Permitting Without Municipality Contact

[Dave Owens]

After reviewing the recently released rules and guidelines for the competition, I wanted to request clarification regarding permitting. One rule states that we cannot contact any municipality or governing authority directly related to the actual development, yet another requires that we obtain all necessary permits for feasibility.

My question is: how should we treat permitting in the context of the competition? For example, if our design solution proposes something that would typically require a permit from the governing authority, are we expected to:

• Base feasibility on whether other comparable municipalities would reasonably grant such a permit,

• Make an assumption and justify it in our documentation, or

• Use another method provided by the competition rules?

In short, how should we demonstrate compliance with permitting requirements in a way that is feasible and within the competition guidelines?

I appreciate your guidance, and I’m eager to ensure that our team approaches this aspect of the project in the way NAHB intends.

-Dave

[keltingcs]

This question seems to be intended for the Custom/Small Home competition. However, it is also important for the Production Home competition to understand that, rather than reaching out directly to the municipalities, you should use the online resources they provide as well as the documents included in the Important Materials to ensure your proposal meets the necessary requirements.  

The Rules and Guidelines State: Important: Rules for External Communication and Site Access: If schools are planning to visit the site, they must coordinate visits through Myles Cardenas at MCar...@taylormorrison.com. There are still homeowners living on the tracts provided, and most of them have gated access. Trespassing on these properties is prohibited. 

Student teams may not contact Gwinnett County or the City of Lilburn about this project at this time, as it is in a very sensitive stage of the permitting process. Additionally, no one from

the schools may contact any trade or professional partners, municipalities, or other governing agencies affiliated with the project.