Published: May 05, 2008 09:55 pm         

Our Readers Speak - Tuesday, May 6, 2008

‘Protecting the people’ just a poor excuse



Under the guise of “protecting the people” of Greenbrier County, the County Commission has enacted a noxious building code — a perpetual “money pit” which will cost the county and its citizens millions in the coming years. The implied motto of similar government codes is “make the world safe for idiots.” Apparently naive to the real costs of such an instrument, our commission is “all right” with a government bureaucrat entering your home on your property and directing you exactly where an electrical outlet is to be located. Incidentally, state law requires building contractors to be licensed and certified. Hello — does anyone notice any redundancy here?

Ask any builder in a county with such a code and you will be regaled with horror stories where safety considerations in construction deteriorate into silliness. The commission’s assertion that this will only add $200 to the cost of a new home is laughable.

Here are a few examples of what builders and homeowners can expect and will pay for:

1. Seven or eight inspections. At each stage of completion, foundation, plumbing, electrical, etc., construction must cease and the building be inspected by a code enforcer who may or may not know what he is doing and may or may not show up on time. Never mind that you have idle laborers standing around or (worst case) a truckload of concrete on the way which can’t be used. These delays have the potential to add thousands to total costs.

2. The national building code requires hurricane straps be added to roof trusses. These, of course, are an absolute “must” in Appalachia.

3. A beautiful hardwood kitchen “island” must have electrical outlets, whether or not the homeowner likes their appearance.

4. Each hole cut in studding for electrical wiring must now be caulked!

5. All plumbing must be capped and pressure tested at pressures far greater than it will ever be subjected to. This requires an entire day.

6. An occupancy permit will be required before the new owner can move in. This means the home must be completely finished down to the shoe mold.

One man, even to the tune of 50K, cannot possibly do all of these inspections; he will need a secretary and at least two or three code enforcers; all of which you will pay for. And, guess what? None of these officials can be held responsible for any problems which may develop. Inevitably, there will develop an adversarial relationship between builders ad enforcers. Pettiness and favoritism will result. Neighbors will turn in neighbors for supposed violations.

My question is: How many citizens of Greenbrier County have been killed or maimed by faulty home construction? Shouldn’t doctors and auto mechanics come under the same scrutiny? Was Monticello, Mount Vernon, or, for that matter, The Old Stone Church or any home in the “historic” district built to code? Citizens, wise up or pay up. Can soil disturbance permits and countywide zoning be far behind? This heart-rending concern for your safety is only another thinly disguised revenue source for the tax and spend crowd. The most unsafe items will be your private property rights and your wallet.



David Hutsenpiller

Smoot