Evening star., 1909-04-18
NEW BUILDING. RULES
Proposed Revised Regulations
Soon to Be Submitted.
TWO YEARS. WORK is DONE
Cost of Permits Raised by New
Schedule Of Fees.
PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD
Adoption. With Amendments De-
cided Upon, Will Follow Prompt
ly-May Need More Clerks.

Revised building regulations for the
District, which will embody many
changes from existing provisions govern
ing the erection of buildings and a new
schedule of fees for building permits, will
be recommended to the District Com
missioners next week by the special
commission which has been considering
the matter for over two years.
After public hearing on the proposed
regulations if any is demanded. the Com
missoners will proceed to adopt them,
with any amendments decided upon as a
result of the hearing. They will then
be promulgated to replace the present
regulations. 1t is expected that their
adoption will follow in about two weeks.
Snowden Ashford building inspector and
chairman of the revision committee, will
devote all his time next week, beginning
tomorrow morning, to completing the
two years work of the commission and
the arrangement of the several sections
the end of the week, it is expected, the
new regulations will be ready to be pre-
sented to the Engineer Commissioner,
Maj. William V. Judson.
Building Permits to Cost More.
The new schedule of fees for building
permits is expected to generally raise
the cost of the permits, and will be ar
ranged so that the amount to be paid
size of the structure. At the present
time building permit for a stable and
one for million-dollar apartment house
or hotel cost exactly the same.
Under the new system the fee will be
fixed SO that it will cover the cost to the
District of the inspection during the erec-
tion of the building. This will place
the building inspectors office practically
on self-sustaining basis.
Authority for the establishment of this
schedule Of fees is contained in a clause
in the last District appropriation act,
of the District of Columbia are hereby
authorized and directed, from time to
time, to prescribe a schedule of fees to
be paid for permits, certificates and
transcripts of records, issued by the in
spector of buildings Of the District of
Columbia, for the erection, alteration. re-
pair or removal of buildings and their
appurtenances. and for the location of
certain establishments for which permits
are now or hereafter may be required
under the building regulations of the Dis
trict of Columbia; said fees to cover the
cost and expense of the issuance of said
permits and certificates and of the in
spection Of the work done under said per-
IIlltS. SAID ScneQule Sndii De printed ana
conspicuously displayed in the Office of
said inspector of buildings; said fees shall
be paid to the collector of taxes Of the
District of Columbia and shall be de-
posted by him in the Treasury of the
United States to the credit of the reve-
nues of the District of Columbia
Cost Based on Floor Area.
The fees for permits will vary according
to the floor area of the building proposed.
Whenever a permit is applied for. COM
puters in the office of the inspector of
buildings must figure up the square feet
Of floor area in the proposed structure to
determine the size of the fee.
This will entail additional work on the
employees of the Office. 1t is not regarded
as unlikely that more clerks will be found
necessary under the new system.
The new schedule Of fees and other fea-
lures of the new building regulations will
be the subject of hearing to be given
by the Commissioners, at which residents
interested in the provisions will be given
an opportunity to suggest changes
AS the building revision commission is
composed of representative business men.
builders and architects, and they have
consulted many of those professions in
the city. ii Is expected that there will be
few objections raised against the new
regulations.