New Britain herald., 1927-09-14
CITY GROWTH SEEN
 IN LEAVITT'S PLEA
Building Board Head Explains
 Need Of Inspectors Aid
CONSTRUCTION KEEPS UP
Message to Common Council Points Out Department Is Virtually Self Sustaining and Gan support Deputy From Its Income.


 The task of keeping in contact
 with nearly S2.O0Q,o0O worth of new
 building is too great for one in spector, Chairman A. r. Leavitt of
 the building commission pointed out
 in statement to the common coun-
 cil filed at the office of the town clerk today.
 Chairman Leavitt, acting in behalf
 Of his commission, requested that authorization be given for the em- ploymcnt ot an assistant 10 Inspec- tor Eu'herford for q period Of three months. He explained that the de- partment will be self supporting even with the additional employe. LeavittS Message
 The message 10 the common coun- Cil follows:
 For several months activities in
 the building line have increased in
 such volume that We feel the mem , bers ot the common council should I be advised of the situation which | ! ing inspection.
 The department is now unable to keep up with new operations and as a result the inspector has been re- Qulred 10 work overtime. occasion ally calling for outside help in some
 of the routine work-yot 1t is inn possible 10 meet the demands of
 thorough inspection, We feel some thing should be done to safeguard buildings and to make the city's supervision consistent with the rigiI demands made on contractors by zonins and the new building or finances.
 In this connection ir might be timely To call the attention of your honorable body 10 some of the num- 2rOus matters Of study and invcsti- gatlon which must prccedo the issu- anCe Of permits under the newly en- acted laws. Every application filed must be accompanied by two sets of plans, two lot maps and spcciitca- tions. All of this must be studied 10 offset the possibility of conflict with the manifold requirements of 2onlng, namely the type of con- structiou, size, material lot areas, distance from street and boundary lin"a and conformity with struc- lures in the neigh borhood. In great many instances several confer cnces have been held before permits are issued, these to bring about amendments to plans and speCitica- tons 10 meet our new requirements. The inspector has been in confer onCe for several hours on some of the moro recent large buildings and this naturally detracts from the time he might ordinarily spend on visits 10 places under construction. Field inspections before any .orm of con siruction takes place have also been necessary and have been a severe drain on office hours. It has ire Quently been necessary for the in spector to spend the entire period of office hours in the study of plans and the application of the law, being in a position to make inspections only before office hours and in the carly evening. This is manifestly improper for the workmcn and con tractors are sometimes not on the job during his visit and placards have had 10 be placed on the build ing. ncccssitating another confer cnce on the following day while the defect or defects are being pointed out.
 Approves Thorough Inspection
 Tt might be well to mention at this time that our department not only recognizes the wisdom of more thorough inspection but is faced with the requirements imposed by state statute that the local code and zone law be enforced 10 the letter. The inspector is also charged with 1 me duty of preparing reports 10 the | board of adjustment and appearing before that body 10 set forth the reasons why certain permits were is | sued and others rejected Confer cnccs at the office of the corpora ton counsel have been frequent "hiI" attorneys for parties inter- i ested in certain buildings have |
 Continued on Page 16)