Tougher Requirements Recommended for Pasadena Home Construction Projects

Are you planning to tear down a shed or build a new garage at your home? If so, and if  the floor area is at least 120 square feet, a permit from the Pasadena Department of Public Works may be in your future.

Members of the Municipal Service Committee recommended tougher requirements for smaller projects but also expressed concerns that homeowners may become frustrated by too much regulation.

“As this stuff gets more and more complicated, people are just going to scratch their heads and say I’m not going to go through all this,” Councilman Terry Tornek said at the committee meeting Tuesday.

“All these fees really add up, and it becomes a problem for our residents on the smaller jobs,” Chairwoman Margaret McAustin said. “It’s going to hit our residents hard – not only the money, but what they’re really going to hate is the regulation.”

Torneck said it is “crazy” that residents must get a permit for a project that is only 120-square feet. That requirement is set by the California Green Buildings Code which was updated within the last month.

“The more complicated we make all this the more bootleg projects we’ll have in terms of small projects,” Torneck said. “People are going to have incentive to not have a permit.”

As much as 20 to 30 percent of the waste that goes into landfills comes from construction and demolition projects. In 2002, the Pasadena City Council passed an ordinance requiring half of the waste from covered residential projects be diverted away from landfills. Diversion may mean recycling, donating or setting aside waste for later reuse.

On Tuesday, the committee recommended increasing the diversion requirement to 75 percent. According to Public Works, the majority of large demolition and construction processors in Greater Los Angeles already meet or exceed the new requirement.

Even now, anyone wanting to begin a construction or demolition project must submit an application with specific information about how the diversion requirement will be met. Under the proposal, applicants must also pay a nonrefundable administrative fee and a deposit of three percent of the project’s valuation or a minimum of $1,000.

The deposit is refunded if the applicant submits monthly reports on time and meets the diversion requirement. However, committee members were concerned the fee is too large for individuals starting a small and relatively inexpensive project.

The committee voted unanimously to send the proposal to the City Council, although there may be changes. The amendment will go to the City Council in December with a final vote coming early next year.