Posted on 11/03/2015 6:41:34 PM PST by TMD
This is an update to to a post from Aug 5, dealing with the local planning commission. We attempted to submit plans (small, <500 sq ft addition in an unused side yard at the back of our house - adding exactly 2 walls) to the building dept in July and were told we were in a 'special study zone' and our plans needed 'extra' scrutiny before we can submit them to the building dept. 95 days and an extra $2000 later, we were given permission to submit our plans (after we had to provided them a paint and roof sample). Our designer went to submit plans today. He called and said it was a "No-go, the city requires a listing of every material that's going to be used in the addition and 'prove' all materials are low-VOC".
I'm ready to just cash-out of this gawd-forsaken, miserable state that oozes with govt drones who justify their jobs by making hard-working, tax-paying, home owners and life-long California natives grovel, bow and scrape the floor begging for 'permission' to improve our homes, neighborhoods, city and community.
You'd need a permit for that virtually anywhere.
I had to submit [what a perfect word] plans to the planning commission in Menlo Park to build a house 13 years ago. What an ordeal that was.
My sympathies.
Come to Alaska! Freedom in huge quantities!
My fight at present is with the Historic Preservation people....who have absolutely no business telling people what to do with their house to keep it "original". I tell them...if that's what YOU want..."Buy it".
There is no health, safety or welfare issues with these groups. In fact, the opposite...they keep dilapidated buildings alive when they should be demolished.
We just had a good example....an old church burned down. It had already been condemned...but the preservation people insisted on some right to save it.
Beautiful!!
“A pox upon all their houses! “
Government control of private property was one of the primary tenets of Hitler’s fascist Germany. People were allowed to own private property provided its use advanced the goals of government. Those goals could change from day to day because the laws governing private property were vague and could be interpreted differently by various bureaucrats.
You are living in a fascist state.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.