The Building Official or designated staff may require any person who is issued a building permit to keep accurate records of all costs of the improvement, and such records shall be made available upon his request. If any person refuses to make such records available, it shall be presumed that the costs thereof are in excess of $1,000 and a permit shall be required. The personal labor of any owner or members of his immediate family shall not be included in computing the first $1,000. The building permit shall be issued for a period of 12 months and may be renewed once for an additional six-month period, at the end of the original twelve-month period, upon the discretion of the Building Official if the construction or improvement is not completed. If construction is not completed in 18 months, the permitting process must start anew, using the codes, standards and procedures then in effect.
A. 
Required. No building, driveway, wall, structure, or other improvement shall be erected, installed, added to, or structurally altered without the owner or developer having first obtained a building permit from the Building Official pursuant to this section and the standards of this section.
B. 
Application. Applications for a building permit shall be filed on a form provided by the Building Official and shall include the following:
(1) 
A general description of the proposed work to be completed and the proposed use(s) being developed;
(2) 
The zoning district designation of the land where development is proposed;
(3) 
The name and signature of the land owner or owner's authorized agent;
(4) 
The estimated cost of the construction, including labor and materials;
(5) 
A plan, drawn to scale, showing:
(a) 
The dimensions of the lot being developed;
(b) 
The size and location of buildings and structures to be erected;
(c) 
The building height from the top of the first living floor surface;
(d) 
The percentage of the lot covered by impervious surfaces;
(e) 
The total heated square footage;
(f) 
The front, side, and rear yards or setbacks; and
(g) 
Right-of-way width;
(6) 
Any other information considered necessary by the Building Official in order to render a decision.
C. 
Standards. A building permit shall be approved by the Building Official upon a finding that the application complies with the standards of this chapter and all other applicable City ordinances. No building permit shall be issued unless and until a zoning permit has first been issued.
D. 
Conditions. In approving a building permit, the Building Official may impose appropriate conditions on the permit approval.
E. 
Expiration.
(1) 
If the work described in any building permit has not begun within 12 months from the date of issuance, the building permit shall expire and be void.
(2) 
Upon written application submitted at least 30 days' prior to the expiration of the permit by the applicant and upon a showing of good cause, the Building Official may grant one extension not to exceed six months. Failure to submit an application for an extension within the time limits established by this section shall render the building permit void.
F. 
Amendments. A building permit may be amended, extended, or modified only in accordance with the procedures and standards established for its original approval.
G. 
Revocation of permit. In the event that any person holding a building permit pursuant to this chapter violates the terms of the permit or implements in such a manner as to materially adversely affect the health, welfare, or safety of persons residing or working in the neighborhood or development site so as to be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to property or improvements in the neighborhood, the Building Official may issue a stop-work order and revoke the building permit.
A. 
Required. A land disturbance permit (LDP) is required for all residential, commercial and industrial land-disturbing activity, including subdivision and PUD developments, that involve the construction of new structures, infrastructure (new roads, ponds or utilities), grading and infill. No grading or other land-disturbing activity over 5,000 square feet, including the addition or installation of any impervious surface, except as exempted by § 123-16C, shall commence without first having obtained a land disturbance permit pursuant to this section.
(1) 
"Land-disturbing activity" means any grading, scraping, excavating, or filling of land; clearing of vegetation; and any construction, rebuilding, or alteration of a structure. Land-disturbing activity shall not include activities such as ordinary maintenance and landscaping operations, individual home gardens, yard and grounds upkeep, repairs, additions or minor modifications to a single-family residence, and the cutting of firewood for personal use.
B. 
SC DHEC approval. If the activity will require SC DHEC approval through South Carolina's NPDES Stormwater Program, this approval is required prior to issuance of a land disturbance permit.
C. 
Exemptions. The following activities are not required to obtain a land disturbance permit, but should follow best management practices for erosion and sediment control:
(1) 
Agricultural uses, including forestry;
(2) 
Minor landscaping;
(3) 
Land-disturbing activities undertaken for the purpose of fighting fires or other emergency activity that is immediately necessary for the protection of life, property, or natural resources; and
(4) 
Land-disturbing activities taking place on a lot containing a lawfully established single-family dwelling, provided such activities are located outside of any sensitive natural areas and provided they are limited to a maximum of 2,500 square feet.
D. 
Application. Applications for a land disturbance permit shall be filed on a form provided by the Building Official and shall include the following:
(1) 
The name(s) and address(es) of the owner and/or developer of the site;
(2) 
Site plan, including area to be disturbed;
(3) 
Tree protection and/or tree replacement plan;
(4) 
Erosion and sediment control measures to be implemented;
(5) 
Temporary and permanent vegetation control measures, including, but not limited to, seeding mixtures and rates, types of sod, method of seedbed preparation, expected seeding dates, type and rate of lime and fertilizer application, and kind and quantity of mulching.
(6) 
Land-disturbing activities of two or more acres shall also include:
(a) 
A natural resources map identifying soils, topography, tree cover, waterways and other natural resources; and
(b) 
A sequence of construction of the development site, including stripping and clearing; rough grading; construction of utilities, infrastructure, and buildings; and final grading and landscaping. Sequencing shall identify the expected date on which clearing will begin, the estimated duration of exposure of cleared areas, areas of clearing, installation of temporary erosion and sediment control measures, and establishment of permanent vegetation.
(7) 
Filing fee.
E. 
Standards. A land disturbance permit shall be approved upon a finding that the application complies with the standards of this chapter and all other applicable City ordinances, including Chapter 287, Trees and Vegetation, and Chapter 330, Zoning and Subdivision; and complies with the South Carolina Erosion and Sediment Control Act. No land disturbance permit shall be issued unless and until a zoning permit has first been issued.
(1) 
Clearing, except that necessary to establish sediment control devices, shall not begin until all sediment control devices have been installed and have been stabilized;
(2) 
Soil stabilization shall be completed within five days of clearing or inactivity in construction;
(3) 
If seeding or another vegetative erosion control method is used, it shall become established within two weeks or may require the site to be reseeded or a nonvegetative option employed;
(4) 
Special techniques on steep slopes or in drainageways may be used to ensure stabilization;
(5) 
Soil stockpiles must be stabilized or covered at the end of each workday;
(6) 
Techniques that divert upland runoff past disturbed slopes shall be employed;
(7) 
Measures required in order to ensure that sediment is not tracked onto public streets by construction vehicles or washed into storm drains shall be implemented.
F. 
Conditions. In approving a land disturbance permit, the Building Official or designee may impose appropriate conditions on the permit approval.
G. 
Expiration. If the work described in any land disturbance permit has not begun within six months from the date of issuance, the land disturbance permit shall expire and be void. Land-disturbing activity shall not proceed unless and until a new land disturbance permit is obtained.
H. 
Amendments. A land disturbance permit may be amended, extended, or modified only in accordance with the procedures established for its original approval.
I. 
Revocation of permit. In the event that any person holding a land disturbance permit pursuant to this chapter violates the terms of the permit or implements in such a manner as to materially adversely affect the health, welfare, or safety of persons residing or working in the neighborhood or development site so as to be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious to property or improvements in the neighborhood, the Building Official may issue a stop-work order and revoke the land disturbance permit.
It shall be unlawful for any person to begin residing in, operating or conducting business within any building until a certificate of occupancy has been issued and electrical, water and sewer service to such building has begun.
A. 
All property upon which houses, dwellings, buildings, house trailers, businesses and other such structures are constructed or located within the City of Walhalla shall be considered developed property and shall have on the face and/or other appropriate side of the house, dwelling, business or structure identification numbers, in a manner and location so that said identification numbers are clearly and readily readable to a person of normal vision from the adjacent roadway.
B. 
All applicants for building permits for new construction of residences or businesses or other such structures shall be required to submit a plan showing the proposed location of their property identification number before any building permit will be issued, and compliance with this article shall be a condition precedent to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
No building permit shall be required for any construction performed by the owner himself, the cost for which is less than $1,000. No building permit shall be required for the addition of siding of any type to a residence. No building permit shall be required for the removal of the remains of a burned home. The issuance of zoning permits still applies.
The schedule of fees for permits for building, construction, land disturbance and repair of buildings and structures within the City limits is set by City Council, adopted by reference and on file in the City offices.