September 2019
Community Development Quarterly Bulletin
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Dear Valued Customers,
Coconino County Community Development has adopted the 2018 International Codes and the 2017 National Electrical Code. The Code adoption went into effect on July 18th, 2019. See the full Ordinance adopting the codes, including Amendments, here.
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Community Development is giving a grace period until January 1st, 2020; after that date all building permits are required to meet the newly adopted codes.
Permits and plans will still be on the 2012 codes until then. If you would like to submit your project using the 2018 codes instead of the 2012 codes, this is acceptable. Please keep in mind that mixing of 2012 and the 2018 codes is prohibited.
In other news, starting January 1st, 2020, all applications and plans shall be submitted electronically. Here again, there will be a grace period. The grace period will go from January 1st to June 30th, 2020.
All building submittals shall be in a PDF format and emailed to plansubmittals@coconino.az.gov. During the grace period, the staff will scan your paper submittals and convert them into a PDF file for you.
On July 1st, 2020, all paper submittals can be scanned into a PDF for you here at Community Development or you can take your plans to a print shop to have them converted to a PDF file. There will be a fee for the conversion from paper to PDF file if Community Development converts the plans for you. Fees assessed for this process will be $5.00 per sheet larger than 8 1/2" x 11" and .25 cents per 8 1/2" by 11" sheet.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 928-679-8850 and ask for Jesse Newton, Lead Plans Examiner.
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Permit Data: Through Month of July
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Click image for a larger size
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Engineering
Community Development’s Engineering Division was heavily involved in the emergency response to potential flooding due to the Museum Fire. From July 21st through early August the Engineering team collaborated with other divisions of Community Development, County Public Works, Coconino GIS, the Flagstaff engineering community, and the City of Flagstaff. JE Fuller and Associates, a local engineering firm, used two-dimensional hydrological modeling of the post-fire conditions to develop Flood Hazard Mapping. A significant amount of community outreach took place, with numerous community meetings to make the information accessible to residents. Finally, Jersey barriers and sandbags were installed to mitigate flooding.
More information on the Museum Fire Flood Area is available in this Frequently Asked Questions document: https://www.coconino.az.gov/DocumentCenter/View/29365/Museum-Flood-Area-FAQ_FINAL_08132019?bidId=
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Update from Environmental Engineering Supervisor
EQ continues to maintain a 3 week backlog for 95% of initial submittals. The 5% are projects that have some unusual feature or difficult design element.
Digital submittals, resubmittals and requests for discharge authorization seem to be going fairly well although there have been some clerical lapses. They must be sent to plansubmittals@coconino.az.gov so that they are uploaded into the computer, the Bluebeam studio session is setup and they enter the queue for review. At the end of this year all Community Development submittals will be required to be digital. Paper submittals will be taken and scanned at a cost that exceeds what most if not all private copier / scanning services will charge.
Community Development has experienced a number of requests from General Contractors for the C of O on the residence only to find it cannot be issued because the onsite wastewater system sub-contractor has not submitted their paperwork months and even a year after the final inspection was completed. Effective Friday 9/13/19 EQ will not schedule a final inspection until the Request for Discharge Authorization including as-built/record drawings is submitted. That will allow EQ to sign off on the C of O as quickly as the Building Division inspectors do.
A recent project in Oak Creek Canyon has been approved by the Building Division using the EcoJohn system which incinerates all the wastewater from a residence. The system has CSA certifications and was approved based upon the requirements of the International Plumbing Code and the International Residential Code as adopted by Coconino County. No CCD EQ or CCHHS sign off was required or provided. The system has not been reviewed by ADEQ and there is apparently no intent to submit to ADEQ for review. The system is expensive, and the operational costs (electric, propane, natural gas, or diesel) are high, but it is another option for onsite wastewater.
If you have specific concerns about the program please feel free to call, write or visit.
David M. Monihan Jr., PE, RLS
(928) 679-8772
dmonihan@coconino.az.gov
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Planning & Zoning
Draft Updated Coconino County Zoning Ordinance Ready for Comments!
Planning and Zoning Staff have worked with a citizen advisory group as well as elected and appointed leaders on a comprehensive update to the County’s Zoning Ordinance. A public hearing will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 5:30pm at 219 E. Cherry Avenue in Flagstaff as the Planning and Zoning Commission considers staff and public input on this document and prepares to make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
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Please contact Melissa Shaw, AICP, Long-Range Planner at mshaw@coconino.az.gov for more information.
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Sustainable Building Program
The Innovative Materials and Systems Pilot Program
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Ordinance 2019-10, adopting the suite of 2018 ICC Building Codes, included an Amendment for an Innovative Materials and Systems Pilot Program. This Amendment allows rural owner-builders of small innovative dwellings the option of seeking an exemption from some aspects of currently adopted building codes.
The purpose of the Pilot Program is to support community members who are interested in utilizing sustainable and innovative building methods, materials and systems that are outside the scope of prescriptive building codes. Projects participating in this program will not be required to apply for a traditional building permit or undergo plan review or building inspections.
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Participating projects must still comply with all other County, State and Federal codes including maintaining applicable setbacks, installing approved wastewater systems and obtaining permits for grading and drainage if applicable. Home Owner Association approval, if applicable, is also required. Participants will be required to sign affidavits attesting that the dwelling meets applicable Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical and Fire Codes.
For more information on the Pilot Program, see the Sustainable Building Program's Pilot Program website or contact us at (928) 679-8850 or nschmidt@coconino.az.gov..
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Cordwood construction has typically required engineering for a building permit and qualifies as an alternative method under the Pilot Program. Other methods include, but are not limited to, papercrete, hempcrete, earthbag and earthen construction as well as use of reclaimed materials.
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Recruitment:
We have a lot of new faces around the office! We're happy to share with you the following additions to our team:
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John Carr - Engineering Supervisor
Our esteemed Drainage Engineer/Hydrologist, John Carr, has accepted the department's Engineering Supervisor position. Congratulations John!
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Amy Egan - Permit Technician
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My name is Amy Egan. I have lived in Flagstaff most of my life, moving here from Washington state. My hobby is fixing up and showing classic cars from the 1960’s. I have been working for Coconino County Community Development for a few months now and am very excited to be here!!
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Dustin Hatch - Code Compliance Officer
My name is Dustin Hatch, and I have lived in Flagstaff for a year—midwest transplant. My hobbies include hiking, photography, and sports of all kinds. My degree was in marketing, work experience is in insurance, and I’m looking forward to learning the nuances of the government sector and the Community Development department!
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Marty Hernandez - Administrative Specialist II
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So excited to have this opportunity with Community Development. As most people in Flag, I love the outdoors and my animals. The four seasons brought us here from Florida and after 12 years we are still loving it!
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Cassandra Thomas - Administrative Assistant (Temp)
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My name is Cassandra Thomas, (Kaci), I’m originally form Shiprock New Mexico and I’ve lived in Flagstaff for 16 years. I enjoy hiking, spending time with my family and evening walks with my dog Lola. Working as a temp-employee for 5 months with Coconino Community Development has been a learning experience for me.
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We are in the hiring process for the following positions:
- Urban Wildlife Planner
- Interim Chief Building Official
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