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Photo courtesy of Town of Westwood. Pictured is Mike Perkins, Westwood's new building commissioner. He takes over from Joe Doyle, who has resigned after 25 years.
10-04-2023 12:00am
Westwood's New Building Commissioner to Re-establish Building Inspection Office Hours
Darlene Cancell
Editor
By Darcie Fisher, for the Town of Westwood
Mike Perkins, Westwood’s current building inspector, is taking over as Building Commissioner, according to Town Administrator Christopher Coleman. Perkins replaces Joe Doyle, who served the town for 25 years and resigned recently to pursue new opportunities.
“Things have been running well here and we want to keep that going but, at the same time, we want to improve the efficiencies in our office and work more collaboratively with the community,” said Perkins.
He plans to re-establish building inspection office hours, so residents can feel free to come by the Carby St. office to ask an inspector questions in-person. “We want to be a resource for people in the community,” he added.
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Perkins grew up in Concord, NH and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He came to Westwood in 2013 as the inspector in charge of the University Station development. Phase I of University Station opened in 2015.
“That project really moved Westwood beyond just being a bedroom community,” Perkins said. “Over the last 10 years, we have seen new commercial, healthcare and multi-family residential development. All of that was created with the town’s best interests in mind and done in a meaningful way that adds value for all residents.”
Perkins was also a point person for the Islington Center redevelopment project, which has become a model of suburban, mixed-use development and has been working on the new Pine Hill School that is set to open in February. A building commissioner’s job is to ensure all building projects are done in compliance with state regulations that dictate whether structures are safe for workers and residents.
“Mike is not only an intelligent and competent professional, he is also very efficient in his work and has excellent communication skills. He listens to all points of view and then offers his suggestions for how things might be improved,” said Nora Loughnane, Westwood Director of Community and Economic Development.
“I want to thank Joe for his service to the Town of Westwood and wish him well,” said Coleman.
Perkins said he is looking forward to the challenges of this new position, one of which is making sure Westwood continues to adapt to new technology and “stay in step with the rest of the world because, as we know, things change quickly.”
Thanks to Darcie Fisher and the Town of Westwood for contributing this article to Westwood Minute.
