Village 2025 Building and Zoning Department Update

By Rod Holloway Mariemont Zoning Officer

In 2024 we had an uptick in issues related to unqualified contractors doing work in this Village. Here are a few tips and reminders as you start planning your projects for 2025:

Do your research on whom you select. The best advice is to talk to a few past clients (non-family members) of the company. Experienced contractors have lots of satisfied customers to talk to and are very willing to share this information with perspective clients. If you cannot get names, this is likely a signal to try someone else. The Better Business Bureau (https://www.bbb.org/) or other consumer advocacy organizations maintain records of complaints and are a good resource. You can also do online public record searches within different court systems (https://www.courtclerk.org/recordssearch/name/), searching for companies or their owners, which can provide insight into lawsuits. Lastly, you can ask your local building department, who process 300+ permits a year, to see what history they have within the Village.

Ensure you and your contractor understand the Village codes related to zoning projects. Most contractors do not exclusively work in one municipality, and unlike the building code, zoning codes can vary quite a bit. Our community has a historic district, small lots, and codes to protect your neighborhood. Not doing the research on what is allowed in our code should not be the reason you haven’t checked with your Village building and zoning officer.

Discuss the permit needs with the contractor — or ask questions prior to signing a contract to begin work. Permits are there to protect you as the homeowner to ensure the work is done in compliance with the Residential Code of Ohio and properly inspected. This will also provide you with a record for home resale purposes, future project documentation, or if there is an insurance claim. DO NOT rely on your contractor to tell you when a permit is needed, and remind them that it is important for this community to file permits as the fees offset the cost to operate our own building and zoning department and not to rely on Hamilton County or other agencies, which often do not provide the same timely service, have much higher fees, and a poor compliance record.

As a general reminder, you need to file a permit for remodeling projects when you make changes to:

• Plumbing systems (supply, vent, or drains)

• Electrical systems (new wiring or circuits)

• Structural elements (framing, walls, roofs, stairs)

• Insulation and/or use (redefining a space as habitable)

• Life safety items (windows, fire systems, CO2, egress)

If you have any questions, please reach out the building department via phone (513-2713315, option #4), drop by the Village offices, or send an email to building@mariemont.org. We are staffed weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Find out more about your Building Dept. staff and services at https://mariemont.org/ departments/building-department/. We also now accept payment via credit cards online.

Municipal Building Renovations Now Complete

Building Official Rod Holloway, Mayor Bill Brown, and administrative staff Joanee Van Pelt and Allison Uhrig have been hard at work overseeing the renovations in the administrative offices since December. Everyone is happy to be back in the office on the second floor! Below are some before and after photos of the offices.

Please Note: The Native American Cultural & Education Center remains closed to the public through April.

Village News for April

Car Thefts & Break-Ins: Please do NOT leave your keys or key fob in your vehicle. Remember to lock your vehicles and do not leave any valuables inside. If you see suspicious activity, call 911.

Road Closures: Information about road closures and traffic studies related to the Mariemont Connector are available on the website at https://mariemont.org/villageongoing-projects/ under the “Mariemont Connector” tab.

Limb Collection: The Village Service Department has a scheduled limb collection route to collect branches and large limbs. Limb collection will occur on the FIRST