Lower permit fee is approved; Douglas family ready to rebuild after fire.Byline: Steven H. Foskett Jr. DOUGLAS - The Board of Selectmen SELECTMEN. The name of certain officers in several of the United States, who are invested by the statutes of the several states with various powers. has decided to cut a break for a local family whose home was destroyed by fire in May. The board unanimously decided this week to allow the building commissioner to use an older permit fee schedule that will save the Connors family about $1,300 as they begin rebuilding their home. About 2 a.m. May 8, firefighters arrived at 4 Orchard orchard, generally an area on which fruit or nut trees are planted and cultivated. The words grove and plantation are often used when the fruits are tropical, e.g., a "citrus grove" or a "banana plantation. Place to find the single-family home engulfed in flames In Flames is a melodic death metal band from Gothenburg, Sweden founded in 1990. Along with Dark Tranquillity and At the Gates, they pioneered what is now known as melodic death metal. . Kevin and Rosemary Connors, along with their teenage daughter, Abigail, made it out safely, but the family's two dogs died in the fire. Mrs. Connors was injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. , forced to jump from a second-floor window to escape the flames. A firefighter was also injured fighting the blaze. The house was deemed a total loss, and only a foundation remains at the site just down the road from the Municipal Center. Fire officials said at the time they were unsure of the cause, but it did not appear to be suspect. In a Dec. 10 letter from Mr. and Mrs. Connors to the Board of Selectmen, the Connors explained that they are in the final stages of starting to rebuild their home on its existing foundation. The couple wrote that the insurance claim process has gone on longer than they anticipated, and they asked selectmen to consider allowing Building Commissioner Adelle M. Reynolds to charge a building permit fee according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a fee schedule in place before July 1. "We anxiously look forward to rebuilding our life and home in Douglas," the Connors wrote. In a letter to selectmen, Ms. Reynolds requested selectmen approve the Connors' request. She wrote that the permit fee changes that went into effect July 1 made the cost of building a new single-family home more expensive. Under the new permit fee, a building permit would cost the Connors about $1,900. Under the old permit fee, it would have cost about $560, according to Ms. Reynolds. Ms. Reynolds wrote that she felt the Connors should not be penalized pe·nal·ize tr.v. pe·nal·ized, pe·nal·iz·ing, pe·nal·iz·es 1. To subject to a penalty, especially for infringement of a law or official regulation. See Synonyms at punish. 2. for delays in the insurance process. "I realize that in June of this year I went before the Board and asked to increase our permit fees," Ms. Reynolds wrote in the Dec. 11 letter. "I still believe it was and is the right thing; however in the Connors case I am requesting the Board to allow me to use the previous permit fee schedule for the Connors permit to reconstruct re·con·struct tr.v. re·con·struct·ed, re·con·struct·ing, re·con·structs 1. To construct again; rebuild. 2. their home." Selectmen voted in July to update the fee schedule to more closely align align (  līn),v to move the teeth into their proper positions to conform to the line of occlusion. the town's building fees with fees in surrounding towns. The new fee structure, which adheres to the International Code Council, also increases the percentage of the Building Department's budget covered by fees. Selectmen Tuesday said they approved the request since the Connors clearly decided well before July 1 that they were going to try to rebuild. NAME: DOUGLAS SELECTMEN |
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