Santa Clara County Municipal Code Art. 2 Plan and Construction Approval

No person may begin construction, reconstruction or alteration of any facility or auxiliary structure or equipment of any facility defined in this division without first submitting plans and specifications to the Director. In addition, the Director may require other information as necessary to determine if the facilities comply with all laws and regulations of the State of California and the County of Santa Clara. The plans, specifications and other information will be reviewed and approved by the Director before any permits are issued.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)

(a) Application. To obtain approval, an applicant must first file a written application to the Director on a form furnished by the Director for that purpose. Every application must:

(1) Identify and describe the work to be covered by the approval for which the application is made.

(2) Describe the property on which the proposed work is to be done by legal description, street address or similar description that will readily identify and locate the proposed building or work.

(3) Indicate the use or occupancy for which the proposed work is intended.

(4) Be accompanied by plans, diagrams, computations, specifications, and other data as required by Subsection (b) of this section.

(5) Be signed by the applicant, or the applicant's authorized agent.

(6) Provide other data and information as may be required by the Director.

(b) Plans and specifications. Plans, engineering calculations, diagrams, and other data must be submitted with each application for approval. Plans are not required to be prepared by an architect or engineer. However, the Director may require plans, computations, and specifications to be prepared and designed by an engineer or architect licensed by the State to practice in those fields even if not required by state law to be so licensed.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)

With the submission of plans, specifications and supporting data as required in Section B11-41 of this chapter, a plan check fee must be paid to the Director as established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)

(a) Issuance. The application, plans, specifications, computations, and other data filed by an applicant for approval will be reviewed by the Director. Upon approval, the Director will endorse in writing or stamp the plans and specifications "APPROVED." The approved plans and specifications must not be changed, modified, or altered without authorization from the Director, and all work must be done in accordance with the approved plans.

(b) Expiration of application for plan approval. Applications, for which no approval is granted within 180 days following the date of application, will expire by limitation, and plans and other data submitted for review may thereafter be returned to the applicant or destroyed by the Director. The Director may extend the time for action by the applicant for a period not exceeding 60 days upon written request by the applicant showing that circumstances beyond the control of the applicant have prevented action to be taken. No application will be extended more than once. In order to renew action on an application after expiration, the applicant must resubmit plans and pay a new plan check fee.

(c) Retention of plans. One set of approved plans, specifications, and computations will be retained by the Director for a period of not less than 90 days from date of completion of the work covered by approval; and at least two sets of approved plans and specifications will be returned to the applicant, one set of which must be kept on the site of the work at all times during which the work approved is in progress.

(d) Validity of approval. The granting of approval of plans, specifications, and computations is not be construed to be a permit for, or approval of, any other jurisdiction. The granting of approval based on plans, specifications, and other data will not prevent the Director from thereafter requiring the correction of errors in the plans.

(e) Expiration of plan approval. Every approval granted by the Director under the provisions of this chapter will expire by limitation and become null and void if the construction, reconstruction, alteration, or other work authorized by the approval has not commenced within 12 months from the date of approval or if the work authorized by the permit is suspended or abandoned for a period of 12 consecutive months at any time after the work is commenced, except that plans for construction, renovation, or alteration of a pool, ancillary facilities or equipment, or appurtenances thereto shall be valid for a period of two years from the date of approval. Before the work can be recommenced, a new approval must be obtained. Any applicant holding an unexpired plan approval may apply for an extension of the time within which work may commence under that plan approval. The Director may extend the time for action by the applicant for a period not exceeding 180 days on written request by the applicant showing that circumstances beyond the control of the permittee have prevented action from taking place.

(f) Suspension or revocation. The Director may, in writing, suspend or revoke an approval whenever the approval was issued in error or on the basis of incorrect information supplied, or in violation of any ordinance or regulation.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03; Ord. No. NS-517.98, § 5, 11-4-25)

(a) General. All work for which approval is granted is subject to inspection by the Director. Approval, as a result of an inspection, is not to be construed as an approval of any other jurisdiction. The applicant must leave all work accessible and exposed during inspection.

(b) Inspection construction card. The approved plan and construction card must be posted or otherwise made available to allow the Director to conveniently make the required entries regarding inspection of the work. The plan and construction card must remain available by the applicant until final approval is granted.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)

In the event that a permittee is required by the Director to make changes and/or corrections in a facility or other activity requiring a permit, for the purpose of bringing the facility or activity into compliance with the provisions of this division and/or state law, the Director will charge the permittee a reinspection fee for each and every reinspection performed by the Director after the first inspection following the direction to correct, until the necessary changes and/or corrections are made. The reinspection fee will be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)

A service fee will be charged for services not otherwise covered by fees noted elsewhere in this division, including but not limited to consultation services, plan reviews of existing permitted activities, equipment evaluations and reviews, site evaluations, and investigations. The service fee will be established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors. No part of this fee will be refundable.

(Ord. No. NS-517.72, § 2, 4-15-03)