<p>Something is seriously wrong with that request…can you appeal to someone? Call the mayor’s office for help?</p>
<p>Can you go in and talk to the guy??</p>
<p>I have a phone appointment with him. But the earliest he can talk to me is 1pm Friday which will then bleed into the weekend before I can figure out how to fix these plans.</p>
<p>I’m going to point out to this guy the FAA guidelines and try to figure out what he needs on plans to ensure that height of home is only 15ft - not 200 ft!!!</p>
<p>Meanwhile I loaded a couple of photos of the completed Nuclear Fence and a photo from street showing how it sits on property line. In the photo, the retaining wall along street is the property line and the big telephone pole in background is back property sight line. We are just a smidge inside the property line, Phew!!</p>
<p>And some pictures of finished stucco repair which came out very nice</p>
<p>Accomplished this week:</p>
<p>Nuclear Fence - has double pieces of metal roofing to ensure water proofing and super stiff
Put in the drain system in courtyard that drains out to front of house
New pressure treated moisture resistant floor joists in bathroom
Tore off all plaster on the walls being moved for bathroom
New crawlspace and attic screen vents
HVAC connected to gas line so that we can do a gas pressure leak test
Attic structure changes required for moving bathroom and closet walls</p>
<p>On Saturday, the roofing guy is coming to work with my crew to redo the roof structure in Utility Room to beef it up for future City inspections</p>
<p>This regulatory stuff has officially achieved insanity. The FAA???</p>
<p>Not to mention he has at least four requirements on there for a ‘special inspector’ to be hired to come verify the paint being used, resilient flooring and lumber products for some kind of Section 4.504.1 Cal Green, whatever that is. And a million forms I have to fill out regarding all products being used.</p>
<p>Have you considered retaining a land-use attorney with experience with the San Diego building and planning department? Or some other specialist to get this through the process? Someone with experience may be able to cut through all this red tape in a couple of hours.</p>
<p>If you go the atty route, get someone who has some deep connections within the permitting hornets’ nest. My take on this is that getting a lawyer involved in the middle of the process could backfire - some of these bureaucrats despise lawyers.</p>
<p>This is why people do not get permits!!! Because getting one is worse than dunking one’s head into a toilet!!!</p>
<p>This is beginning to sound crazy. Is this guy in bed with the Bad Neighbor? Is this guy delusional??</p>
<p>I understand California has all sorts of Green-type requirements, so that doesn’t sound bizarre to me. But why did he think you were trying to make the utility room into a bedroom? Why does he think your house is too high for the flight path? This is beginning to be Monte-Python-esque.</p>
<p>This is starting to sound like the movie “The Money Pit!” Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction… I just can’t wrap my head around the FAA stuff…</p>
<p>Off to City early this morning again. I believe my Historical Review is complete and I want to be there to pick it up to see if it is more bad news. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, I am going to stand in line and ask for Structural Over the Counter help regarding FAA issues and explain the discrepancy between the department reviews. </p>
<p>If I can ever figure out an answer to the addition/Utility Room design then we should be able to produce a new set of plans and give them to an independent Structural Review for ‘calculations’. I have the Stuctural Review guy on hold waiting for his review so that might not take too long, but it cost money.</p>
<p>PERMIT UPDATE
Well, some small victories today!!!
First, I wasted my time driving down to City Hall, parking and getting into the building before 8am. I thought I had scored a personal victory!! Only to find out that Permit Department does not open until 10am on Fridays. Uggghhh</p>
<p>Off to Home Depot to pick up a bunch of lumber, which of course no one was available to help me pull onto the cart OR load into the truck. That was grueling because they were 12’ long and I had to load them through the back window in the cab and tie them down (I suck at that, don’t like having to get my old butt up into the bed of the truck).</p>
<p>Back to City Hall right at 10:15 and I was able to pick up the final review from Historical. One small victory - plans approved and they have not designated the house as ‘historical’. This means I can keep all of the windows that are already here at the project and do anything I want with the exterior without someone telling me what I can or cannot do.</p>
<p>Then I lucked out and was able to sit with the Zoning Review guy who recognized me as I walked by. He said 'no matter what Structural says, we will not approve without closing off the wall". That’s all I had to hear!!!</p>
<p>Then the Structural Review guy actually answered the phone this weekend and told me that there was a ‘self certification’ form on their website that I can print out and certify that I am not required to submit to FAA. I also need to have the structural engineer ‘stamp’ something onto the plans certifying the same. Hopefully the guy has some experience with this nonsense and knows what to ‘stamp’ onto the plans.</p>
<p>Got all the final corrections back to draftsman and I have the updated plans with corrections and comments back in my hands. Now, all I have to do is find a print shop open on weekends that can print out some hard copy plans and then I will drive them over to the Structural Engineer and hopefully be ready to go by about Tuesday next week for Round 2!</p>
<p>Coralbrook -congrats! And when you get tired of flipping, you can open a business of doing the “permit ritual dance” for others! :)</p>
<p>I’m still working on long lead materials that I need to get ordered so that we can just fly when we start construction again. I have just ordered this large 72" wide vanity for the main bathroom. Some of you may not like it, but I decided to have a little fun with color and the shower/floors will be neutral</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Decorators-Collection-Barcelona-73-in-Vanity-in-Teal-Blue-with-China-White-Marble-Top-and-Undermount-Sink-1975500330/205194539?N=5yc1vZbzarZ2bctwg”>http://www.homedepot.com/p/Home-Decorators-Collection-Barcelona-73-in-Vanity-in-Teal-Blue-with-China-White-Marble-Top-and-Undermount-Sink-1975500330/205194539?N=5yc1vZbzarZ2bctwg</a></p>
<p>Main issue is that this is one piece, probably with heavy marble already installed. When this arrives the guys will just kill me as they try to carry it up the stairs, get it through the front door and then have to get it through the 24" wide bathroom door to get it installed! I will not be popular at all. I ordered one of these giant single piece vanities several years ago and they made me promise never again - and there weren’t any stairs at that house 
</p>
<p>Ooh, I real like the vanity.</p>
<p>72". Won’t it go through the door on end?</p>
<p>I don’t understand what they mean about closing the wall in the shed. Do you mean they don’t want that room to be accessible directly from the house? </p>
<p>cb, congratulations on finally getting answers. Bumping into the Zoning Review guy was a stroke of good luck. Now you know how to move ahead. What a relief!!</p>
<p>Still wishing karma on your nasty neighbor. (I hold grudges.)</p>
<p>Yay for finally getting answers and avoiding the historical designation-- that can be such a hassle.</p>
<p>And I’m with VeryHappy on karma for the nasty neighbor…</p>