Building Permit Extension Denial Upheld Due to Lack of Substantial Construction

A litigant challenged a municipal decision to deny an extension for a building permit renewal, which was subsequently upheld by the cantonal government, arguing that the extension should have been granted because the essential factual circumstances had not changed since the original permit was issued and the construction activities undertaken thus far demonstrated a clear intent to complete the project. The court dismissed the appeal, reasoning that while the original permit conditions remained largely the same, the applicant had failed to initiate substantial construction within the initial validity period, and granting an extension now would contradict the administrative goal of ensuring timely project completion, thus justifying the denial based on the passage of time and lack of demonstrable progress.