If the state OK’s an agreement recently approved by both the Village of Lake Orion and Orion Township, township building inspectors will again be serving the village.
The contract is being forwarded to Henry Green of the Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes. For several years, his department has worked in the village doing building inspections.
Councilman Harry Stephen at the council meeting on Nov. 10 wanted to know if the contract met the criteria of the state.
“We won’t know until we send it to them,” village attorney Gary Dovre said.
It’s been almost a year since LO Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel told council members village administration wasn’t happy that state inspectors overlooked the village’s zoning laws.
Once a building permit is issued, state inspections only verify a builder has complied with the state construction zone. The village has been dealing with some illegal construction because there isn’t any local control.
The current process for a building permit won’t change much except for one of the last steps.
A resident will still come to the village for a permit. Building plans will be reviewed for compliance of the village’s zoning ordinances.
In the past, the applicant was responsible for giving the state the village approved plans.
“I will deliver them to the township,” Van Tassel said. “So the plans won’t change from here to there.”
When asked if state inspectors would complete ongoing projects before they left the area, Van Tassel said “it’s the state’s call.”
The village used the services of township inspectors before the state took over. Inspectors in the township are certified by the state.