LTC 263-2013 Implementation of New Phased Permitting i
MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 263 -2013 LETTER TO CC� � �+
C 1 i g C L..1 F..
TO: Mayor Matti Herrera Bower and Members of the City Commission
FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager % �o ,��..
DATE: July 31, 2013
SUBJECT: Implementation of New Phased Permitting Program by Building Department
The purpose of this Letter to Commission is to inform the City Commission of the
Implementation by the Building Department of a new Phased Permitting Program.
Phased permits, sometimes called an "early start" permit, allow certain types of construction
to begin once a Phased Permit is approved by the Building Official and a complete set of
plans has been submitted for review to obtain a full building permit. Once approved, phased
permit holders have six months to obtain building permit approval, during which time they
can begin construction on their projects. Phased permit holders will be required to sign a
"hold harmless" agreement, pay an administrative fee, and submit other documents required
by the Building Official or other Departments /Agencies. No work will commence unless all
required City Board approvals have been obtained, and no life safety or Florida Building
Code requirements will be compromised in any way. It is important to, note that only
commercial new construction, commercial interior alterations, and residential new
construction will be eligible for the program. The document attached details the Phased
Permit Approval process, and has been prepared for distribution to customers and
.publication on our website and elsewhere.
The phased permit process offers developers and builders the advantages of immediately
beginning construction, as long as they are willing to assume all of the risks associated with
that early start. Customers have long asked for such a program, because delays in obtaining
permits (and the resulting ability to begin construction) have serious financial implications for
their projects. The City's new Building Director /Official; Mariano Fernandez, successfully
implemented a similar program in the City of Miami that has drawn considerable praise from
the development community, and enabled construction in that City to commence quickly and
efficiently over the last several years.
We are committed to finding innovative ways to better meet the needs of the business
community and our citizens, while also fulfilling all of our regulatory responsibilities. We will
continue to bring process improvement initiatives like this one to your attention as they are
implemented.
JLM /JJ /MVF /SS
PHASED PERMIT APPROVAL
1) Bring two sets of plans, calculations, survey, and a permit application to the permit
counter to obtain a process number for your regular building permit.
2) Once the upfront fee has been paid, and the process number has been obtained, bring an
additional application and two additional sets of plans of the architectural and structural
portion of the building that you would like to permit under the Phased Permit process to the
Building Official for approval.
3) In addition to the documents required above, you will also be required to submit a letter
from'Miami Dade WASA of intention to issue the water and sewer allocation letter.
4) Take application to the Permit Counter to obtain a plan number and return to the see the
Building Official.
5) Do not take Phased Permit plans to the Plans Processing Desk after obtaining your plan
number. Before returning to the Building Official for plans approval, you must first obtain.
_ approval from the Planning Department and the Flood Plain Compliance Section of the
Building Department. Next, see the Building Official with your plans and Phased Permit
Request Form and a letter from the private provider that will perform your inspections
until the actual Building permit is issued. Phase Permit plans will not be reviewed by other
trades.
6) After the approval of the Building Official, you will need to return to the permit counter to
obtain and pay for the permit. Please be advised that the cost of the Phased Permit is non-
refundable and will not be credited to the final building permit.
7) You may need additional trade Phased permits (electrical, mechanical, plumbing, etc.....).
Please be sure to notify the permit counter when requesting these permits to "link" them
and not "pull" them from the phase permit. This will ensure that the trade permits can be
transferred to the building permit once obtained.
8) A National Pollutant and Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit may be required.
Storm water, erosion and sediment control during construction, demolition, or related
activities that impact one -half (1/2). acre or more, shall be in accordance with the city's
Municipal Separate.Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.
9) Separate permits from City of Miami Beach Public Works Department may be required for
work on the public rights of way that involve paving, sidewalks, excavation, drainage,
maintenance of traffic /street closure, tree removal /relocation /planting or dewatering, etc, as
needed. For applicable permits, please contact Public Works Department at (305) 673 -7080:
Note: The Phased Permit cost is $2000 for Commercial New Construction, $1500
for Commercial Interior Alteration only, $1000 for Residential New Construction
and is valid for six (6) months only. You must obtain your master permit within six
months from the date of issuance.