This should answer any questions about why we want to have pygmy goats on our homestead...
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
some progress...
Saw Art today, and he said that the surveyors finally got out and surveyed the lot last week. It took them 3 months to come out and survey one acre, but only one day to send a bill.
Ugh.
We're going to see banks this coming week — hopefully they'll give us some real answers about how the loan process works. We've decided to cut the printing studio out of the plans for now; it looks like we're going to need to scale back the plans a bit in order to make building the house affordable.
Art also told us that now the county has decided to let us officially split the lot WITHOUT the road improvements. This seems to be 180 degrees from what they've been saying for the last 2 years. We still have to do the road improvements, but they're holding the building permits until the road improvements are made. This means that we should be able to put the road improvement costs ($17,000+) on our mortgage, but it may slow the initiation of the house building process.
Well, with the baby coming sooner than we realize, slowing down the house may not be a bad thing. A friend noted today that I seem really relaxed about things, and she thought it might be the pregnancy hormones. I think I'm just so tired of stressing out that I don't give a crap about a lot of things anymore.
Ugh.
We're going to see banks this coming week — hopefully they'll give us some real answers about how the loan process works. We've decided to cut the printing studio out of the plans for now; it looks like we're going to need to scale back the plans a bit in order to make building the house affordable.
Art also told us that now the county has decided to let us officially split the lot WITHOUT the road improvements. This seems to be 180 degrees from what they've been saying for the last 2 years. We still have to do the road improvements, but they're holding the building permits until the road improvements are made. This means that we should be able to put the road improvement costs ($17,000+) on our mortgage, but it may slow the initiation of the house building process.
Well, with the baby coming sooner than we realize, slowing down the house may not be a bad thing. A friend noted today that I seem really relaxed about things, and she thought it might be the pregnancy hormones. I think I'm just so tired of stressing out that I don't give a crap about a lot of things anymore.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
backyard birdies
Well, we've moved. Not to the Blue Lake Bungalow, but we're slowly getting closer. We now are in a bigger, older, colder house in the big city, Eureka. These are just some of the birds that like the overgrown berry briars in the backyard. They really appreciate the seed we have been putting out at this time of year. They're kind of blurry, but there's a hummingbird there, and tons of goldfinches, house finches, pine siskins and miscellaneous sparrows.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
quoted from DJ...
... because it's 4:30 a.m. and I can't sleep. Too tired to rewrite the e-mail he sent (a week ago), but not tired enough to actually fall asleep. I hate that.
"I just got off the phone with Michael La Grand in the Public Works Department and he said we can't really do the road improvements during the rainy season, but there is a mechanism that allows for the parcel to be recorded prior to the road improvements actually being completed.
It's called a parcel map subdivision agreement. All we have to do is write a letter explaining that we would like to request a parcel map subdivision agreement with the county, along with our road improvement plans and a plan check/permit deposit of $X00 to the Department of Public Works*. Once they process the request you should be allowed to record the subdivision, secure financing, and submit for plan check on your house plans. The Building Department will perform their review, but will withhold the actual permit until the road improvements are done, however this could be done in a matter of days rather than weeks or months. You could start building your house the day after the road is finished. You should have plenty of time to secure your financing between now and next spring."
This is really great news. We'll be able to utilize the rainy season for paperwork, and get started building first thing in the spring.
*extortion again; probably the 10th time we've gone through something like this, but we'll do whatever it takes to not be set back any further.
"I just got off the phone with Michael La Grand in the Public Works Department and he said we can't really do the road improvements during the rainy season, but there is a mechanism that allows for the parcel to be recorded prior to the road improvements actually being completed.
It's called a parcel map subdivision agreement. All we have to do is write a letter explaining that we would like to request a parcel map subdivision agreement with the county, along with our road improvement plans and a plan check/permit deposit of $X00 to the Department of Public Works*. Once they process the request you should be allowed to record the subdivision, secure financing, and submit for plan check on your house plans. The Building Department will perform their review, but will withhold the actual permit until the road improvements are done, however this could be done in a matter of days rather than weeks or months. You could start building your house the day after the road is finished. You should have plenty of time to secure your financing between now and next spring."
This is really great news. We'll be able to utilize the rainy season for paperwork, and get started building first thing in the spring.
*extortion again; probably the 10th time we've gone through something like this, but we'll do whatever it takes to not be set back any further.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Tentative Schedule
October 2007 - Submit completed improvement plans to County
December 2007 - Prepare Parcel Map
(after approval of improvement plans)
April 15 2008 - Construct Road Improvements
April 30 2008 - Submit parcel map & evidence of completed
conditions of approval (including all waivers, letters, fees & conveyances)
May 30 2008 - Map is recorded.
May 30 2008 - Submit construction plans for the house
July 1 2008 - Start construction on the house
Judging by what we've already been through, I think the parts of that timeline that depend on the county are very hopeful. They will almost certainly take longer. Call me a pessimist, but the system has not been on our side thus far.
I just hope we're in our house before the end of this decade. This process is so frustrating.
December 2007 - Prepare Parcel Map
(after approval of improvement plans)
April 15 2008 - Construct Road Improvements
April 30 2008 - Submit parcel map & evidence of completed
conditions of approval (including all waivers, letters, fees & conveyances)
May 30 2008 - Map is recorded.
May 30 2008 - Submit construction plans for the house
July 1 2008 - Start construction on the house
Judging by what we've already been through, I think the parts of that timeline that depend on the county are very hopeful. They will almost certainly take longer. Call me a pessimist, but the system has not been on our side thus far.
I just hope we're in our house before the end of this decade. This process is so frustrating.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
APPROVED!!!
Well, we're finally over the biggest hurdle we've come to yet. The Planning Commission approved our lot split plan as is. That's the short version of it... here's how it actually went down:
On Sept. 6, 2007, Andy picked me up after work and we drove to Eureka. We planned on getting some take-out sushi for dinner and eating it at the meeting. We arrived at the sushi place just at 5:30pm, and the one teenage employee was closing up. Bummer. So, we headed to the Co-Op for a quick bite. We ran around the store, picking up random food items since the deli was cleaned out and quickly headed for the checkout line. The checkout was excruciatingly slow. Andy offered to bag the groceries of the lady in front of me because the checker was so slow. It helped, but it still took 10 minutes to get 2 people (including myself and my 6 items) through the line.
The meeting started at 6, and we barely made it in time. We walked into the Board of Supervisors' chambers, and saw Andy's parents and DJ. I also noticed "Neighbor X," the neighbor who had raised a stink 2 days before. My heart started racing. Why was he there if not to testify against our project? Andy and I end up sitting next to his folks and DJ, and right in front of Mr. X. There was also another neighbor there, though I've never met him and couldn't pick him out of the crowd. Apparently, he was on our side, which was nice to know. Andy and I quickly chomp down some food and rustle our bags before the meeting is called to order.
So, the dude starts the meeting, we wipe the crumbs from the corners of our mouths, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and get down to business. The dude makes a motion to move certain more time-consuming agenda topics to the end of the meeting. Done. Next item: he goes through the list, asking for a show of hands if people wish to testify on a certain issue. He gets to our project, #5 on the agenda, and my heart is literally pounding out of my chest. Nothing is said, and I want nothing more than to turn around and make sure Mr. X does not raise his hand, but I resist. Heart still pounding, because I don't know for sure... did he or didn't he? The dude gets through the rest of the agenda items, and recites back the agenda items to which no one wanted to testify. 2, 4, 7... WHAT? I didn't think my heart could beat any faster if I were trying to keep up with Andy in a 5K! One of the other dudes on the Commission pipes up and says the dude skipped #5. THANK YOU!!! The dude re-reads the list... 2, 4, 5, 7, etc. These items are approved without controversy. HOORAY! The dude says people that are in attendance regarding these items are free to leave, so we go, smiling from ear to ear.
We still have plenty of other hurdles to clear, but it looks as though they'll have to wait until spring. For now, we need to get the final map drawn by a licensed surveyor, get the map recorded by the County, get approved for a loan, finalize the building plans, choose a contractor, etc. So much to do, and it feels like forever until spring, but I know it'll be here before we know it.
On Sept. 6, 2007, Andy picked me up after work and we drove to Eureka. We planned on getting some take-out sushi for dinner and eating it at the meeting. We arrived at the sushi place just at 5:30pm, and the one teenage employee was closing up. Bummer. So, we headed to the Co-Op for a quick bite. We ran around the store, picking up random food items since the deli was cleaned out and quickly headed for the checkout line. The checkout was excruciatingly slow. Andy offered to bag the groceries of the lady in front of me because the checker was so slow. It helped, but it still took 10 minutes to get 2 people (including myself and my 6 items) through the line.
The meeting started at 6, and we barely made it in time. We walked into the Board of Supervisors' chambers, and saw Andy's parents and DJ. I also noticed "Neighbor X," the neighbor who had raised a stink 2 days before. My heart started racing. Why was he there if not to testify against our project? Andy and I end up sitting next to his folks and DJ, and right in front of Mr. X. There was also another neighbor there, though I've never met him and couldn't pick him out of the crowd. Apparently, he was on our side, which was nice to know. Andy and I quickly chomp down some food and rustle our bags before the meeting is called to order.
So, the dude starts the meeting, we wipe the crumbs from the corners of our mouths, recite the Pledge of Allegiance and get down to business. The dude makes a motion to move certain more time-consuming agenda topics to the end of the meeting. Done. Next item: he goes through the list, asking for a show of hands if people wish to testify on a certain issue. He gets to our project, #5 on the agenda, and my heart is literally pounding out of my chest. Nothing is said, and I want nothing more than to turn around and make sure Mr. X does not raise his hand, but I resist. Heart still pounding, because I don't know for sure... did he or didn't he? The dude gets through the rest of the agenda items, and recites back the agenda items to which no one wanted to testify. 2, 4, 7... WHAT? I didn't think my heart could beat any faster if I were trying to keep up with Andy in a 5K! One of the other dudes on the Commission pipes up and says the dude skipped #5. THANK YOU!!! The dude re-reads the list... 2, 4, 5, 7, etc. These items are approved without controversy. HOORAY! The dude says people that are in attendance regarding these items are free to leave, so we go, smiling from ear to ear.
We still have plenty of other hurdles to clear, but it looks as though they'll have to wait until spring. For now, we need to get the final map drawn by a licensed surveyor, get the map recorded by the County, get approved for a loan, finalize the building plans, choose a contractor, etc. So much to do, and it feels like forever until spring, but I know it'll be here before we know it.
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