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Ex. MET-BOS-004 Order Primary source read

Temporary Guidance for Construction in the City of Boston (the Boston construction moratorium)

Temporary Guidance for Construction in the City of Boston, March 16, 2020

City of Boston (Mayor Martin J. Walsh; Inspectional Services Department; Public Works Department) · City of Boston, Massachusetts (City)

The COVID Project

The record

Jurisdiction
City of Boston, Massachusetts · Boston · Massachusetts
Level
City
Authority
Municipal permitting authority over City-permitted construction (building permits, street-opening permits); BPHC public health emergency of Mar. 15, 2020
Issued
2020-03-16 Mar. 16, 2020
Effective
2020-03-17 (all active permitted projects to be secured by Monday, March 23, 2020) (read as 2020-03-17)
End
Affirmatively extended 'until further notice' on Mar. 25, 2020 (Ex. 015); phased restart from May 5, 2020 (hospitals, schools), May 18 and May 26, 2020 under the City's COVID-19 construction safety affidavit (City announcements, verified_secondary) (read as 2020-06-30)
In force
Mar. 17, 2020 to June 30, 2020
Quarters
2020 Q2
Limitation types
Business closureWorkplace rules
Addressees
  • all holders of City of Boston construction and street permits
  • contractors and building trades
Functions reached
  • JS job sites closed (construction)
  • SB subcontractors and trades idled
  • OW owners' projects suspended
  • SC materials deliveries halted
  • PM permits and inspections
Collection
Boston MET-BOS

Operative words

On March 16, the City of Boston announced that it would temporarily pause some non-essential construction in the City of Boston.... This policy is effective as of March 17 and will be reviewed at regular intervals. New projects cannot be started at this time, unless they meet the criteria above. Any currently permitted and active construction project must be in a secure situation by Monday, March 23. This policy only applies to projects permitted by the City of Boston.

Enforcement

Exceptions only by the Commissioner of Inspectional Services (building work) or the Commissioner of Public Works (street work) on a case-by-case basis; permits not issued for new projects

Notes

Essential work exempted: emergency utility, road or building work; new utility connections to occupied buildings; mandated building or utility work; work at public health, health-care and shelter facilities; transportation-network reliability; work to render occupied residential buildings habitable.

Retrieval note

Styled 'guidance' but operated as a moratorium enforced through the permitting power; the City itself called it 'the City of Boston's order to pause non-essential construction' and 'the temporary construction moratorium' (Ex. 015).