Below is a copy of the last email to Salt Lake City about Hines knowingly and willfully working without a permit, breaking the law the rest of us have to follow, and Salt Lake City knowing about it, but staying silent...
Ken,
Slater informed me this morning that because of pending litigation on the Utah Theater properties, I would need to go through you moving forward. Thanks to him again for being super responsive to me every time I contacted him. However, I and many others who have contacted the city about the unpermitted and unlawful work happening at the theater properties, and as far as I can tell still happening; haven’t received any reply about this illegal activity. I was told by Slater that an inspector was scheduled to go check on what is happening yesterday morning. Reaching out to Slater again today to see what the results of that visit were was when I was told to start going directly through you.
As I write another email now, I thought to myself again, maybe there is something else in the code that would allow the work that was happening without a permit. But I find nothing that would allow the work they are doing to be done without a pre-demolition, demolition, or building permit. What I did find was the following:
21A.04.030: BUILDING/DEMOLITION PERMITS REQUIRED:
It is unlawful, whether acting as owner, occupant or contractor, or otherwise to erect, construct, reconstruct, alter, demolish, or change the use of any building or other structure within Salt Lake City contrary to any provisions of this title without first obtaining a building or demolition permit from the Division of Building Services and Licensing unless the proposed improvements are such that the Division of Building Services and Licensing does not require a permit.
There are even more details about when a permit is or isn’t required in chapter 18.20 PERMITS AND INSPECTION (see 18.20.090: START OF WORK WITHOUT PERMIT; PENALTY FEES; EMERGENCIES: (amlegal.com)). Additionally to that, chapter 18.24 ENFORECEMENT AND PENALTIES (see CHAPTER 18.24 ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES (amlegal.com)) clearly state the unlawfulness o doing work without a permit and that doing so makes those doing work without a permit guilty of a misdemeanor. In short, the code makes it very clear that doing work without a permit is a serious matter that can't be ignored and is worthy of significant consequences.
I would love to have the sections of the code pointed out to me that let Hines do the work they are doing without a permit, but right now I can’t find any, and no one from the city is telling me that is the case. As I have pointed out in my previous email, this project, the sale of the theater, pending litigation, etc. are reasons alone for Hines and the City to ensure they are both doing every single thing they are required to do under the law. Right now, it looks like they aren’t, and I am becoming more and more disheartened by days passing without any meaningful response to me, or to the many others who have reached out to the city about this seemingly unlawful and illegal activity.
As I have said before, Hines is a worldwide company that manages, develops, and builds billions of dollars’ worth of real estate. They know this project is contentious and to believe they wouldn’t know when they do or don’t need a permit is simply not a reasonable conclusion. On top of all that, the purchase and sale agreement between the city and Hines requires the salvage of historic materials with input from historic experts and that alone would require a pre-demolition permit.
Right now, it feels like the city may be looking the other way giving Hines biased and unfair treatment. I can’t believe that is the case, but with no response to so many people reaching out to the city about what looks like Hines knowingly and willfully doing illegal and unlawful work without the required permits, it’s becoming harder and harder to keep suspicion at bay, especially with objective facts supporting the conclusion Hines is doing unlawful and illegal work without permits and the city isn’t doing anything about it now that they clearly know it is happening.
Please update me as soon as possible about what the inspector found yesterday when they made their inspection. Please update me about some code I am missing that would allow this work to occur without a permit. Please give me what seems like such simple answers to this so that I can but the growing suspicions that our city is knowingly and willfully letting a worldwide billion-dollar corporation like Hines break the law without consequence. Please don’t stay silent, our city deserves better