HomeMy WebLinkAbout20190432 Blackler Residence 1-17-20 Correspondence City of Saratoga Springs
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, i. BUILDING DEPARTMENT PATRICK COGAN
CITY HALL Zoning&Building Inspector
�`- w r. Extension 44511
, ' 474 Broadway DUANE MILLER
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. Saratoga Springs,NY 12866 Assistant Building Inspector
,c, c KU`9" Extension 1514
Telephone (518)587-3550 Ext. 2511 JOHN BARNEY
• BUILDING &
www.saratoga-springs.org Assistant Building&
PLUMBING Construction Inspector
• CODES Extension 1.511
RICHARD TIERSCH
Assistant Building&
Construction Inspector
Extension 45G5
January 17, 2020
William Cottrell
36 Cottrell Lane
Hoosick Falls,NY 12090
RE: 62 Van Dam—Request to accept engineer's inspection
Mr. Cottrell,
I am in receipt of your letter dated 1/13/20 regarding the project at 62 Van Dam St. and the request to accept
your inspections and photos in lieu of the required Building Department inspections. Unfortunately, I am
unable to accommodate this request. After reviewing the Building Department file,the project history,and
the photos provided I have very serious concerns about the manner in which this project has been
conducted.
Mr. Blackler received a Stop Work Order on 5/8/17 and was ordered to halt construction without the proper
approvals and permits. Mr. Blackler has been advised many times that he was not to proceed with the
renovations to the house until such approvals and permits were obtained. The fact that he chose to continue
the work without authorization is,as you say, regrettable.
As Mr. Barney has indicated during the permit review,conditioned on the permit itself, and stated on
inspection reports, all drywall must be removed in the existing portion of the structure in order to allow for
the required Building Department inspections. The Building Department must inspect all the framing, fire
blocking, fire rated assemblies, plumbing work, HVAC work, and insulation. All rough wiring must be
inspected by an approved third party electrical inspection agency.
It is also quite evident that extensive plumbing work has been done without a Plumbing Permit. The
Plumbing Permit must be obtained by a licensed Master Plumber. Once the permit is obtained,all rough
plumbing will need to be tested and those tests observed by the Building Department. Plastic piping
systems must be tested with water, not air. We will not accept any plumber's affidavit on this project.
Once the Plumbing Permit is in place and all framing has been exposed, Mr. Blackler will need to call our
office to schedule a framing inspection. Work will not be allowed to proceed beyond the scope that is
specifically authorized on the inspection reports. Multiple inspections will be required to verify that the fire
rated assemblies are constructed in compliance with the UL listing.
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Please understand that while I respect your professional opinion and assessment of the work that you
observed, I cannot in good conscience issue a CO for this property with the amount of work that has gone
uninspected. I would not be fulfilling my obligation and duty to future owners and occupants.
On Wednesday, January 8th I attended a Design Review Commission caravan at the project site. During that
meeting on site, I noticed that the rated sheathing was being installed incorrectly. The current installation
method would not be compliant with the UL listing, the manufacturer's install instructions, the ICC-ES
report,the project drawings, or good construction practice. Based on what I observed, all exterior work
must cease until such time as Mr. Blackler has obtained approval from the Design Review Commission and
the Building Department. Once DRC approval has been granted, any required changes must be submitted
on revised stamped construction drawings for Building Department review and approval. Exterior work will
only be allowed to proceed in accordance with the revised approved drawings. Any exterior work that has
not been approved or is not done according to the approved drawings will need to be removed.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this project, and thank you for any assistance you
can provide to make sure this project proceeds in a safe and compliant manner.
Sincerely,
Patrick Cogan
Zoning and Building Inspector
Cc S. Blackler
J. Barney
B. Birge
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