Description

According to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, this property should be considered abandoned, and the permit to build should be revoked. USBC, Part I, Section 110.6: Abandonment of work, clearly states that:

“A building official shall be permitted to revoke a permit if work on the site authorized by the permit is not commenced within six months after issuance of the permit, or if the authorized work on the site is suspended or abandoned for a period of six months after the permit is issued”…” It shall be the responsibility of the permit applicant to prove to the building official that authorized work includes substantive progress, characterized by approved inspections as specified in Section 113.3 of at least one inspection within a period of six months or other evidence that would indicate substantial work has been performed.”

The building permit for this property was issued in 2008, and the most recent inspection was also completed in 2008, according to Richmond City’s own records. No reasonable person could consider what is present on this property to be “substantive progress” or “substantial work”. Even if the property owner was hand-forming bricks, hewing the lumber, and mining iron to forge nails himself, he should be farther along than this! If he has only managed to partially finish a foundation in five years, it should be clear at this point that the project will never be finished. This "project" has been allowed to skate by, or fly under the radar for far too long already. The time for action is now.

In summary, nothing has been accomplished on this work project in over 5 years, aside from additions of trash, and additional inoperable vehicles to the lot. Please check your own records, mark this blighted property as abandoned, and revoke the building permit.

Thank You.