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Old 06-11-2008, 04:30 PM
 
Location: Rocket City, U.S.A.
1,806 posts, read 5,683,551 times
Reputation: 865

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OK, this is getting complicated.

I'm looking at small kits to fit our lot without covering it...husband is pushing for a basic, quality 6'X8' model while I was looking at an 8'X12'...whatever - it'll be a hobby coldhouse. No plumbing, no power, no heat.
These smaller versions are not too terribly involved. Dig, grade, put down the base, level and snap the rest together...not building a house, more like a shed.

So, just to be on the safe side, I pull up the Huntsville zoning site and try to translate the ordinances to see if I need a building permit.

"Accessory Dwelling". That most often describes a building that one can reside in, meaning habitable shelter, but it isn't spelled out in the documents I was perusing...

It seems unclear, so I send an email.
No response.

I Google some more.

No luck.

I call the Inspectors office. I get a live person who informs me that YES, this will be considered an "accessory dwelling" and that I need a permit.

Grumble.

So I pull up the Residential Information and Application page...dude - I need either to be a surveyor or hire one just to fill this thing out, and I'm not that simple-minded...
so I'm wondering if I can use the documents provided during the sale of the house or if I actually need to get someone out here to to measure my lot...

Bah. Husband isn't going to like the additional expense.

I searched online to see if we had anyone locally (Madison County) selling and possibly assembling greenhouse/coldhouses, but came up empty. Figured it would be appropriate to let someone with more know-how handle legal requirements and placement...but I guess most folks follow the paper trail and build themselves from kits.

Trying to find a good, compact jungle gym/tree fort swing set, too...but one with a wooden roof, not a nylon tarp...I see them in Tennessee and down in Birmingham, but so far nothing closer. :(

Any advice? Been there/done that?
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Old 06-11-2008, 11:17 PM
 
4,739 posts, read 10,375,824 times
Reputation: 4186
HSV likes permits, even for sheds (my experience), but it's like $15 for what you have in mind. The City uses a really cool GIS system; they'll pull up your satellite map for you when they process your permit (office on Fountain Row - old library). I suggest going down there; they'll accept a rough drawing of your plans if you're building it yourself. BTW, they also use the GIS to check for unpermitted structures...

I'm surprised that you haven't gotten a response from your email.
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Old 06-12-2008, 12:06 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,420,217 times
Reputation: 17827
Quote:
Originally Posted by 33458 View Post

Any advice? Been there/done that?

Any potential HOA or CC&R issues?
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Old 06-12-2008, 04:42 PM
 
Location: Rocket City, U.S.A.
1,806 posts, read 5,683,551 times
Reputation: 865
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
Any potential HOA or CC&R issues?
Charles -
No HOA in Oak Park, and I like it that way...the folks up in my area take care of their property well enough without one. And I'm making them all happy because this place has been 'neglected' for 15 years; overgrown and weedy...slow-going, but my pick-ax and shovel have made me welcome around here.

Anybody want some supposedly 'non-invasive' Bamboo? Oh boy...

What is CC&R?

One of the questions I wanted answered was - can I place this on the side of my house, toward the back, and not directly in the back yard behind the house? The perfect spot for sunlight and shade conditions, as well as winter wind block is right between my house and the neighbor, but we have an elevated bank between us (he's much higher - and friendly) so he wouldn't be looking right at it from his window. My lot has ample trees on that side as to not make this an eyesore...and we're buying a 'pretty-pretty' greenhouse, anyway...

I suspect it'll have to go in the back near the second garage. But then that brings up another issue.

Reactionary - there was some weirdness mentioned when completing the final paperwork as we purchased the house...we being the fourth owners - I think.
There is a second garage/workshop that was built in the 80's, matches the house - a tinker's dream come true...there were no red flags about the building itself, shows on every document, but the attorney handling the transaction said, "Hmmn, looks like they built partially on the easement, I'll have to look in to that..." and then suggested it was probably 'grandfathered in' since it had been there almost as long as the house.
This was the only map that showed as being so.

He said he'd let us know if there was a problem...never heard anything.

I wonder if they pulled a permit for the woodland gazebo - that thing has been there forever, too. Unused for years, It's my potting shed.

If I didn't think I actually needed a greenhouse, I'd not chance the attention, but then again - wouldn't this have been addressed before now?
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Old 06-12-2008, 05:09 PM
 
4,739 posts, read 10,375,824 times
Reputation: 4186
They mostly use the GIS for property tax (you pay more for improvements like your gazebo), it compares "old" pictures to "new" pictures.

IMO the City wouldn't come after you if you didn't get a permit for your new greenhouse (not that I would ever recommend such a dereliction I can't imagine them coming after you for your existing workshop encroachment on the easement, especially since it's been so long and it sounds like the easement isn't used much. Permits weren't a big deal back in the day for outbuildings.

IIRC they have a setback rule for (your new) construction, like 4 or 5 feet from your property line.

You wouldn't believe how common it is for older neighborhoods to have easement problems and such. For example, when my little sister was looking at houses, we saw one where part of the detached garage had been built on the neighbor's property - the house had been sold several times and each time all it took for the mortgage was a note from the City (of Smyrna) saying that everyone was aware of the situation. She didn't buy that house (but she wanted to). BTW, she used to live right down the street from you on Polk.

I went to a 'Lawn Care' class last night presented by the Extension Agent. He loathes bamboo; it is very invasive and can take years to kill. He loves Round-up.

Kill the bamboo! Round-up! Kill!
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Old 06-12-2008, 07:18 PM
 
23,517 posts, read 69,907,878 times
Reputation: 48878
The simple solution for your greenhouse? Buy a utility trailer and construct the greenhouse on it. Then you can move it around the yard as needed to catch the sun or shade it. Since it isn't a structure on the ground, it falls outside of zoning and codes. If the city gets picky, take the greenhouse on vacation.

FWIW, Countryside or Grit has plans for a greenhouse about the size you want this month.

Harry, who has a big greenhouse that is very hot this time of year and cold during the winter. Permits? Permits?? We don' need no steenkin permits. We are the Federallies. We also live in an area that doesn't require them.
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Old 06-12-2008, 10:50 PM
 
Location: Rocket City, U.S.A.
1,806 posts, read 5,683,551 times
Reputation: 865
Quote:
Originally Posted by harry chickpea View Post
The simple solution for your greenhouse? Buy a utility trailer and construct the greenhouse on it. Then you can move it around the yard as needed to catch the sun or shade it. Since it isn't a structure on the ground, it falls outside of zoning and codes. If the city gets picky, take the greenhouse on vacation.

FWIW, Countryside or Grit has plans for a greenhouse about the size you want this month.

Harry, who has a big greenhouse that is very hot this time of year and cold during the winter. Permits? Permits?? We don' need no steenkin permits. We are the Federallies. We also live in an area that doesn't require them.
That made me laugh out loud...was even worth TYPING that out. My neighbor on the other side would get a kick out of that - he has a large trailer for his motorcycles parked right next to the property line (2nd lot, still gotta homestead this stuff).
I'm kinda stuck as to where I can put the greenhouse - while I have half an acre, some is in front and much in back is wooded. I don't want to place it smack dab in the middle of the back yard because I have a sweet view of blissful nothingness...and the occasional fox or deer.
I'm clearing out the young multiples (Maples, much?) and clearly misguided plantings (was told Honeysuckle, but I remember that being a vine - this evil thing is a shrub...anyway - prolific stuff that needs to GO AWAY.)

Reactionary

I know of GIS, they use that or something just like it, in FL, too...

This Bamboo...uhm, that was the second thing I mentioned with some irritation when I saw the back yard...the first was, "Is that Kudzu!? ACK!" (Not - is rampant English Ivy).
There IS a non-invasive bamboo (cough-cough) but that only means so much in the south...this is definitely controlled by winter, otherwise it would be everywhere instead of just sprawling sloppily in one section...but I can just picture the home-owner, however many years ago, planting this small thatch to compliment the long dead Koi pond (Oh yeah - remnants of that, too) without considering the long term...

I have my work cut out for me...and it ain't all gonna happen this year.

Got thirty Hosta on the way - get them in the ground in various locations to start framing the woodland gardens...keep digging up the PI...need to buy a composter and about $300.00 worth of mulch, $10.00 at a time.

Oh - I just found out last weekend what chiggers are, the hard way.

Ode to the pest:

These chiggers they bite as kin a mite, then to a gardeners woe tick become my foe.
Debriding skin, puzzled how they got in, damn little flea - stop EATING me!

I live on Benedryl and coffee.
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Old 06-18-2008, 04:34 PM
 
Location: Rocket City, U.S.A.
1,806 posts, read 5,683,551 times
Reputation: 865
Default Hey - I finally got a response to my email:

73.8 - Location of Accessory Structures on Residential Lots



Accessory structures in residential districts and on any lot used primarily for

residential purposes shall conform to the following regulations:



73.8.1 No accessory structure shall be erected in any required front or

side yard except underground fallout shelters provided for under

Section 73.2 hereof. Accessory structures shall not exceed two (2)

stories in height and shall not cover more than thirty percent

(30%) of any required rear yard and shall be at least five (5) feet

from all lot lines and ten (10) feet from any other structure on the

same lot.



73.8.2 On corner lots, detached residence accessory structures (except

underground fallout shelters) shall not be located closer to a street

than the minimum building line. (63-93)



As you noted, any structure must also be located outside of any easement on the property.



Your property is zoned Residence 1-A District and is also subject to a maximum lot coverage for all structures of 25%.



“Play-sets” that are not covered would not be considered structures and therefore not subject to the above regulations.



OK...so it's not going in the sweet spot...(more grumbling)
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