As of July 1, 2004, all residential builders and general contractors need to obtain a Land Disturbance Permit for all projects in unincorporated Henry County before there can be any clearing or grading of any lot. At the present time, there will be no charge for this permit.

Changes to the Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Ordinance this past February, requires a Residential Land Disturbance Permit to be obtained before a residential lot can be cleared.

Application for this permit requires a proposed site plan showing the lot, right-of ways, easements, buffers, all preserved areas of trees, direction of drainage, location of septic system, location of all erosion-control devices, set-back lines, building size and location on the lot, driveway location, and location of all other structures on the site. The proposed site plan presented for the permit will also be used with the Building Permit application, and no other proposed site plan will be required.

The Residential Land Disturbance Permit will not be issued at the time of application. The builder will receive an acknowledgement that the application for permit has been submitted. An initial approval inspection will be made to compare the proposed site plan to the actual site within two working days following the submittal of the application. The inspector will validate and issue the permit at the job site after approving the initial inspection of the site. The site may be cleared of altered before the initial inspection.

Receipt of the permit allows the clearing of the site and the mandatory installation of the erosion control devices, including orange tree-save fencing which protects the preserved tree save area. Once the work is done, the builder must schedule a follow-up final inspection to have the site approved for a Building Permit. A minimum 16-hour notice is required when requesting a follow-up inspection. Application for a Building Permit must be accompanied by the signed and approved Residential Land Disturbance Permit.

Henry County is one of the fastest growing counties in the country. What they incorporate into their ordinances will likely be adopted by many other fast-growing counties. Be prepared!!!

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