THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240148
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: IDA KAY'S PORTSMOUTH
SOURCE: Ida Kay Jordan
LENGTH: 64 lines
A person who goes to City Hall seeking licenses, permits or other stuff sometimes can talk to half a dozen people and still not get all the information he needs about a piece of property.
Sometimes, a very vital piece is missing. For example, a person might not be informed that the property in question is in one of the city's five historic districts, where different rules apply.
Often, an owner can do something in a historic district that is not permitted elsewhere - and vice versa.
Enclosing a front porch or painting a house purple is a problem in a historic district that probably would not cause a ripple at City Hall if it were planned for another part of town - even if the neighbors didn't like it.
Or a new house could be built on a smaller lot in a historic district than would be permitted in another area.
In my own neighborhood, I've heard a couple of tales recently.
A person interested in buying one of the large, wonderful landmarks in Park View called City Hall to see about a bed and breakfast permit and was told that it couldn't be done. Yet the city spent untold hours working out an ordinance that would allow B&B operations in Olde Towne. Presumably, the same ordinance would apply to Park View and, if not, it shouldn't take long to change.
In another incident, developers said the city had told them they could not restore a double house as a double house. Yet, the rules permit double houses in historic districts - there are some in Olde Towne - if they were built originally as double houses. Certain regulations, such as setback as well as lot size, don't apply in the same way. The rules have been written to accommodate restoration, not redevelopment, but somehow that message does not always get through.
I've heard of it happening over and over. If a citizen or potential citizen doesn't know what questions to ask, then he might be in real trouble. Sometimes, the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing at City Hall.
A recent combination of departments should change all that. City Manager Ron Massie created a new Department of Neighborhood Quality by merging Environmental Services with Planning. That means that zoning and codes enforcement, plus the regulations for historic districts, all will be in the same place.
Under the plan to have zoning and codes enforcement operate out of the community police offices, it would make sense to have all of the inspectors knowledgeable in all the rules and regulations. That way, instead of having three people go to check out a single property, one person might be able to do the job. In a few years, that should save the city money.
The ultimate improvement would be computerized information about every piece of property in town in a format that would pull up all the facts if you punched in a location.
That way, when a citizen called or stopped in to get a permit or inquire about a piece of property, city employees could have immediate access to the zoning, including historic district; the tax assessment and the tax status; any liens on the property; requirements for use permits and previous zoning; and permit history. One stop, whether in the city treasurer's office, the planning office or any other place in City Hall with a computer terminal, would provide all the answers. Again, a money-saver in a few years.
The new department not only seems a more efficient way to go, it also offers great potential for heading off problems early enough to avoid problems for citizens.