Starting Monday, May 4, 2020, construction can resume in Menlo Park and throughout San Mateo County. Construction sites are required to comply with all applicable safety protocols as described in the latest county health officer order.
The City Council met during a special meeting May 1 and affirmed the reactivation of construction work and related inspections described in the Emergency Services Director/City Manager’s Emergency Order No. 4.
While construction may resume immediately, necessary inspections will be handled in a phased approach that is based on prioritized criteria identified in the emergency order. In order, these include:
- Projects that were already scheduled for an inspection the first week of the shutdown (March 16–20)
- Existing project that have been granted emergency status
- Any project that affects the livability of the house (water heater, furnace, plumbing repair, sewer main, water piping, etc.)
- Other single-family residential projects and public works projects.
Then assuming the City has adequate staff capacity and personal protective equipment supplies, inspections would be scheduled for multifamily and commercial projects. Inspection times for these projects will be confirmed by staff during the week of May 4, for inspections that may begin as early as the week of May 11.
While building inspectors work to clear inspections based on the prioritization criteria above, the Building Division will begin scheduling 30-minute appointments for those projects that have received signoffs and a permit is ready to be issued. Staff will contact these applicants directly to schedule their appointment time. During the first week, May 4–7, staff expects to complete approximately 25-30 appointments.
If your permit is not ready for final issuance, please wait until after Monday, May 11, to call and check your permit status. Staff will accept revisions to already submitted permits electronically. If you need to submit permit revisions via hardcopy, please call to make arrangements. The Building Division phone number is 650-330-6704.
New application submittals are not being accepted at this time, but may resume within the next 1-2 weeks.
The City Manager will receive regular status updates and may modify the order again in the future if:
- The City is not able to secure adequate personal protective equipment for its inspectors
- The City is not able to provide sufficient inspector personnel to satisfy the demand
- Construction projects are not complying with the required safety protocols
- The number of countywide COVID-19 cases increases significantly
- Other operational constraints make building inspection unsafe or infeasible
The City Council also received an update on the current local emergency declaration that began March 11, and was set to expire May 10, 2020. By acclamation, it was determined that a local emergency remains in effect.