It shall be unlawful for any person to move, remove from or
relocate within the City any new or used house, building or structure,
or any assembled portion of any new or used house, building or structure
from a location within or without the City, without first obtaining
a building permit. This section shall not apply to accessory structures
that are less than 200 square feet in area and not to exceed 14 feet
in height, including the trailer. Upon receipt of the permit application,
notice letters may be sent to all residents within 200 feet of the
affected property.
A permit to move any house, building or structure or assembled
portion thereof, along, or cross any street, avenue, thoroughfare,
or alley of the City, shall be issued by the planning and development
coordinator, subject to the following conditions:
A. The route over which any house, building or structure is to be moved
is subject to the approval of the Building Official or designee. The
house mover shall make all arrangements with the public utilities,
railroads, and other persons, firms, or corporations whose facilities
are involved in such movement, for the removal, relocation, and replacement
of wires, poles, and other improvements, to enable the house, building
or structure to be moved without causing damage.
B. No stakes, poles, or other devices shall be driven into any paved
portion of any street, avenue, thoroughfare or alley, nor shall any
device used in connection with the moving of any house, building or
structure be attached in any way to electrical or telephone poles.
The applicant shall guarantee, to the satisfaction of the Building
Official or designee, through letters of approval from all affected
utility companies, that payment of all of the expenses in the taking
down, moving, disconnection and connecting of any and all wire and
poles in conjunction with any house, building or structure shall be
at the expense of the applicant.
C. It shall be the duty of the mover of any house, building or structure
to use due speed and dispatch in moving such house, building or structure
or its assembled portion, and such mover shall in no case obstruct
or otherwise interfere with traffic along or across any street, avenue,
thoroughfare or alley for a longer period of time that it is absolutely
necessary under the circumstances, and such mover shall make a report
to the chief of the fire department as to the location of such house,
building or structure or its assembled portion, while the same is
being moved over or upon any public street, avenue, thoroughfare or
alley. Such mover shall keep such house, building or structure or
its assembled portion properly lighted at night as a warning or danger
signal to the public.
D. The applicant or the person making the move for the applicant must
be a licensed house mover by the state.
E. The applicant may perform house moving activities any time of day
with prior approval.
No application for any permit to move buildings or other oversized
loads will be accepted until the applicant shall have the following
on file with the Planning and Zoning Commission:
A. Bonding requirements. A bond, approved as to form by the City attorney,
executed by a bonding or surety company authorized to do business
in the State of Texas in the amount of $15,000, conditioned upon the
assurance that this article and other applicable ordinances and laws
will be complied with. Such bond shall run to the City and shall be
conditioned on payment for any expense or damage to public property;
and payment of any expenses, damages or losses resulting from the
moving of the building.
B. Liability Insurance Requirements: A certificate of insurance coverage
in force by the applicant as follows:
(1) Public liability insurance in amount not less than $50,000 per person
and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $50,000 per accident
for property damage.
(2) Such insurance policies shall name the City as an additional insured
covering all of the applicants operations in the City. Written notice
of cancelation of any policy shall be provided to the City secretary
at least 30 days before cancelation.
Once the house, building or structure has been relocated, the
approved applicant shall have 90 days to complete all exterior improvements
to such house, building or structure, including all foundation (required
to be a concrete foundation), masonry requirements and lot landscaping.
The Building Official may grant one ninety-day extension to this period.
No additional extension can be granted by the Building Official and
any request of the applicant beyond 180 days must be submitted to
the City council for approval.
The Building Official shall not issue a certificate of occupancy
for use of such house, building or structure until it complies with
all applicable ordinances and codes of the City. Any house, building
or structure moved into the City shall be connected to the water and
sewer system of the City before a certificate of occupancy can be
issued for the house, building or structure, provided such use is
to be used for any other purpose other than storage.
Any person, firm, corporation or business entity violating this
chapter shall be fined a sum not to exceed $500. Each day in which
a violation exists shall be considered a separate violation.