Brewster approves construction design review ordinance

BREWSTER – The city approved a commercial construction design review ordinance to the Brewster Municipal Code (BMC) at its regular meeting of the city council last Thursday, Sept. 16.
The new section to the BMC requires a licensing design professional to design commercial construction work in the city prior to submittal of applications, permits, and plans to the city. The city “is encountering issues with citizens modifying commercial buildings within the city without adequate design of the modification work and plans by licensed design professionals,” the ordinance reads in part.
Council member John Housden questioned a clause in the ordinance that makes reference to the city building‘s authorization to waive certain requirements and inquired who that specific official is.
Public Works Director Lee Webster answered that Okanogan County Senior Plans Examiner Larry Surface is the contract building inspector for Brewster while Webster signs off on permits, changes, and related items. Webster cited an example to illustrate the waiver clause.
“If a commercial business wants to move some glass cases around or a new point of sale system with a new desk, those kinds of things do not require a permit,” said Webster. “Our goal here is not to hamstring people and make things more cumbersome and expensive, but to streamline the process and make sure everything is done right and there is a code analysis beforehand by a design professional so that they don’t get themselves in really, really deep with, for example, peripheral changes or occupancy issue.”
In other business Housden recommended that next month’s meeting be conducted via phone due to COVID precautions and that conditions be evaluated at that time regarding the following month’s meeting format.
Brewster Police Chief Marcos Ruiz reported that he is looking into retrofitting a camera to the city’s speed reader. Ruiz said he has discussed the matter with Mayor Art Smyth and is waiting to hear back from the equipment’s regional representative.
J-U-B engineer Michelle Johnson reported that Apollo Construction is near completion of its street surface work. Johnson said she is hopeful that before the end of the month the newest city well will be pumping into the city water system. A change order to take the State Way Well House out of the construction contract will return a credit of about $615,000 to the city. The water right for the new Canyon Well has been secured and discussions with the driller are underway. Funding is being arranged and drilling should begin later this fall.
Webster said the city is trying to get funding approved for the Old Highway 97 project before the Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) fiscal year ends Sept. 30. WSDOT also completed some paint striping for the city that it did for about the cost of the paint, what Webster called “a pretty good deal.” Webster asked for and received council ratification of substantial completion of the city’s water line project.