Change of Use

You are required to apply for a change of use/occupancy permit anytime you plan on changing the use of a property, the occupancy classification or occupying a vacant tenant space/building. For example, if a retail store becomes a restaurant this is a change in occupancy. This would be looked at as going from a Mercantile M to an Assembly A-2. A change of use would not include a property going from a restaurant use to another restaurant use or from a grocery store to another grocery store. It could however result in a change of use that increases an occupant load which then may or may not trigger other code requirements. When in doubt, contact the Zoning Administrator or Commercial Building Inspector for any questions.