Alice Pickering
Linwood Area Reporter

Linwood Township officials are standing firm in their insistence that inspections be completed for the Linwood Pizza expansion. This is documentation that work is complete and the business is safe for employees and patrons.

During the July 24 Linwood Town Board meeting, owner Brad Hansen said he was angry about the publicity surrounding the incomplete building inspections.

He did not attend the July 10 meeting and was upset that his side of the story had not been heard. He claimed a 30 percent drop-off in his business since news of the meeting was printed.

Serving as contractor for the project, Hansen told the board he hired licensed plumbing and electrical contractors and that the work meets state standards. He converted from single phase to triple phase electricity.

The state health department gave permission for the restaurant to stay open during the remodeling and he did so. Representatives were impressed with the work done to improve the restaurant.

He claimed the certificate of occupancy he received when he opened his store the first time applies to the expansion. He compared his situation to someone adding a deck or a porch.

Regarding fire inspection, Hansen said the inspector can walk in anytime to do a fire inspection. At the previous meeting, Fire Chief Joe Dolphy said he wanted to give Hansen the opportunity to know about the first visit.

Supervisor Howard Holm was concerned about the reports coming to the board. The board understood that the permit was issued with a list of required inspections before the certificate of occupancy can be issued. He thought the certificate of occupancy was for a carry-out business, not a sit-down restaurant.

Holm also said the town board understood that with any new construction a certificate of occupancy is required. “We don’t know if the construction is acceptable or high quality,” he said. The inspections are incomplete and therefore no certificate of occupancy was issued.

If there is an accident or other problem with the construction, besides possible injury, the township would be liable for allowing a business to operate that had not been inspected.

Asked for his opinion, Attorney Gerald Randall suspected that with any remodel, especially one involving extensive plumbing and electrical work, it makes sense for the addition to be inspected. The board cannot take his word for the quality of the completed work, he said.

“Why don’t you just get the inspections done?” he asked Hansen.

Thompson reports

Contact with Dave Thompson, building inspector for the township, revealed that Hansen’s building permit was issued Aug. 11, 2006.

It required inspections that included footings, foundation, framing, insulation, rough plumbing, final plumbing (including a pressure test), electrical and a final walk-through inspection.

Thompson said that even if the plumbers and electricians are licensed, by state law an inspection is required, whether by, or in the presence of, the building inspector. In the case of Linwood Pizza this has not been done.

Thompson also said these are all matter of public safety and are state laws. He said everyone else is required to follow the rules.

It is the responsibility of the contractor to call the state electrical inspector for the final inspection, who then notifies the building inspector. Only after this has been satisfactorily completed is the certificate of occupancy issued.

The state electrical inspector called to ask Thompson if he had issued the certificate of occupancy without the electrical inspection, or had done the inspection himself. This is what alerted him to the missed inspection.

As of July 25, the items that need to be completed are a fire inspection, final plumbing inspection, electrical inspection, and a final walk-through inspection. These must be completed before Hansen’s permit expires August 11.

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