Council for a permit, the same to be accompanied by plans and specifications for approval and to contain the name of the owner, lot and square number, kind of building, number of stories in height, dimensions of building and location of same on lot, the contemplated use of said building and the estimated value of the building, alterations or additions. All applications for a permit for the erection of any new building shall be accompanied by a fee as provided in Chapter 102, Fees. Upon approval, the Town Clerk shall issue a building permit. Every plan for the erection of a new building must show thereon that suitable provisions have been made for the construction of an approved sanitary disposal system.
[Amended 12-5-1974; 8-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-6]
Building permit fees to be charged by the Rock Hall Planning Commission shall be as provided in Chapter 102, Fees.
[Added 12-9-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-01]
Effective January 1, 2011, an automatic residential fire sprinkler
system shall be offered as an option to be installed in all newly
constructed one- and two-family dwellings in the Town of Rock Hall,
subject to the following provisions:
A.
Option to
buyer. A seller of a newly constructed one- or two-family dwelling
in the Town of Rock Hall shall offer the initial buyer or owner an
option to install a automatic residential fire sprinkler system.
B.
Disclosure
of information. The real estate sales contract for the sale of a new
one- or two-family dwelling in the Town of Rock Hall shall disclose
the estimated cost of installing an automatic residential fire sprinkler
system and the anticipated estimate to maintain such system. By completing
a sprinkler option notification form, available in the Town Office,
the buyer shall acknowledge receiving notice of the optional automatic
residential fire sprinkler system and indicate whether the buyer intends
to exercise the option to install an automatic residential fire sprinkler
system to improve the life safety of the occupants and to reduce property
damage from fire.
C.
Every model
home constructed as part of a marketing campaign to sell one- or two-family
dwellings in the Town of Rock Hall shall contain an automatic residential
fire sprinkler system.
D.
Before issuing
a building permit, the Town of Rock Hall shall require the applicant
to submit the sprinkler option notification form that has been notarized
with signature indicating that the provisions of this section have
been complied with.
E.
The Town
of Rock Hall shall withhold the issuance of a building permit for
the construction of a new one- or two-family dwelling in the Town
of Rock Hall that does not meet the provisions of this section in
regards to notification to the buyer or submission of all necessary
documentation.
