(Part 2) To Platt or Not to Platt . . .

Cliff hanger! So, when I left you last, we had decided NOT to platt Lazy Fox. This resulted in a new home design that incorporated the existing house, as tearing it down was the trigger for platting. The new home design is one we liked more than the other one. And so, it would seem, that all is right with Lazy Fox. HAHA! That's hilarious. Read on, my friends.

In October of 2013 we brought two different builders out to Lazy Fox to give us an idea of cost. What they both gave us was something different altogether: the perspective that the additional money we'd spend saving the house would easily outweigh the cost of platting (especially sweet given that we paid additional in architectural fees when we decided not to platt). Taking this into consideration, along side the fact that all new construction would be easier on a number of levels, we decided to revisit the platting process. In November we went to a Conceptual Design Review, where the various city departments gave us a list of what we'd need to do should we platt. The 6 pages of notes left us feeling overwhelmed. We took a break and went on vacation . . . or rather, everyone got sick except me so we cancelled our travel plans and had a "staycation" (where a bottle of wine and I cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner alone together- it was awesome).

There may have actually been more than one bottle of wine involved.

December was spent discussing, worrying, crying, feeling overwhelmed. We took a break and went on vacation- for reals this time. In January we decided to platt the property, which would of course mean more changes to the architectural plan. Once we got word of the fees associated with that, we felt platting and allowing all new construction outweighed the potential can 'o worms the existing house could be. And then something awesome happened, if you count feeling so over it, so the underdog, so out of your league that you don't know what to do, as awesome.

The last week in February we got word from a local engineering firm that all of the studies and work required on their end for the platt would total . . . wait for it . . . $30,000! After the smelling salts were issued, I got on the phone. It was starting to feel like some fundamental miscommunication was happening. We are not developers! We are a family of four humans and two dogs, and we just want to build a home that honors the super cool property we happened upon. We are not "redeveloping" the land, as the triggers in the code would suggest. Apparently the 5 or 6 thousand we would have spent on platting were the least of our worries; "redevelopment" and the issuing of a new certificate of occupancy are what we wanted to avoid.

In a flurry of meetings with city representatives from zoning, building, and storm water, we learned that:

• the code is insane unless you are a developer;
• not many city employees support enforcing the code if they feel it's getting in the way of earnest development;
• there's always a work around, especially if you're persistent.

The fall out: we do NOT have to platt or get a new certificate of occupancy!! This is especially good news for us as the budget gets tighter and the time frame gets longer. All we have to do is keep the original 800 sq foot, 100 year old, concrete foundation and the city will consider it an addition and a remodel. WHEW!

Three cheers for persistence, my friends. Three cheers.