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A woman who is trying to establish a convenience store at a former pastry shop on the 1100 block of 12th Street complained this week to City Council about difficulties obtaining needed permits.
"I'm having a really hard time getting my store open," Tnasia Smith told council. "It's like cat and mouse with codes and inspections."
The city is trying to help Smith, said Department of Codes & Inspections Director Rebecca Brown after the meeting and after talking to Smith.
Smith received approvals from the Department of Agriculture and the Altoona Fire Department and had hooked up equipment in the shop, but things came to a halt when a plumbing contractor cited matters relating to the building permit, Smith said.
She's paying rent, but getting no income, she said.
"Try to give me some guidance," she asked council. "I'm like maxed out."
The shop space required minor renovations and "installation of various equipment," which led the Department of Codes & Inspections to request that a design professional prepare drawings for review and approval, as required for a commercial building by the state's Uniform Construction Code, Brown stated in an email.
"Staff has been guiding Ms. Smith through the process," Brown wrote.
Smith was also going to meet with the mayor, Brown stated.
"We expect permits to be issued relatively soon," Brown wrote.
The downtown needs businesses like hers, and also needs diversity, Smith said.
Smith's issues illustrate the potential value of a development procedure guide the city recently posted on its website, said Councilman Ron Beatty.
That "Development Process Overview" is a flow chart listing and detailing the steps that developers need to take:
– Pre-concept meeting in which the applicant meets with city staff to review the proposed project and determine what will need to take place.
– Zoning review, in which staff determines whether the project would need special zoning approval.
– Appeal to the Zoning Hearing Board if necessary.
– Land development submittal, which covers waiver requests, stormwater, sewage and traffic issues along with a submittal to the Blair County Planning Commission.
– Review by city departments and the city consulting engineer.
– Potential review and land development approval at an Altoona Planning Commission meeting.
– Submittal of construction documents and issuance of permits.
To reach the flow chart, go to altoonapa.gov, then to City Services, Departments, Codes & Inspections, and Development Review Process.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.