ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Permit Snafus...AHJs and Contractors Jump in

Boy, I'm glad I live here! If I want a new garage, or a complete house for that matter, I just go see M. le maire. If he says yes, the Prefect [or for that matter the President of the Republic] can go jump in the lake! Permits are just 'general' paperwork, qualifying what is within the law for a project,[map, areas, access, boundaries, services, sewerage etc.], but primarily so the State can persue you for more tax once you have improved your lot by spending your own money. Tradesmen can only operate within the narrow confines of their own trade, having been trained and qualified in their metier. They and only they decide what is the correct way to do any job, on site at the time it is done. Like a doctor, what he says goes. There are inspections, [ by the poco, sewage tech, water co ], to cover for the occasional fool.
As to trees, they are a commodity not a tourist attraction. If you want lumber or firewood..."TIMBER!"

If anybody has time, and would like to 'see' the NJ Uniform Construction Code, the following link takes you there.

http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/codes/codreg/ucc.html

Reno:

I understand your thoughts that there may be what some perceive as 'too many inspections'. Could part of that be caused from a lack of communication between the builder/owner and the contractors.

As you mentioned a tree inspection, that is part of the site work, and has nothing to do with the building trades, but the responsibility of the developer/builder, owner. It falls to Engineering in the Twp I work in. Although it probably varies in other towns, with different departmental responsibilities.

Yes, it can be overwhelming.

[color:#660000]I dont think we have a total of 27 pages in all of VT Greg

I do not know the amount of paper involved from 'accross the hall' but before you can submit your building permit package, you are required to have zoning and/or engineering approvals. A basic zoning app is 1 page, 3 part NCR.

We have a very twisted thing going on here. The community of Estero wanted to secede from the county and become an incorporated town. In order to keep that tax base in the county coffers they made a deal with the devil, with a county ordinance. The Estero Design Committee has to stamp every permit that is not a stand alone single family dwelling (all commercial, new development or common property in an existing development). They have rules about what architecture is acceptable, trees, green space etc. That means everyone has the same "house of Zorro" look (barrel tile roof, taco bell facade with baby poop tan stucco).
This is an unelected board who are pretty much self appointed.
They are dominated by 2 gated community HOAs. I expect there will be a law suit some day that declares the whole thing unconstitutional but so far even Wal-Mart has bent over and taken their medicine in order to build here.

This is the only community in the county with this kind of power.

Amazing the hatred Ms. Rand inspires in some, and the desire to attack the messenger, rather than the message. I'm a bit thrown off by the fancy words in a couple posts; "Atlas Shrugged" is reserved for those of us limited to plain, literate English.

Another irony- one that has to be experienced to be appreciated- is the contrast between Reno, and my current area, near the Missouri bootheel.

At first the two cannot be more different: an involved permit process with multiple fees, vs. a near absence of permitting and inspections.

This may be heresy, but I fail to find any substantial difference in the quality or safety of the work I've seen, comparing the two areas.

Of course, the current situation -where the Reno area has essentially closed down their building departments, and filled the functions with park department personnel- helps to confirm that the REAL reasons for codes lie in control and revenue, rather than a concern for safety.

Contrast the assumptions of many in the inspection trade to the attitude voiced here by many, both within government and without: it's absolutely improper for government to think it has any right to tell a man what he can do with HIS property.

Now, Sparky, if I understand your post, that makes Arkansas something of a utopia. I'm pretty sure you're the first to say that!

These people are the opposite of that. They moved here from up north somewhere to "get away from it all" and now they want to bring "it all" here.

This is ironic since Estero was founded by the original Koreshans. (the guys the Waco people wanted to emulate)
Their leader was killed by the police too although the rest of the settlement was spared. No BATF with tanks in those days.


I beat them back in our little community by rallying the "silent majority". I rallied enough neighbors to defeat a proposal to reinstate deed restrictions 60-14 (the biggest turnout at an annual meeting in the 50 year history of the community. They expected to win 14 to 6 or 7.

There are still 14 people here who hate my guts FKM

We are really the only "unrestricted" managed development in Estero.
I used to be active in Estero politics but I walked out when they had a whole meeting about the size of an Arby's sign. (that was already the smallest one they had ever installed). It was literally 6' tall and could be covered with a 36" square of cardboard.