Planning board considers formalizing CO and 'closeout' checklist after repeated early occupancies

Several board members argued for clearer administrative controls to prevent sites from being occupied before final approvals. S1 said a certificate of occupancy should be required to open the building; "a certificate of occupancy is required to open the building," S1 said, adding that the board has seen sites occupied without a CO more than once. S4 described an administrative solution: a two‑part form and a project closeout checklist to record conditions, approvals, who approved them and when, and to make it easier for staff to verify that all conditions are met before issuing final signatures.

The board discussed whether such a requirement should be a formal condition of approval or an informational requirement and agreed that even if not codified as a condition, clearly documenting the CO requirement and tracking completion with a punchlist would reduce repeat occurrences. Staff will circulate the draft closeout form to the board for review.