Jonathan Vickerson had applied to the City of Summerside for a permit to open a 12-seat/take-out restaurant at 24 Central Street.
In order to get a permit to operate the restaurant Vickerson needed his plans approved before going to the city. That’s in the municipal bylaw.
The confusion came over who is to give the plan approval. The Architects Association of P.E.I. says they are the ones who have approval authority while the provincial and municipal bylaw allows for an architect or an engineer to do the work.
Vickerson said it is less expensive to have an engineer sign off on the project than it is an architect.
The city does have the “either or” provision in its bylaw for permit approval.
“The wording in our bylaw says it can be an architect or an engineer,” said Aaron MacDonald director of technical services. “He’s good to go with whomever he can find, an architect or an engineer, to do whatever the scope of work he needs to do his project.”
City Councillor Gordie Whitlock went to bat for Vickerson.
“According to the Act, as far as we’re concerned it could be either one,” Whitlock said. “The final decision was that we’re going to issue the permit to him based on the engineer’s signature and we’ll see where it goes from there. As a city, I think we should try and make it as easy as possible for somebody to set up shop. That’s what we all want - to create some employment in Summerside.
“He’s been pretty frustrated with the whole process but it looks like now that things will be rocking n’ rolling for him.”
Whitlock said the confusion surround information supplied by the architect’s’ association
“The architects’ society contacted us and said ‘This is what he needs and there’s no way around that he needs us to sign off on that.’” Whitlock said.
Vickerson took the issue to the city’s attorney and was told for the scope of the work he needed done, an engineer could perform the task.
Whitlock said this was the reason the city sided with Vickerson and approved the permit.
Jonathan Vickerson had applied to the City of Summerside for a permit to open a 12-seat/take-out restaurant at 24 Central Street.
In order to get a permit to operate the restaurant Vickerson needed his plans approved before going to the city. That’s in the municipal bylaw.
The confusion came over who is to give the plan approval. The Architects Association of P.E.I. says they are the ones who have approval authority while the provincial and municipal bylaw allows for an architect or an engineer to do the work.
Vickerson said it is less expensive to have an engineer sign off on the project than it is an architect.
The city does have the “either or” provision in its bylaw for permit approval.
“The wording in our bylaw says it can be an architect or an engineer,” said Aaron MacDonald director of technical services. “He’s good to go with whomever he can find, an architect or an engineer, to do whatever the scope of work he needs to do his project.”
City Councillor Gordie Whitlock went to bat for Vickerson.
“According to the Act, as far as we’re concerned it could be either one,” Whitlock said. “The final decision was that we’re going to issue the permit to him based on the engineer’s signature and we’ll see where it goes from there. As a city, I think we should try and make it as easy as possible for somebody to set up shop. That’s what we all want - to create some employment in Summerside.
“He’s been pretty frustrated with the whole process but it looks like now that things will be rocking n’ rolling for him.”
Whitlock said the confusion surround information supplied by the architect’s’ association
“The architects’ society contacted us and said ‘This is what he needs and there’s no way around that he needs us to sign off on that.’” Whitlock said.
Vickerson took the issue to the city’s attorney and was told for the scope of the work he needed done, an engineer could perform the task.
Whitlock said this was the reason the city sided with Vickerson and approved the permit.
