COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

 Thank you for expressing an interest in the City of Florence, Mississippi. We welcome all high-quality developers and builders to Florence. It is our desire and purpose to achieve quality growth in the City, thereby requiring that such growth take place in an orderly and controlled environment. This protects the property values of our citizens and also your investment.   Therefore, all development and building is subject to our Zoning Ordinances, Subdivision Ordinances, and all other municipal regulations.  

1) Site Plan Ordinance 

2) Subdivision Ordinance 

3) Stormwater and Rainwater Ordinance 4) Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Ordinance 

5) Commercial Landscape Ordinance 

6) Commercial Architectural Controls Ordinance 

7) Exterior Sign Ordinance 

8) Construction Work Sites – Portable Toilets Ordinance 

9) E-911 House Numbering and Street Address Ordinance 

10) Regulating Hours of Construction Ordinance   

If your development or building is in a flood plain,  floodway fringe, and/or floodway, you will need to refer to the Construction within A Flood Plain, Floodway Fringe, and Floodway Ordinance and the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance   

Please understand that those Ordinances are not an all-inclusive list of Ordinances with which you must comply. For instance, if you are developing or building within a certain Zoning District, you will have to secure a copy of those specific regulations for that zoning district.   The City does require a Building Permit for every building constructed in the City, along with periodic inspection as the building progresses. The 2012 IBC Building Codes, with amendments, have been adopted by the City of Florence as its standard. 

Building Design Regulations and Procedures
Building Codes have been adopted by the City of Florence as its standard:

• International Building Code – 2012 Edition, as amended    
• International Residential Code – 2012 Edition, as amended    
• International Fuel Gas Code – 2012 Edition, as amended
• International Plumbing Code – 2012 Edition, as amended   
• International Mechanical Code – 2012 Edition, as amended   
• International Fire Code – 2012 Edition, as amended  
• International Existing Building Code – 2012 Edition  
• International Property Maintenance Code – 2012 Edition, as amended · National Electrical Code (NAFP 70) – 2011 Edition  

Inspection Process:
There are eight steps to an Inspection process before a Certificate of  Occupancy/Completion can be issued: 

1. Plumbing grounds (before plumber backfills ditches. Water stack test required.)
2. Foundation (before concrete is poured – reverse for conventional foundation) 
3. Frame, Mechanical, Electrical (before insulation). The gas test is normally done at this phase as well as the brick-tie. 
4. Insulation (openings in top plate must have fire blocking) 
5. Electrical Service (transfer of power from temporary to permanent) 
6. Water and Sewer Connections (tie in of water and sewer lines from the house/building to the city main. A 4-inch pipe is required for sewer service line.  Any change of direction will require a clean-out. Trench (sewer) must be left open until inspection. 
7. Sidewalk (before concrete is poured if there are sidewalks in the subdivision. Must be ADA compliant.) 
8. Final Inspection (Completed, ready to occupy) 

NOTE: Silt fences must be installed and maintained to prevent silt from washing into the storm drains. Mud must not be transferred from construction site onto the streets.     

Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria:      

• Ground Snow Load   5     
• Wind Speed   100     
• Seismic Design Category   B     
• Subject to Damage from Weathering   Moderate     
• Frost Line Depth   2 inches     
• Termite   Very Heavy     
• Winter Design Temperature   25     
• Flood Maps Adopted   June 9, 2014     Air Index   150 or less     
• Mean Annual Temperature   63     

Contractor Registration Required:   To ensure the public health, safety and welfare of citizens, the City requires all commercial and residential construction general contractors, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing subcontractors doing business within the city to register with the city. In order to register, all residential and commercial construction contractors shall: 

• Post a $5,000.00 performance bond with the city zoning administrator, such bond being payable to the city and being conditioned on such contractor complying with all ordinances and regulations of the city and state; 
• Provide proof of commercial liability insurance issued by an insurance company admitted to write such insurance in the State of Mississippi and having minimum limits as follows: general liability $500,000.00 per occurrence and $1,000,000.00 general aggregate; 
• Provide proof of worker’s compensation insurance to the extent the contractor is required to have such by state law; and 
• Hold a certificate of responsibility from the State of Mississippi Board of Contractors.     

Site Plan Review  Site Plan Review as required by the Commercial Architectural Controls Ordinance and the Zoning Ordinance is reviewed by the City Department Heads and the City Engineer. All Site Plan Reviews must be approved by the Mayor and Board of Aldermen.    

  
Building Department
The mission of the building department is to assist the public with building permits and inspections to insure compliance with City Codes and Ordinances.   Contact the Building Department prior to constructing any accessory building or structure and prior to any remodel, change of use, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolishing any existing building or structure to determine permit requirements.   

You may direct any inquiries to the City Building Official:

Joel Sims

601-845-5638 (office)

601-383-3376  (cell)

florencebuildingone@gmail.com

It is our desire to assist you in any way that we can. Thank you for your interest in the City of Florence, Mississippi.     

Zoning and Property Use Districts: 

Florence has adopted zoning districts to ensure a healthy growth pattern in the city.    

 The mission of code enforcement is to ensure public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City.    Issues regarding city ordinance and property maintenance may be reported to the zoning administrator.   Individual property owners and Homeowners Association are responsible for enforcement of subdivision restrictive covenants.    A letter from code enforcement indicates violations of City ordinances have been observed on property you own or is under your control. While many citizens properly maintain their property, sometimes a letter for code enforcement is needed as a reminder of their responsibilities.    
If you should receive a letter from code enforcement,    

• Be sure you understand what the violation are and what must be done to correct them. Consider a quick phone call to code enforcement to review the letter if further explanations are needed. 
• Be sure to know the compliance date; the date you must have the violations corrected by. Contact code enforcement to see if you are eligible for an extension if additional time is required. 
• If you received a letter for property you no longer own, contact us. In some cases, there may be a gap time from when a property is sold to when the City records are updated to reflect the transfer of ownership.   In all cases, correct the violations as soon as practical. Do not wait until the last day to begin repairs. Failure to correct the violation could cause the City to take legal action. The City could abate the nuisance and send you a bill with added administrative fees and penalties.