Last Night at the city council I got final approval of a permit I started on 9 years ago!
I can’t tell you the burden I had getting it!
38 trips to city council meetings, planning commision meetings, back to city council etc.. Meetings with city officals, threats of lawsuits, permits granted, permits revolked, permission granted then denied, authorization granted then refused.. etc..
The meeting last night was a classic case.. they had intended to deny me the permit to do the final bit. (ones they intend to approve are on the consent decree) They had been mislead as to what occured over the previous permit.
To counter that I had a signed statement by a minister ( who helps me out sometimes when he needs the money) A witness with me (who also helps me out sometimes when he needs the money) and dated recepts.
In addition the city had been led to believe that I was building a house too big for the location.. Using the cities own records I pointed out that neighbors on either side of me with the same size lot had structures 101 feet larger and 300 feet larger.
It sounds so simple but it was anything but. I estimate that I had over a thouand hours in getting approval and that doesn’t begin to count the hours spent meeting with people informally etc..
Thank god I’m a cool person who can think and analize data and present it in a careful and well thought out manner.
Just to show you what can happen, a neighbor was forced to build a house a third smaller than the average for the neighborhood because he couldn’t neogotiate with the city council!
Replies
Congratulations! Which town are you in again? I know you're out around Minnetonka someplace, but there are a lot of adjoining communities out there that all kind of blend together.
Stuart,
Oh! No! Orono! (same town I ran for mayor in and came in second with over 35%of the votes after just one partial day of campaigning).
Sometimes the reason cities do not allow something is because they may want to keep some spaces open for other things. It may not be against the zoning but the planning commission may want to do something else with a piece of land. For example I know a man who was on a planning commission and the city needed space to provide housing for people who served as police officers and other public servants. The area was getting so expensive that even doctors would not live there because of the cost of homes. So what the planning commission was to stall the owner and call in the environmentalists hoping they could find something.
gb93433
Same here, property starts north of a million, I'm just about average at 1.8 My zip code, 55391has the highest price per home in Minnesota..
Fortunately once you get off the lake prices are a lot more reasonable..
But that wasn't the issue here..
I built this house with a smaller footprint than the old house as a compromise to be allowed to build at all.. What the city really would like to do is have all of us smaller property owners sell to rich folks who buy two or three properties and make mega mansions..
Here I thought you had that camera figured out.
JAlden,
Camera yes! Posting pictures on the web? No!
maybe next time try to get someone's attention . . .
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2326328&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1
Your story reminds me of a guy in Troy Mi. He went through all the proper channels to build a house and garage. With stamped plans and permit in hand off he went to build his house. When he was almost done the city tried to stop him because some neighbors were complaining about the size of the garage. The thing was though that the way the garage situated on the lot you couldnt even see it from the street.
I dont remember what finally happened but I though that was ridiculous. What's the point of plan review again?
around here you pay your $220 and build, I know some that built then bought the permit.
If you go to Dateland, AZ you can buy a lot with all the utility hook ups for around $1,000.
Did you ever see the pictures of the garage that guy built? It was enormous - 150' x 60', if I remember correctly - and made of corrugated steel. I can understand why his neighbors thought it was an eyesore (and yet being a car guy, I can also understand why he wanted a big garage.)
He eventually got everything cleared with the city, but I believe they changed their zoning rules afterwards to close up the loophole that allowed him to build it.
Housing for public servants, you've got to be kidding me! As of the pension, benefits and work (not work) rules aren't enough.
The average home in the area is around 500K. Know of any policemen who can afford that price? Rent on a small home is 2000 - 3000+/ month
I knew I shoulda shown up at that meeting ! <G>
Tim
Frenchy congrats! Always something huh?
Hey, off topic and a high jack, what is the difference between denatured alcohol and regular alcohol? Can I use either to mix with shellac? DW is home and wants to shellac something, I have zinners bulls eye like you suggested, I am work and have some alcohol at home in a can but can't remember if it is denatured, if it isn't can I use it? Thanks.
Semper Fi
"To be young and a conservative, you have no heart"
"To be old and a liberal, you have no mind"
Winston Churchill
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985
I'm not frenchy, but I DO know about shellac.
Denatured alcohol has poisons added to it to make it undrinkable, and thus exempt from the alcohol tax. It is NOT the same as rubbing alcohol.
Rubbing alcohol has a fair amount of water in it. This can cause problems with the shellac, but I have not experienced those problems.
For mixing shellac, my first choice is pure grain alcohol from the liquor store. It's the safest to use, in that it does not have petrochemicals added to make it toxic. It's "undenatured" denatured alcohol.
Second choice is rubbing alcohol.
Third choice is denatured alcohol, used with suitable protection (respirator, gloves, etc).
But these are just my choices - YMMV, etc.
Thanks for the info woodturner!Semper Fi
"To be young and a conservative, you have no heart"
"To be old and a liberal, you have no mind"
Winston Churchill
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985
jarhead,
denatured is just put there so highschool kids can't shop at the local hardware store for a cheap drunk.
Save the single malt scotch though, I mean you don't want to see a grown man cry do you? <G>
Save the single malt scotch though, I mean you don't want to see a grown man cry do you? <G>
HAH! Scotch would be perfect, who drinks the stuff anyhow??? :-) I would prefer not to drink something that you have to acquire a taste for! So, perfect for shellac......Semper Fi
"To be young and a conservative, you have no heart"
"To be old and a liberal, you have no mind"
Winston Churchill
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN, 1985
Ah, Orono. I've done work for the several of the neighboring towns, but I don't have any experience with your city government.
Tell you what - I'm pretty good with this computer/photo thing (at least I think I am), I can stop out sometime and see if I can help you out. At the very least I could take some photos with my camera and post them from my computer. Let me know.
Stuart,
I would really appreciate that, I'll E mail you my address and cell phone number so whenever you have some time available I 'll make myself free. I've actually got a lot of photo's on the computer, I'm just too dumb to be able to make this computer do anything for me..
Frenchy,
I can try and walk you thru the process.
Can you find the pictures on your computor and look at them?
What version of Windows are you using?
Which browser are you using? IE, Firefox, other?
Different instructions for different Windows and browsers, don'tcha know?
Once I've got your particular instructions down, I'll Email them to ya so you can print them out.
SamT
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. [Einstein] Tks, BossHogg.
Edited 2/14/2007 9:07 pm by SamT
SamT
Thank you, I've had several others try to do just that. I really don't have a clue on how to answer the questions you asked.. Yes I can see the pictures on my computer, I know how to put more or differant ones on. I have a digetal camera (actually I've had several) I know I have windows, I don't know what a browers is or if I have one.
I'd say that you need to speak to me like 5 year old but I've seen 5 year olds with superior computer skills to mine.
Frenchy,
A Browser is the window that opens when you go online.
At the top of that window, in the Title Bar, it will say Something Something Something - Microsoft Internet Explorer, if you are using Internet Explorer, or it could say Something Something Something - Mozilla Firefox if it was Firefox. The common theme in the Title Bar is to show the Page Title (Something Something Something), then - (dash), then the Browser name.
I am betting that you are using Internet Explorer, since you're only 5 (|:>)
About Windows; If you double click the MY Computor icon in the upper left of your screen (when you don't have any other windows open,) then click on the Help menu, you will see an "About" choice. Clicking on the "About" item will tell you what version of MS Windows you're using.SamT
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. [Einstein] Tks, BossHogg.
I think its the program you dont have on your puter.
I had the same problem and asked Rez for help.
Between Marty giving me a disk of infranview and Rez linking me to a thread he or Boss ran on it I just followed the yellow brick road type of thing.
The program is free.
Somebody link him that thread please.
Tim
Mooney,
Thanks, I've got to run right now but I'll get back and try to work it out..
http://forums.taunton.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=tp-breaktime&ctx=&cacheTag=9-30&msg=24441.1
I think thats the original.
Tim
Congrats frenchy.
Real glad to hear it! Finally!
I knew your obsessive persistance was a good trait......even if it drives me carzy from time to time in the Tavern. LOL!
You ever figger how to post pics of this castle?
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Jaybird,
Nah! I'm really a computer dunce!
I can't post pictures, I can't link, I am afraid to search,,I haven't ever had any success opening files from work, If I can't click and have it work I'm pretty well lost..
I've really tried.. the last time I got pictures on this site I drove to San Diego to have my friends son who does this sort of thing for a living post them. It took him an hour and 45 minutes and I lost track in less than 3 minutes..
I even offered some free wood - black walnut, cherry, etc.. hoping someone would help. Woods gone, I'm still a dunce!
frenchy... congratulations on overcomming the non-illigitimi
if you want to send me some hard copy pictures of your house , i'd be glad to scan them and post them for you
i bet you've got tons of kodaks , right ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Congratulations on a well-fought war.