Bill Text: CT HB06914 | 2015 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Demolition Licensure And Demolition Permits.
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Passed) 2015-06-23 - Signed by the Governor [HB06914 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2015-HB06914-Chaptered.html
AN ACT CONCERNING DEMOLITION LICENSURE AND DEMOLITION PERMITS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 29-402 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) As used in this part, the term "license" includes the whole or part of any permit which the Department of Administrative Services issues under authority of the general statutes, and which (1) requires persons to place their names on a list maintained by the department before they can engage in the business of demolition of buildings, (2) requires a person to demonstrate competence by examination or other means, and (3) may be revoked or suspended by the department for cause.
(b) No person shall engage in the business of demolition of buildings without a license obtained from the Department of Administrative Services. An applicant for an initial license shall file an application with the Department of Administrative Services, furnish evidence of expertise and financial responsibility and pay a fee of four hundred forty dollars for a class B license and nine hundred forty dollars for a class A license. Each license shall be valid for twelve months from date of issuance and shall be renewable on application of the licensee upon payment of an annual fee of two hundred fifty dollars for a class B license and seven hundred fifty dollars for a class A license. The department may refuse to issue any such license for cause, and may revoke or refuse to renew any such license for failure to carry out and conform to the provisions of this part or to any regulations adopted hereunder, or for any violation of title 22a. No person shall be refused a license or a renewal thereof, and no license shall be revoked, without an opportunity for a hearing conducted by the Department of Administrative Services in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54.
(c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to (1) a person who is engaged in the [disassembling] disassembly, transportation and reconstruction of historic buildings for historical purposes, [or] in the demolition of farm buildings, [or] in the renovation, alteration or reconstruction of a single-family residence or in the disassembly of nonstructural building materials of a building for the purpose of reusing or recycling such building materials, (2) the removal of underground petroleum storage tanks, (3) the burning of a building or structure as part of an organized fire department training exercise, or (4) the demolition of a single-family residence or outbuilding by an owner of such structure if it does not exceed a height of thirty feet, provided (A) the owner shall be present on site while such demolition work is in progress and shall be held personally liable for any injury to individuals or damage to public or private property caused by such demolition, and (B) such demolition shall be permitted only with respect to buildings which have clearance from other structures, roads or highways equal to or greater than the height of the structure subject to demolition. The local building official may require additional clearance when deemed necessary for safety.
Sec. 2. Section 29-406 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
(a) No person shall demolish any building, structure or part thereof without obtaining a permit for the particular demolition undertaking from the building official of the town, city or borough wherein such building or part thereof is located. No person shall be eligible to receive a permit under this section unless such person furnishes [written notice] to the building official: (1) Written notice of financial responsibility in the form of a certificate of insurance specifying demolition purposes and providing liability coverage for bodily injury of at least one hundred thousand dollars per person with an aggregate of at least three hundred thousand dollars, and for property damage of at least fifty thousand dollars per accident with an aggregate of at least one hundred thousand dollars; [each such certificate shall provide that the town or city and its agents shall be saved harmless from any claim or claims arising out of the negligence of the applicant or his agents or employees in the course of the demolition operations; ] (2) written notice in the form of a certificate of notice executed by all public utilities having service connections within the premises proposed to be demolished, stating that such utilities have severed such connections and service; [and] (3) written notice that [he] such person is the holder of a current valid license issued under the provisions of section 29-402, as amended by this act, [except in the case of (A) a person who is engaged in the disassembling, transportation and reconstruction of historic buildings for historical purposes or who is engaged in the demolition of farm buildings or in the renovation, alteration or reconstruction of a single-family residence, or (B) an owner who is engaged in the demolition of a single-family residence or outbuilding,] or is exempted from such license requirement as provided in subsection (c) of [section 29-402] said section; and (4) a written declaration by such person that the town or city and its agents shall be saved harmless from any claim or claims arising out of the negligence of the applicant or the applicant's agents or employees in the course of the demolition operations. No permit shall be issued under this section unless signed by the owner and the demolition contractor. Each such permit shall contain a printed intention on the part of the signers to comply with the provisions of this part.
(b) In addition to the powers granted pursuant to this part, any town, city or borough may impose, by ordinance, a waiting period of not more than one hundred eighty days before granting any permit for the demolition of any building or structure or any part thereof, except when the demolition permit is required for the removal of a structure acquired by the Department of Transportation for a transportation project.