In order to hear and decide appeals of orders, decisions or determinations made by the building official or fire marshal relative to the application and interpretation of the technical construction and fire prevention codes, and to hear and decide on matters related to the permitting, licensing, or registration of individuals or entities subject to said codes, and to determine suitability of alternate materials and methods of construction, there shall be and is hereby created a board of appeals. Except as specifically noted below, the board of appeals shall consist of eleven (11) members who are qualified by experience and training to pass upon matters pertaining to the design, construction and use of buildings. Members of the board of appeals shall be appointed by the city council and shall hold office for a term of three (3) years and until their successors are qualified. Consistent with the membership set forth below, the presently constituted board members shall continue in their offices for their regular terms. The membership of the board of appeals shall include representatives from the following areas of expertise:
(1) 
A member of the West Texas Home Builders Association;
(2) 
An active architect;
(3) 
An active structural engineer;
(4) 
An active commercial contractor;
(5) 
An active realtor;
(6) 
An active plumber, licensed by the State of Texas;
(7) 
An active electrician, licensed by the State of Texas;
(8) 
An active mechanical contractor with a class A license;
(9) 
Three (3) Lubbock citizens at-large who are not associated with the construction or real estate industry; and
(10) 
Two (2) Lubbock citizens at-large, not associated with the construction industry, who shall be available as alternate members for the purpose of establishing a quorum in accordance with section 2.03.494.
(1983 Code, sec. 6-80V; Ordinance 2005-O0140, sec. 1, adopted 12/15/2005; Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013; Ordinance 2019-O0035, sec. 10, adopted 3/26/2019; Ordinance 2021-O0084 adopted 7/27/2021)
Except as is otherwise inevitable due to the prescribed qualifications of its members, no two regular members of the board shall represent the same industry, company, or trade association. All members of the board shall be subject to the city’s code of ethics, as set forth in the city’s employee manual.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
The building official shall be an ex-officio member and shall act as secretary of the board.
(1983 Code, sec. 6-80W; Ordinance 2005-O0140, sec. 1, adopted 12/15/2005; Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
The presence of 50% plus one of the members identified in section 2.03.491(1)–(9) of this division shall constitute a quorum. Where a quorum of said members cannot be established or is otherwise lost during the meeting, vacant seats shall be filled by alternate members, until a quorum is again established. Upon the return of a regular member to the dais, the chair shall decide whether to seat the regular member or to retain the alternate for the remainder of the meeting.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
Though charged with the responsibility to consider the granting of relief to individuals with regard to adopted codes and ordinances, the board’s first duty is the protection of public health and safety through the thoughtful, deliberative and equitable application of their requirements.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
The board is empowered with the authority to hear and decide on:
(1) 
Requests for appeals regarding the revocation, suspension of permits, or the refusal to issue same, that would otherwise authorize work governed by the technical codes, operational or use permits, certificates of occupancy, inspection approvals, or other approvals necessary in order to proceed with the construction, occupancy or use of a building;
(2) 
Requests for appeals regarding the revocation, suspension, or refusal to issue contractor licenses, registrations, or other approvals necessary in order to obtain permits or proceed with contracting work governed by the technical codes;
(3) 
Requests for variances from the technical requirements within the construction and fire codes;
(4) 
Requests for special exceptions to allow the substitution of alternate materials and methods of construction, or alternative building designs, than would otherwise be permitted by the technical codes.
(1983 Code, sec. 6-80X; Ordinance 2005-O0140, sec. 1, adopted 12/15/2005; Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
The board shall have no authority relative to interpretation of the administrative provisions of this code, nor shall the board have any administrative authority other than as expressly stated in this division. The board shall have no authority to waive provisions of the technical codes, except as expressly permitted herein. Because each case brought before the board is heard on its merits and is therefore unique, decisions of the board shall not be construed as setting any precedent with regard to the future application of the technical codes by administrative officials, and do not thereby legally obligate said officials nor the board with regard to future cases, though they may be similar.
(1983 Code, sec. 6-80Z; Ordinance 2005-O0140, sec. 1, adopted 12/15/2005; Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
(a) 
In exercising its authority under section 2.03.496 the board shall consider an appeal, variance or special exception, as set forth therein. Procedures for hearing, considering and acting on appeals, variances and special exceptions shall conform to sections 2.03.499 through 2.03.501 below.
(b) 
In all types of cases, the burden of proof shall be on the applicant to establish the facts necessary that the board must find before granting any appeal, variance, or special exception as herein contained. A concurring vote of three-fourths (3/4) of the quorum shall be necessary to reverse any order, requirement, decision or determination of any administrative official, or to decide in favor of the applicant on any matter upon which the board is required to act under this division, or to approve any variance.
(c) 
Any person or persons jointly or severally aggrieved by any decision of the board, or any taxpayer or any officer, department or board of the municipality may present to a court of record a petition, duly verified, setting forth that such decision is illegal, in whole or in part, specifying the grounds of the illegality. Such petition shall be presented to the court within ten (10) days after the decision of the board and not thereafter.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
In exercising its authority to hear and decide on appeals under section 2.03.496(1) or (2), the board shall proceed as follows:
(1) 
In exercising its powers, the board may, in conformity with the provisions of the state statutes as existing or hereafter amended, reverse or affirm, wholly or partly, or may modify the order, requirements, decision, or determination appealed from and make order, requirement, decision or determination, in the board’s opinion as ought to be made, and in that respect shall have all the powers of the official making the original determination from whom the appeal is sought. The board shall have the power, and is hereby charged with the responsibility to impose reasonable conditions to ensure appropriate levels of compliance in order to protect lives and property.
(A) 
General appeals.
Any request for appeal from an administrative decision hereunder shall be based on a claim that the true intent of the subject code or rules legally enforced thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, or that the provisions of the subject code do not apply or fully apply. The board shall hear testimony from the applicant and the official from whom the appeal is sought, and may hear testimony from witnesses and may examine evidence in support of either position.
(B) 
Appeals involving permits or licenses.
A request for appeal from an administrative decision involving the suspension or revocation of a permit, license, registration, or other approval necessary in order to continue operations or conduct business shall be based on a claim of hardship as well as one or more of the following:
(i) 
That the situations or conditions giving rise to the original suspension or revocation action were misinterpreted by the official;
(ii) 
That the situations or conditions giving rise to the original suspension or revocation action have been cured and resolved;
(iii) 
That the applicant did not have the opportunity to appear in a hearing before the administrative official to show cause why their license or registration should not be suspended or revoked, or that the hearing before said administrative official was not fairly conducted.
The board shall hear testimony from the applicant and the official from whom the appeal is sought, and may hear testimony from witnesses and may examine evidence in support of either position.
(C) 
Permit and license actions not subject to appeal.
A suspension or revocation of a permit, license, registration, or other approval necessary in order to conduct business is not subject to appeal where such action was taken as a result of one or more of the following:
(i) 
Non-payment of required fees associated with the issuance or maintenance of any permit, license, [or] registration;
(ii) 
Failure to obtain or maintain bonds and/or insurance coverage required as a condition for obtaining any permit, license or registration;
(iii) 
Failure to obtain or maintain any license, permit or other statutory approval necessary as a pre-requisite for obtaining any city permit, license or registration.
The board may, after public notice and hearing in which the testimony of applicable city officials as well as the appellant shall be heard, and subject to the conditions and safeguards herein contained, vary or adapt the strict application of any of the terms of the original suspension or revocation action under the power and authority herein granted. In so doing, the board may designate such conditions in connection therewith which will, in its opinion, secure substantially the purpose and intent of this code.
(D) 
Appeals involving third-parties.
Any person, including a member of the board, aggrieved by a decision of the building official or fire marshal as to an administrative decision regarding the suspension, revocation, or refusal to issue a permit, license, registration, or other approval necessary in order to continue operations or conduct business of another person or entity, may seek relief from said decision through the appeal process in the same manner as a person or entity directly affected by the decision in accordance with subsection (B) herein. Where a board member is the appellant, the member shall file an affidavit of conflict of interest, shall not sit for the hearing nor discuss the case as a member, and shall abstain from voting on the item.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
In exercising its authority to hear and decide on variances under section 2.03.496(3), the board shall proceed as follows:
(1) 
For purposes of this division, a variance is an authorization by the board granting relief and doing substantial justice where, owing to special and unique conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of the technical codes are improper and will result in unnecessary hardship. Special and unique conditions, as contemplated herein, do not include self-created conditions. Hardships do not include those that are purely personal or of a financial nature, and a variance shall not be considered on the basis of such, nor shall any variance be granted to permit any person a privilege not available to others.
(2) 
Any request for a variance from an administrative decision hereunder shall be based on a claim that the true intent of the subject code or the rules legally enforced thereunder have been incorrectly interpreted, that the provisions of the subject code do not apply or fully apply, or that an equally good or better form of construction is proposed, and that the request cannot qualify for a special exception under section 2.03.501 of this division.
(3) 
A variance may be granted to an applicant when the board finds:
(A) 
That there are special circumstances and unique conditions applying to the situation for which the variance is sought, which circumstances or conditions are peculiar to the situation under consideration and do not generally apply;
(B) 
That said circumstances or conditions are such that the strict application of the provisions of the technical codes would deprive the applicant of the ability to construct, improve and/or use the subject building or premises;
(C) 
That the granting of such variance will not violate any statute or administrative rule otherwise applicable, and will not be detrimental to the public health, safety or welfare or injurious to the subject building and surrounding properties;
(D) 
That the granting of the variance is necessary for the reasonable design, construction or use of the building and is the minimum that will accomplish the intended purpose; and
(E) 
That the literal enforcement and strict application of the applicable code provisions will result in an unnecessary hardship inconsistent with the general spirit and intent of same and that, in granting such variance, the spirit of said code provisions will be preserved and substantial justice done.
(4) 
The board may, after public notice and hearing in which the testimony of applicable city officials as well as the applicant shall be heard, and subject to the conditions and safeguards herein contained, vary or adapt the strict application of any of the terms of this division under the power and authority herein granted.
(5) 
In granting any variance under the provisions of this division, the board may designate such conditions in connection therewith which will, in its opinion, secure substantially the purpose and intent of this division.
(Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)
In exercising its authority to hear and decide on special exceptions under section 2.03.496(4), the board shall proceed as follows:
(1) 
The owner of a building seeking relief from the board in cases where strict compliance with the technical codes presents a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship without corresponding public benefit, may make written application to the board requesting a special exception to allow substitution of alternate materials and methods of construction or alternative building designs to that required by the pertinent technical codes and ordinances.
(2) 
Each applicant shall, upon making such application, submit to the board sufficient technical data to demonstrate that the proposed substitute is equivalent in quality, strength, fire resistance, effectiveness and safety to that prescribed by the applicable technical codes and ordinances. The application shall be made through the building official or fire marshal, as applicable, on forms provided by him, and the request placed on the next available board agenda for discussion and consideration.
(1983 Code, sec. 6-80Y; Ordinance 2005-O0140, sec. 1, adopted 12/15/2005; Ordinance 2013-O0057, sec. 1, adopted 6/13/2013)