Construction Project Must Come to Code-Compliant Conclusion

The City of St. Charles is vigorously pursuing the completion of a residential construction project at 605 Prairie St. that has been taking place for over 30 years. The project has been the subject of numerous complaints from residents who want the property cleaned up and the blight on the neighborhood to be remedied.

The city has been actively seeking completion for many years and finally reached an agreement with the property owner in September 2011. That agreement required the project to be complete by September 2012. Now, the property owner has refused to abide by that agreement.

Some misguided or misinformed individuals believe that the city is persecuting the property owner, that the project is “grandfathered” because of when it began, or that the construction is exempt from the laws of the city. None of these are true. The property owner must complete the project and the construction must comply with the city’s codes and ordinances.

The city’s goal is the safe, timely completion of the project in compliance with city and state regulations. The city maintains codes and policies to protect the health, safety and welfare of its residents and property owners. The property owner is being required to comply with these regulations, the same as any other property owner within the city.

The main issue in dispute is the use of a system to collect and store rainwater for use inside the home, including drinking and bathing. State and local plumbing regulations require residents and businesses to be connected to a potable water supply system that ascribes to specific operational, maintenance, and installation mandates. This includes installation of measures to guard against cross-connection and potential contamination of the city water supply. The plumbing arrangement that the property owner desires to use does not meet these standard requirements. In fact, a test of water from the property owner’s system showed the presence of E. coli bacteria.

The City of St. Charles intends to continue its pursuit of the completion of this construction project. It is the right thing for the property owner, the neighborhood, and the community.

For additional information regarding this matter, please refer to this document.