permit-check

name	permit-check
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "check if this project complies with zoning", "validate a building permit application", "does this proposal meet setback requirements", "check zoning rules for site X", "permit compliance check", "is this project allowed in zone Y", or invokes `/civic-gis:permit-check`. Scores a proposed project (location + building parameters) against a jurisdiction's zoning ruleset and reports violations with citations. Rule-based and transparent — produces a per-rule pass/fail report, never a black-box decision.
argument-hint	--area path/to/parcel.geojson --proposal path/to/proposal.json [--jurisdiction <name>] [--zone <code>]
allowed-tools	Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Glob

Permit / Compliance Check

v0.1 status — production-ready for 3 starter rulesets (residential-zone, commercial-zone, historic-district). Real jurisdictions can add custom rulesets via YAML in ~/.claude/civic-gis/rulesets/<jurisdiction>/<zone>.yaml.

Score a proposed project against zoning rules and emit a per-rule compliance report. Advisory only — final permit decisions remain with regulatory authorities.

When to Use

• /civic-gis:permit-check --area parcel.geojson --proposal building.json --jurisdiction homs-syria --zone R-1
• "Does this proposed 4-story residential building comply with R-1 setbacks?"
• "Check this commercial development against the historic district rules."
• "Permit check this project."

Inputs

--area <geojson> — the parcel

A GeoJSON Feature or FeatureCollection of the candidate parcel(s):

{
  "type": "Feature",
  "geometry": {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [...]},
  "properties": {
    "parcel_id": "H-2034-12",
    "area_sqm": 850,
    "zone_code": "R-1"
  }
}

--proposal <json> — the project parameters

{
  "use": "residential",
  "stories": 4,
  "height_m": 13.5,
  "footprint_sqm": 320,
  "gross_floor_area_sqm": 1180,
  "setback_front_m": 4.0,
  "setback_side_m": 2.5,
  "setback_rear_m": 5.0,
  "parking_spaces": 6,
  "lot_coverage_pct": 37.6
}

--jurisdiction <name> and --zone <code> — ruleset selectors

If omitted, the skill reads parcel.properties.jurisdiction and parcel.properties.zone_code.

What It Produces

Markdown report:

# Permit Check — H-2034-12 (R-1, homs-syria)

## Verdict: **NON-COMPLIANT** (3 violations)

| Rule | Required | Proposed | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| max_height_m | ≤ 12 | 13.5 | ❌ FAIL |
| max_lot_coverage_pct | ≤ 35 | 37.6 | ❌ FAIL |
| min_setback_front_m | ≥ 5 | 4.0 | ❌ FAIL |
| min_setback_side_m | ≥ 2 | 2.5 | ✓ PASS |
| min_setback_rear_m | ≥ 3 | 5.0 | ✓ PASS |
| max_FAR | ≤ 1.5 | 1.39 | ✓ PASS |
| min_parking | ≥ 1 per unit (4 units) | 6 | ✓ PASS |
| allowed_use | residential, mixed-use | residential | ✓ PASS |

## Recommendations
- Reduce building height to ≤ 12m (lose 1 story) OR apply for a height variance.
- Reduce footprint to ≤ 297.5 sqm (= 35% × 850) OR request lot-coverage variance.
- Move building back 1m from front lot line.

## Authoritative Note
This check is advisory. Final permit decisions require review by the relevant
regulatory authority (Department of Urbanism, Municipality of Homs).
Cite this report's run-id when submitting: `civic-gis-permit-check-2026-05-18-...`.

How It Works

1. Validator agent runs first (civic-preflight-validator, mode=permit-check). Confirms Python + shapely + pyyaml; verifies the parcel file is valid GeoJSON; checks that the jurisdiction's ruleset exists.
2. Resolve ruleset. Lookup order: --jurisdiction/--zone flags → parcel.properties.{jurisdiction,zone_code} → fail with clear error. Ruleset YAML found via:
   • ~/.claude/civic-gis/rulesets/<jurisdiction>/<zone>.yaml (user-supplied, preferred)
   • assets/rulesets/<zone>.yaml (plugin's built-in starter rulesets)
3. Compute derived values. Some rule inputs aren't in the proposal directly — compute them: FAR = gross_floor_area / parcel_area, units (from floor area / typical unit size if not given).
4. Evaluate each rule. Six rule types: min, max, range, allowed_values, setback_check, custom_python (advanced).
5. Render report. Markdown table with required / proposed / status columns. JSON mode (--json) emits structured rule results for downstream automation.

Ruleset Structure

name: R-1 Single-Family Residential
jurisdiction: homs-syria
zone_code: R-1
description: Low-density residential, primarily single-family detached homes.

source: "Homs Municipality Zoning Code, Article 12 (2018 ed.)"
last_updated: "2024-03-15"

rules:
  - name: allowed_use
    type: allowed_values
    field: use
    allowed: [residential, mixed-use]
    citation: "Article 12.1"

  - name: max_height_m
    type: max
    field: height_m
    limit: 12
    citation: "Article 12.3.a"

  - name: max_lot_coverage_pct
    type: max
    field: lot_coverage_pct
    limit: 35
    citation: "Article 12.3.b"

  - name: max_FAR
    type: max
    field: FAR  # computed: gross_floor_area_sqm / parcel.area_sqm
    limit: 1.5
    citation: "Article 12.3.c"

  - name: min_setback_front_m
    type: min
    field: setback_front_m
    limit: 5
    citation: "Article 12.4.a"

  - name: min_setback_side_m
    type: min
    field: setback_side_m
    limit: 2
    citation: "Article 12.4.b"

  - name: min_setback_rear_m
    type: min
    field: setback_rear_m
    limit: 3
    citation: "Article 12.4.c"

  - name: min_parking_per_unit
    type: ratio_min
    field: parking_spaces
    denominator: units
    ratio: 1
    citation: "Article 14.2"

Implementation Reference

• scripts/permit_check.py — rule engine. Reads parcel + proposal + ruleset, evaluates each rule, emits report.
• assets/rulesets/residential-zone.yaml — starter R-1 ruleset.
• assets/rulesets/commercial-zone.yaml — starter C-1 ruleset.
• assets/rulesets/historic-district.yaml — historic preservation overlay rules.
• references/rule-types.md — detailed rule type catalog (min/max/range/allowed_values/setback_check/custom_python).
• examples/r1-house-check.md — full worked example.

Important Constraints

• Advisory only, not authoritative. Every report ends with the "Authoritative Note" reminding users to consult the actual regulatory authority.
• Citations are required. Every rule in a ruleset must carry a citation field pointing to the source regulation (article, section, page). Reports surface these so violations are auditable.
• No silent defaults. If a rule field is missing from the proposal, fail explicitly with "field <x> required but not provided," not silently pass.
• Units must be SI internally. Proposals in imperial are converted upfront with a --units imperial flag.
• Output formats: markdown by default, JSON via --json. CSV planned for v0.2 for permit-officer workflows.