City Announces Building Permit Process
LOCK HAVEN – Gov. Tom Wolf recently announced that “Beginning May 1, 2020, all businesses in the construction industry in the Commonwealth, including those in new construction, renovation, and repair, as well as land subdivision and design-related field activities, are permitted to maintain in-person operations pursuant to the Governor’s and Secretary of Health’s April 20, 2020 amendments to the Business Closure Orders so long as their activities strictly adhere to this guidance. Construction projects previously granted an exemption to continue in-person operations may continue operations but must adhere to this guidance.”
In response to that word from Harrisburg, Lock Haven City Manager Greg Wilson on Tuesday issued a release as to how the City will proceed:
“Although City Hall will remain closed at this time, the City of Lock Haven is making it possible for local residential and commercial projects to apply for building and zoning permits for all projects within the City. All requests to the City’s Code Enforcement Office for a permit must include the City of Lock Haven Application for Plan Review and Building/Zoning Permit” form. The UCC building permit application is available on the city’s website lockhavenpa.gov. In the banner under “Departments” select “Code Enforcement.” You can also get directly to the web page at www.lockhavenpa.gov/dept/codes
“The application can be completed electronically or by hand and then signed. The application can be returned by email to codes@lockhavenpa.gov along with any supporting documentation or plans/drawings. Electronic submissions will receive a faster turnaround for processing. Because COVID-19 has been shown to be able to survive on paper for up to 24 hours, all paper submissions and mail received at City Hall are quarantined for 24 hours before being sorted and sent to the appropriate office. So, for faster response and processing, submissions should be made electronically.
“The Code & Zoning Office like all City Hall will remain closed at this time. The Code & Zoning office will not be open to the public and the clerk will have limited hours on site. Said Director of Permits Cyndi Walker, BCO, “I would like to encourage home owners and developers to apply online for all building/zoning permits; and understand that paper submissions received via USPS will be subject to a 24 hour quarantine before the information will be scanned and sent to me for my review. We will also encourage everyone who has a question or a complaint to reach out to me via email or to leave a message on the office phone since I can access those voicemails remotely.” Ms. Walker’s email is codes@lockhavenpa.gov and the office phone is (570) 893-5916. Said Walker “Those types of communications will receive the most expeditious results for answers, actions or return phone calls. If you do not leave a message and continue to call ‘in hopes of reaching a human’ this could delay the process significantly.”
“All applicants will be provided a copy of the Pennsylvania “Guidance for Businesses in the Construction Industry” issued April 23, 2020 by the state with their permit and must follow the guidance as directed by the state in that document in additional regular work rules in place by federal, state and local laws.”
