The City of St. Marys Zoning Ordinance #227 requires residents and businesses to acquire building permits for the paving or installation of concrete or asphalt on parking lots, driveways, parking areas, and sidewalks. Applications for these improvements are available at City Hall, 11 Lafayette Street, and can be submitted by the contractor or the property owner; the cost of which is $25.

Some examples of when a permit is required are: new asphalt or concrete installation, asphalt or concrete installation over existing gravel, stone, tar and chip areas, and expansion of existing asphalt or concrete areas.
Some examples of when a permit is not required are: sealing of existing asphalt or concrete areas, milling and/or resurfacing of existing asphalt or concrete areas with no increase in size, and no separate permit is required for asphalt or concrete improvements if an application is received for another improvement i.e.; a house is being built that proposes a concrete driveway. The building permit application for the house should state that a concrete driveway is proposed and it will be reviewed then.

Please take note that the Zoning Ordinance limits the area of a lot that can be improved, (maximum lot coverage.) The maximum lot coverage is expressed as a percentage of the total lot area, and varies according to the zoning district and the use of the property. The lot coverage is likely to be violated in older neighborhoods where the lot sizes are small. Properties that already violate the maximum lot coverage are considered non-conforming uses and are allowed to remain, but cannot be expanded without permission from the Zoning Hearing Board. A contractor should always contact the Permit Office before starting a project involving commercial or industrial entities to check for adherence to the City's Stormwater Management Ordinance. Failure to obtain a permit or check with this office before work is started may result in fines, and/or costly demolition of recently installed improvements.

If you have any questions regarding this Ordinance, please feel free to contact the City's Zoning Officer at 781-1718, Extension 227.