Silverton staff recommends requiring surveys for new construction, not routine fence repairs

Staff asked the committee whether the town should require land surveys more systematically for development and property transfers. The discussion noted recurring problems: fences placed over lines, accessory buildings located on the wrong parcel, and cases where the absence of a survey created costly rework and potential legal disputes.

Members generally supported requiring surveys for new home construction and for property transfers where a structure or site change is proposed, while allowing repairs of existing fences without triggering a survey requirement. Staff noted that accurate surveys are also important for enforcing new wildfire‑resilience code provisions (noncombustible materials near structures) and that requiring surveys at the time of sale or prior to building would reduce costly post‑construction disputes.

The committee asked staff to draft code language that sets thresholds for when a survey is mandatory (for example, new building footprints, transfer with structural changes, or fence construction that establishes a new alignment) while preserving reasonable administrative flexibility for small repairs.