Welcome to the Community Development Enforcement Page
The enforcement division of Community Development Department is a complaint-driven division that enforces building, land use, and portions of the litter codes within the City and Borough of Juneau.
When an inspector is assigned a complaint, he/she conducts a site visit to verify a violation exists. If a violation is discovered, the property owner is informed of the violation and the appropriate action needed to abate the violation.
Community Development enforcement does not address "housekeeping" (poorly maintained yard) or "sloppy neighbor" (visually unattractive yard) issues. Nor do we address public roadway violations, private property disputes, location of fence disputes or the issuance of domestic pet licenses.
What is a Community Development Enforcement Violation?
- Junk in excess of 200 s.f., such as:
- Vehicles parked on the property that are untagged or have expired tags
- Junk and debris either scattered or piled on the property in a disorderly fashion (i.e. glass, paper, wood)
- Salvage furniture, household items and construction materials (i.e. tanks, drums, pipes, etc. strewn about the property)
- Inoperable and abandoned vehicles parked on the property
- Business operating in or on residential properties without approval or beyond the scope of home occupation as defined in the Land Use Code (i.e. auto restoration, repair and/or sales and small services)
- Use of single family dwelling as a multi family dwelling without permits
- Illegal signage (i.e. banners and streamers, sandwich boards, portable signs and blinking and wind-activated signs)
- Use of a Recreational Vehicle (R/V) as living units outside an R/V Park
- Construction without appropriate Building and Land Use Permits
- Unsafe buildings (CBJ does not handle complaints with respect to mold)
How do I file a Complaint?
- Call (907)586-0770 to be directed to the appropriate staff member
- Fax a detailed complaint to (907)586-3365
- E-mail a detailed complaint to Permits
- Stop in at the Permit Center at 230 South Franklin Street, Fourth Floor
What Happens When a Complaint is Filed?
Step 1 - Initial complaint is received that clearly describes the nature and location of alleged violation.
Step 2 - The complaint is given to the appropriate inspector.
Step 3 - The inspector conducts a site inspection and may need to research Community Development files prior to site visit. If a violation is found, the inspector will contact the property owner and make them aware of the violation. A Notice of Violation or Administrative Order is issued. If the owner responds, methods for compliance are discussed and agreed upon.
Step 4 - If the owner does not respond to the notice, a second site inspection is conducted, another notice is sent and/or a citation issued.
Step 5 - If the owner still does not respond, the inspector will make a final site visit and may issue another citation or refer the case to the Law Department.
What's Taking so Long?
Please be aware that although you may have reported a violation, there are a number of reasons why nothing seems to be happening:
- Legal or administrative procedure i.e. appeals, standing trial, extensions, or time to comply
- The inability of the owner to comply with the request
- What you may think is a zoning violation is in fact not a violation or is an existing non-conforming use.
- If the violation re-occurs once a case is closed, a new complaint must be filed to open a new case.
Please be patient as we are working hard to resolve all cases.
Contacts for Other Types of Violations
Juneau Police Department ................................................ (907)586-0600
- Abandoned Vehicles
- Litter
- Noise Complaints
Department of Environmental Conservation
................... (907)465-5066
- Air Quality
- Water Quality
Gastineau Humane Society ............................................... (907)789-0260
- Animal Related Complaints
Enviromental Protection Agency ....................................... (907)586-7658
