Spring is the Season for Home Improvements

As the weather begins to warm up and daylight hours get longer, many Montgomery County residents are planning to spruce up their homes this spring.  

Whether you are preparing to refresh, remodel or renovate, the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) is here to assist you with your next project.

DPS offers resources for homeowners to assist in understanding the permitting process, scheduling an inspection, making your home environmentally friendly, safer, and accessible for all ages and stages of life.

Did you know you can even schedule an online residential design consultation? This free service is designed to help you understand the permitting process so you can plan and prepare to successfully complete your project, such as a kitchen renovation or basement remodeling project. In addition, you can invite your architect, contractor, or designer to attend the one-hour, virtual appointment alongside you.

If you are adding a deck, a fence, a shed or replacing one of these structures, it is important to know when you need a permit. The DPS website is your source for this information and more.

Generally, you do not need a permit for painting, wallpapering, replacing a faucet, installing countertops and installing hardwood floors, tile or carpet as long as no structural changes are involved. If your construction project includes both alteration and addition to the structure, you would apply for an add/alter permit.

For more information about when you do and don’t need a permit, applicable fees, and how to schedule inspections, visit the DPS website, which includes a frequently asked questions and answers section. If you still have questions, call 311 or 240-777-0311 outside of Montgomery County. The DPS customer service lobby, located on the 7^th floor at 2425 Reedie Drive in Wheaton, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday.

Fire Sprinkler Systems Save Lives

Did you know that all Montgomery County high-rise buildings are required to have an automatic fire sprinkler system by Jan. 1, 2033? Fire sprinkler systems save lives and protect property. In Montgomery County, there are approximately 80 high-rise buildings that need to be retrofitted for sprinklers.

It is the building owner’s responsibility to comply with local building and fire codes for the safety of residents, visitors, and emergency responders.

A high-rise building is defined as any building that has an occupiable level that is 75 feet or more above the lowest level of fire department vehicular access. Typically, that is seven stories or more, but some buildings could have fewer stories because they have rooftop level amenities, penthouses or mechanical floors.

Building owners are required to engage qualified design professionals in the field of fire protection to assist with the compliance process. There are four options to assist building owners with compliance.

A long-term Life Safety Agreement (LSA) is available for any given compliance option to allow phasing.

All plans are required to be reviewed and approved before work begins by the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS).

For more information, visit the DPS website.

Construction Continues on Randolph Road

Commuters take note!

Construction along Randolph Road between Nebel Street and Parklawn Drive in the White Flint area will continue through April as work on Pepco’s new substation continues.

According to Pepco officials, the final asphalt restoration on Randolph Road is now expected to be complete by May, following the completion of the micro-tunnel excavation.

Until then a traffic control plan will allow only eastbound traffic on Randolph Road. Westbound traffic is being detoured down Parklawn Drive to Rockville Pike. Sidewalks on Randolph Road are open during the construction. Businesses remain open, and signs have been posted to encourage patronage. All traffic measures will remain in place until the road work is completed.

For the latest updates on the White Flint substation project, visit Pepco’s website, which includes a community letter with the latest update.

DPS Leaders Update the Upcounty

Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services (DPS) Director Mitra Pedoeem and Deputy Director Ehsan Motazedi provided an update about what’s new at DPS and answered questions from Montgomery County residents at the Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board (UCAB) Land Use Committee meeting on Feb. 7.

“This was a great opportunity to share information about what is happening at DPS,” said Pedoeem. “We are preparing to launch a new enterprise and cloud-based permitting system, and we want our stakeholders to know we are committed to providing outstanding customer service every day.”

Customer Support and Community Outreach Division Chief Carmen Berrios, Zoning, Well and Septic and Code Compliance Division Chief Victor Salazar and Community Outreach Manager Sonya Burke also attended the virtual meeting on Zoom, and provided updates about DPS’ new location in Wheaton, recent customer service and support improvements, major certified site plans in Germantown, the growing number of farm alcohol production facilities that are open and operating in the Ag Reserve, and DPS’ online services. 

According to Upcounty Regional Services Director Greg Wims, the UCAB represents more than 300,000 people in Montgomery County.

Other topics that were discussed during the virtual meeting included general and specific questions about permits and the permitting process; election signs; commercial benchmarks for success; inspections; and community notification of construction projects.

Under Pedoeem’s leadership, DPS continues to innovate and has implemented recent changes to improve services and streamline processes. 

“We want our customers to know we are here to help them successfully achieve the goals for their projects,” Pedoeem said. “This perspective is also represented in our new tag line: Your Project Partner.”

Zoning Manager in the News

DPS Zoning and Site Plan Compliance Manager Greg Nichols was recently interviewed for a Fox 5 news segment about the growing number of food trucks in the area.

Watch the segment here ▶ https://www.fox5dc.com/video/1036287.

Women's History Month

The month of March is also known as Women’s History Month, and we are celebrating the women who make DPS so extraordinary!

DPS Director Mitra Pedoeem will celebrate her second year of leading the department of more than 200 employees in April. The DPS workforce is comprised of approximately 27 percent women.

This month, as part of Women’s History Month, we will be introducing you to some of these DPS employees on Montgomery County’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Look for the hashtags, #MoCoDPS and #WomensHistoryMonth, to follow along.  

And the Survey Says ...

The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services is committed to providing outstanding customer service.

Take this quick survey to let us know how we are doing. Your input is key!

Looking for a Job?

The Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services is hiring building inspectors, a data analyst, permitting specialists, and more. Consider a rewarding career as a code official.

Apply today!

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