Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto wants to transform the city Bureau of Building Inspection into a new Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections.
The intention of this effort is to streamline the department and make issuing permits and code enforcement more effective. Under the plan, the city’s Urban Redevelopment Authority, planning, zoning, building inspection bureau, and the housing authority would work together more cohesively, according to a spokesman for the mayor. The proposal would also impose a new rental registration program and fee targeted at keeping better track of problem landlords.
In a related development, Pittsburgh is attempting to overhaul a dated approach to land use and management. The city, working with a land bank approved by the city council earlier this year, wants to create a new and more efficient entity to hold and return vacant, derelict, and tax-delinquent property to productive to use.
“It’s ultimately about rebuilding neighborhoods,” the mayor’s chief of staff told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Related Stories
| Apr 26, 2012
New York City Council moves to license elevator mechanics
New York’s City Council introduced a measure last week that would require the city’s 7,000 elevator mechanics to meet national standards and be licensed by the city.
| Apr 23, 2012
AAMA releases updated specification for anodized aluminum
AAMA 611-12 describes test procedures and requirements for high performance (Class I) and commercial (Class II) architectural quality aluminum oxide coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels for architectural products.
| Apr 19, 2012
Michigan legislature tackling controversial rules on electricians
A fight is brewing in the Michigan legislature over how many fully qualified electricians must be present during electrical work when apprentices also are on hand.
| Apr 19, 2012
Washington city may base building code on rising sea level due to global warming
Aberdeen may become the first city in Washington to base a building code on rising oceans and global warming.
| Apr 19, 2012
CSI webinar on energy codes and building envelopes
This seminar will review recent changes in energy codes, examples of building enclosure wall assemblies for code compliance, potential moisture management and durability challenges, and design tools to assess and minimize potential problems.
| Apr 19, 2012
Innovative plan for storm water in Philadelphia gets EPA’s OK
Philadelphia's $2 billion plan to manage its storm water with green methods including porous pavement, green roofs, and more trees, was officially approved last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
| Apr 19, 2012
LEED 2012 to include new credit category for transit-oriented development
The updated LEED 2012 system will introduce a new credit category, “Location and Transportation,” to encourage development oriented around public transit and more walkable communities.
| Apr 17, 2012
FMI report examines federal construction trends
Given the rapid transformations occurring in the federal construction sector, FMI examines the key forces accelerating these changes, as well as their effect on the industry.
