Yorktown Considers Changing Building Permit Renewal Fees

If you're in the middle of building or construction and your building permit has expired, soon you might not pay high renewable fees. 

The town is considering changes to its building permit renewable fees. Currently, to avoid high fees people can renew their permits while they're still valid. When a permit expires, after one year the applicant must pay 25 percent of the original amount; 50 percent after two years, and the total amount is due again after three years.

Yorktown supervisor Michael Grace suggested a flat "reasonable" administrative fee for permit renewals, unless there are code revisions that require a revised plan. 

"The bottom line with this stuff is if you make it so expensive to do it within the law, [people will] build it outside the law," Grace said.

According to a town code, which took effect in November 2010, building permits become invalid if work did not begin within six months and permits can be extended for 12 months upon payment of the applicable fee. The procedures and fees are posted on the town's website.

During a town board discussion last week, Grace asked building inspector John Winter what the price for the average permit renewal was and Winter said it was between $500 and $4,000.

Winter said that residents, with expired permits and whose work has not been completed, should wait until the town board makes the necessary changes before they apply for a building permit renewal.

Yorktown town board members are drafting a law with the proposed changed and will discuss it during their work session on Tuesday, Feb. 28. 

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