Light was shed recently on the criteria the City is seeking in its permitting process for flood panels and barriers. While there are loose ends still to be tied, those who attended a meeting with the City’s building and fire chiefs on January 21 came away with a clearer picture of what will be required to ensure submissions are not only successful but decided quickly and efficiently.
City Councilwoman Beth Petrunoff has worked tirelessly to get things moving in the right direction after hearing complaints about permitting delays and lack of information, at a GSAC meeting in November. Since then she has been pushing building and fire officials for a workable solution to help condo associations and homeowners install flood protection in time for the next hurricane season. She is focused on a complete process so “everyone is clear on what has to be submitted for a permit so hold ups can be avoided.”
Summarizing Wednesday’s meeting, Petrunoff said the starting point for everyone looking to purchase flood protection products which require a permit (not all do) will be employing a design professional, such as an architect, and getting them involved from the outset. They will research product options, ensure compliance with regulations, draft solutions and select a structural engineer to perform the all-important hydrostatic pressure testing. She created a first draft (see map) detailing the process.
Petrunoff says next steps will be determining what an acceptable life safety plan looks like, more details on the engineering aspect and guidance from the Fire Department on what constitutes minimal acceptable egress. She also wants to see some rules around what flood protection products will not require a permit.
