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Show Thursday, July 12, 1979 Page 7 Building Inspection Controversy Last Thursday's city council meeting was punctuated punc-tuated by a surprise announcement an-nouncement of City Planner David Preece's resignation and by four Prospector Park homedwners appearing before the council to air complaints about the inspection inspec-tion of homes and develop ment completion of their area (see related stories). City "Manager Wayne Matthews Mat-thews announced to the council that he had received a letter of resignation from Preece, but no explanation was given of the surprise move. The resignation is effective ef-fective July 20. Homeowners Robert and Vicki Webber and Diana and Larry Harding, all of Prospector Park, expressed concerns over home inspection inspec-tion and development completion com-pletion in their area. The two couples are members of a group forming a voluntary association of Prospector Park and Prospector Village homeowners. Both Robert Webber and Larry Harding told the council the city needs additional ad-ditional and more thorough building inspectors. "My home is structurally unsafe," said Larry Harding. Har-ding. "We have to jack up Both Sides Give Views By Conrad Elliott Several area homeowners appeared before the Park City Council last week to air complaints concerning the city's building inspection practices, which they felt to be inadequate. In response to these complaints, The Newspaper contacted some local homeowners and contractors con-tractors and asked about their experiences with the city inspection system (some of the respondents expressed a desire not to be identified). Park City Building Inspector Bob Skanter also answered questions on the subject. If the worst comments are to be believed, Park City's inspection system is "a joke" that could, if not soon changed, create a real problem as the building boom in Park City continues. This allegation is leveled by local homebuilders, not homeowners angry about building faults in their new homes. Says Conrad Construction contractor Tim Steiner: "Ninety percent of what they (the city) care about is getting get-ting the building permit money.. ..not quality construction. con-struction. "Home buyers are paying for the mistakes of some workers bad plumbing, poor quality of framing materials and insulation. In some new apartments I've found water pipes located in exterior walls with no insulation." in-sulation." Steiner claims that much of the construction in Park City is of high quality, but only because many of the builders are from California where the inspection process is much tougher. "In California a builder first has to take his plans before a commission of inspectors in-spectors which reviews the blueprints with a fine-tooth comb. Then each stage of construction foundation, rough plumbing and sewage, rough frame, heating and electrical is inspected before the drywall goes up. A final inspection on the finished home is then made before the buyer moves in." Normally, when a contractor contrac-tor purchases a building permit he is issued an inspection in-spection card which is to be placed in plain view at the construction site. The building inspector's job is to check off and date a list of inspection items as the work proceeds. The indication from local builders is that most of those cards tacked to housing starts in Park City are blank. "The only time I ever see the city building inspector is when a building permit hasn't been purchased," Steiner says. "Otherwise the inspector never comes around, unless he does so on Sunday mornings when I'm not at the job." One local builder notes that an inspector has the power to shut down construction con-struction work or even tear down finished work if building proceeds without notification. Despite such power, says the builder, "Nobody calls for inspection because they know they can get away with it." Another contractor says he calls Skanter to inspect his buildings at various phases of construction but inspections are often not made. Much of the problem may stem from the sheer volume of new homes Skanter must inspect. Says one contractor: "In my two or three years and 15 houses worth of contraction in Park City I probably haven't had more than four or five houses inspected. The inspector here is too overloaded. There are so many projects going on at one time that he can't possibly cover them all. And a poor inspection service is a liability to everyone the contractor, the city and the homeowner." Another builder echoes: "There is far too much building going on in the area for one inspector to take care of it all. Park City probably needs at least three inspectors inspec-tors to cover the load. ' ' Homeowners have their own complaints. Pat Port-man Port-man is one of the more extreme ex-treme cases in point. Portman said she purchased pur-chased a home in Prospector Park in January, then moved into the house in March. Five days later she discovered sewage coming up through the bottom floor of the house no sewage connections had been made to the home. She was forced to evacuate her new home until April while repairs were being made. "I can't believe that an occupancy oc-cupancy permit was issued for my house without the sewer lines being checked," says an incredulous Ms. Port-man. 'The inspector here is too overloaded.' City Building Inspector Bob Skanter answers these charges by saying that he does inspections all the time, even if not called to do so by the builders. "I often start inspections at seven (in the morning) and inspect all day into the night," he says. "It's the builder's responsibility to call for inspection at the various stages of building.... and according to law I have 24 hours to make an inspection inspec-tion after receiving a call. Those builders who don't call for inspection are in the wrong." According to Skanter, the problems Pat Portman and other homeowners brought to his attention should have been caught before the homes were occupied. And the problems would have been solved if he had been called to make inspections at builder Jack Johnston has appeared before the city commission several times to complain about the inaccuracy inac-curacy of city maps that should show where sewer lines are located. The inaccuracy inac-curacy of those maps, says Johnston, has forced his work crews to spend extra time, and money, digging to locate sewer lines. If local builders and homeowners are right, there needs to be a major upgrading of the city's inspection in-spection system. Some steps already have been taken. Sewer line inspections are now being conducted by the Snyderville Basin Sewer District office and on 'Nobody calls for inspection inspec-tion because they know they can get away with it ' the proper times, he added. In the case of the Portman home, Skanter said he checked the house after it was completed. But he stated there was no way he could ascertain whether it was connected to sever lines since he had not been called to the construction site when the plumbing had been put in. (Skanter reports he submitted sub-mitted the name of the plumbing sub-contractor for the Portman house to the State Construction Commission Com-mission for disciplinary action). ac-tion). The Portman's house was not an isolated instance of sewer problems in the Prospector Park area. Local Tuesday, Skanter hired Mike Webb of Park City, to assist him vith his inspection chores. "I have been trying for four months to hire extra inspectors in-spectors for the city but it is difficult to find any that know the code (Uniform Building Code)," says Skanter. Skan-ter. ' I almost hired two certified cer-tified inspectors but they decided to work for Salt Lake City Corporation which pays more money." "There is just toe much for one man to handle," says Skanter. "Last year the load got really heavy and it's been getting heavier ever since." lOUNTAIN REALTY "''Ail? . ! ' ' 2238 Comstock, Prospector Village This contemporary home features 4 bedrooms, 2lA baths, 2 car garage. 635 White Pine Court Custom log home Park Meadows I, features fantastic view on quiet cul de sac lot. Many extras the house and make repairs while trying to live in it." Harding informed the council that he and his builder have agreed to a isolution to his house problems. But he nevertheless never-theless presented the situation to illustrate a lack of "adequate building supervision" in Park City. Robert Webber told the committee he doubted his home was ever certified by the building inspector because the basement floor is so poorly laid out that it is constantly flooded. Wayne Matthews told the homeowners that inspection permits should always be at the home building site. Webber then turned the discussion to development problems, saying that he has had difficulty in identifying who is responsible for the completion of development work in Prospector Park, including in-cluding the installation of street signs and lights, the maintenance of streets and the building and landscaping of greenbelt and park. Councilman Steve Dering told Webber that the developer is responsible. Webber asked where the funds would come from for the completion of the development work, to which Matthews replied that the city is holding a bond from the developer that will cover the costs. Matthews concluded con-cluded the meeting by asking the homeowners to see him later in the week to clear up the matter. Wednesday morning Matthews Mat-thews told The Newspaper that the developer of Prospector Park has been identified and that no problem exists in his finishing the contracted work. On Tuesday the city added a second bulding inspector in-spector to its rolls by hiring Mike Webb to assist Park City Building Inspector Bob Skanter. m m mm Stop in and discuss investment opportunities in and around Park City! 1030 Park Ave. 649-9891 uji Uj ji ly Mill A Steak & Seafood Restaurant Open Every Night 649-7482 Top o Main Street, Park City 32 SOUTH MAIN HEBER CITY, UTAH 84032 STATIONERY GIFTS FURNITURE GREETING CARDS BOOKS OFFICE MACHINES I n d nnn L.U.O. 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