Frustrated with rule-breaking builders not complying with plans as approved, some Medford planning and site plan commissioners complained to the City Council that deviations from plans go unpunished. But the planning director says with the hiring of a new city planner, enforcement has come to town.
Jon Elliott, chairman of the Site Plan and Architectural Commission, told the council Thursday that some builders find out that they can stray from the codes and conditions of approval for their projects.
"We essentially don't have a compliance factor," said Elliott, adding that the planning and building departments need to work more closely together.
The Medford City Council met Thursday with the Planning Commission and Site Plan and Architectural Commission to review city planning priorities and concerns. The council and the two boards decided to meet regularly so all three are on the same page in the development process.
Chris Reising, Building Department director, said in a telephone interview that when building inspectors give final approval, the landscaping typically isn't completed, and often ends up not getting put in as it was approved. He said sometimes a driveway or a parking lot is in a slightly different location than approved.
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"There's literally no enforcement," said Bartlett, in a telephone interview. "It's the same people (in violation) all the time," said Bartlett, who was known for driving around to check up on projects after approval.
He said there's a development along North Phoenix Road that's part of the Southeast Plan that was approved with a 4-foot berm with landscaping, but the developer put in a wall instead, and he's frustrated the city didn't require the wall to be removed.
According to the city code, the planning director is responsible for approval, administration and enforcement of final plats and development permits.
Rob Scott, Planning Department director, said the city is getting back into enforcing development codes.
"The planning department, at one time, had a half-time person that worked on code enforcement issues and what have you," he said. Michael Currie, hired in 2006, has taken on the enforcement role as part of his job.
In 2006, Currie inspected sites of 318 applications, said Scott. Of those, 184 were deemed in compliance, 74 had either expired or been withdrawn and 60 were found to be out of compliance and the city is working with the developers. Scott said the variations are usually conditions imposed by SPAC, such as landscaping, bike racks, screening of garbage containers or air-conditioner units, or pedestrian walkways.
Scott said the Southeast Plan development that Bartlett referred to was unusual because the planning commissioners were looking at a different set of plans than the working plans.
"We made a mistake on that one," he said. "We did try to rectify that one."
Scott said the planning staff is there to support the commissions, and he thinks the two commission boards meeting regularly with the council, as proposed, is an appropriate step toward improved communication.
Reach reporter Meg Landers at 776-4481 or e-mail mlanders@mailtribune.com.
