(From the City of Joplin)
With the combined efforts of the public and private sectors working continuously these past two months, the tornado disaster area has seen significant progress on the removal of debris of damaged homes. The City of Joplin is pleased to release an additional area to begin rebuilding.
Beginning today, City officials now are granting building permits for nearly all tornado-damaged residential properties from Main Street west to the city limits. In addition, building permits are now available for residential properties along 20th and 26th Streets, as well as Schifferdecker Road. Two weeks ago, properties west of Picher Avenue were released for building permits.
“It has been exactly two months since this disaster struck Joplin,” said Mark Rohr, City Manager. “By looking at our City, it is hard to believe the tremendous progress we have made since then.. Our citizens and volunteers have been committed to cleaning up Joplin, working very hard every day to achieve this. When you combine their efforts with the Expedited Debris Removal program, the results are significant.”
According to Jack Schaller, Assistant Director of Public Works, who is leading the debris removal process for the City, more than 70% of the debris has been removed from residences within the disaster area. .
A hold on building permits for new residential construction was passed by the Joplin City Council on June 20, in recognition of the health and safety concerns for our citizens, and the necessary efficiencies required during the bulk of the debris management program. At that time, Council and City officials had noted that as areas are cleaned up, they could be released for new construction.
“We are sensitive to our citizens’ needs,” said Rohr. “Returning to a sense of normalcy in their lives is important, and one of the first steps would be to have permanent housing. This announcement today exemplifies the teamwork of our citizens and our state and federal partners, as well as the thousands of volunteers who have tirelessly worked on removing debris so our citizens can begin their rebuilding. Our appreciation goes out to all involved.”
Rohr also notes that there are areas remaining to be cleared, and today is the start of the last pass of the debris clean-up efforts. Citizens still having existing debris should move it to the curb to allow the removal process to be completed in a timely manner.
The availability of building permits on the city’s west side now allows residents to proceed with one of two options – building a new structure on an existing foundation or basement, or starting from scratch and building a completely new structure from the ground up. When using an existing slab or basement, it is highly recommended to have a structural engineer or qualified building professional do an inspection to ensure that the slab or foundation is safe to hold a new structure.
Building permits can be obtained at the Joplin Building Division, 4th floor of City Hall, 602 S. Main Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Permits must be issued in person – either to a resident or contractor. Permit fees, which cover necessary municipal inspections, vary depending on size of the structure. For more information, contact the building division at 417-624-0820, ext. 520.
All permits will be reviewed for compliance with zoning, future traffic plans and floodplain areas. When obtaining a permit, please be prepared to provide the following necessary documentation: a) completed permit application; b) survey plot or site plan; c) construction plan showing wall sections and elevations.
The City already has issued nearly 1,700 permits to repair damaged residential properties in the impacted areas. Repair and rebuilding permits in commercial areas also are being issued.
City officials continue to evaluate the debris-removal efforts in the remaining tornado-damaged areas so that citizens can begin getting residential building permits as soon as the progress allows.
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