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After 3 seperate trips to city hall... numerous changes and the best news of all(so far)...We are told we can "down grade the fire wall requirements (from 4 hour to 2 hour /the difference between 4 layers or 2 layers of 5/8" sheet rock.) The hitch? we have to move the building 10 feet off each property line ...not a problem as we were going to be 5' off before ( we could actually utilize the lot better) but we have to change the diminsions of the building from 50'x60' to 45'x 65' ( to stay within the corner "site triangle" (vision safety issue).
It was economically important enough to make that change, but it put us back to the drawing board and a "redraw" on the plans...after they are once again presented to the city and a few more things have been discussed we are told we can apply for our permits...this now becomes the contractors baby and his wife does all their permit work so now she's "driving the bus".
After her second trip to the city she calls and tells us we have to give up the back overhead door (for the 1000 sq. ft. lease space). We agree (just to get the permits approved...all the time thinking we can get it changed later).
Another 2 weeks go by and the engineer does a lot line adjustment for another small fee. After that sumbission we are approved and permits are in the works...10 days later they are in our hands (Nearly 6 months later than we expected)
All this hits around Christmas 2001 ( about the time all the sewer fiasco was going on)
In the mean time I am working on a solution to the overhead door problem and come up with some alternate approches. One is a 19' cut out of the back corner of the building to allow an overhead door... another was to utilize a double walk in door with no drive way.We opted for the first and resubmitted new plans (for a small fee)
Thinking we had it whipped I contacted the bulding contractor and told him of the change... and construction began with that plan in mind...this turned out to be a real blunder on my part(I can take it) once construction started it became real aparent a door that far into the building served no purpose. I stopped every thing for a few days and went back to the city and oppted to keep the building "square" and true to the original plan (less the overhead) this time a few intials on the blueprint was all that was required.
To go back a little ways this entire "door issue" came about because the city said we would be encourageing people to park across the city sidewalk. My coment at the time was..." if some one parks on the side walk ...write them a ticket and leave my building alone".
Near the end of the project I woke up one morning and told Pat "I'm going to the city and get our door today" I was hacked off when I got to city hall and when they told me the guy I need to see was in a planning meeting I told them I needed to see him NOW. He interupted the meeting while I pleaded my case (It didn't occur to me at the time...but we were in a room with 10 other people he worked with) and after they all heard the situation I was in... he looked at me looked at them and said ."OK...but you'll have to put up a sign that says NO PARKING and hang it across 2 bollard on either side of the drive way". "Done deal...I even know a guy that can do the sign"
The overhead door is back on and the contractor is ready to flip when I make another change to the same corner...but he did it. We originally wanted the door 3 feet off the back wall (to allow for more usable floor space)...construction had move to a point that to do that a new beam would have to be constructed and some major changes in architecture were going to cause drawing problems again ...the contractor pointed out that it wa 9' between beams and if we moved it in one section the door would fall center into the lease space. (It made sense and all we had to do was RE-INITIAL THE PLANS ONE MORE TIME). And move on!
[ September 28, 2002, 02:00 PM: Message edited by: Steve Shortreed ]
-------------------- "Werks fer me...it'll werk fer you"
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I'm always amazed when I see the aluminum sided building being framed up. When they start putting the frame up without having poured the cement slab, I can't help feeling a little doubtful. But all the results I've seen are pretty good.
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Santo, I would think that the beams being installed in the slab in Oklahoma would be a good idea. It is more open country and is windy there.
I asked a local contractor about that once and was given a "stupid woman" answer. He said that they don't like to do that down here because our humidity causes the concrete to hold moisture and would cause rust problems. Duh! The beams they use as bottom plates are resting on the slab and they insert the bolts into the slab before the concrete dries. Go figure! They weren't using stainless or brass bolts! Down here it is probably 6 or 1/2 dozen on that issue.
-------------------- Kathy Joiner River Road Graphics 41628 River Road Ponchatoula, La.70454
Old enough to know better...Too young to resist. Posts: 1891 | From: Ponchatoula, LA | Registered: Nov 2000
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Kathy, They are using wood frames here in Lafayette. Lay em out dig the holes, throw a little gravel in the bottom, and start the wooden framing for all outside walls. They come back and pump the cement after the frame work is done.
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