GOT IT! Let the Chaos Begin!!

Got there Friday morning first thing hoping to drop off my plans for Bistra. She actually showed up and told me to lay out the plans so she could see the changes. After a couple of hours, plans were reviewed and I was just waiting for the next step.

Bistra appeared out of the back and said, "Let's go." She took me over to another counter where I received my final stamped plans and building permit invoice. Took it downstairs, paid for the permit, and returned with receipt. Done! Called contractor and said we were ready to start Monday. Relief at last - even if it is still "at risk".

Permitting Deeper? Or just crazier?

So here's how it went down for getting the At Risk Permit. You have to be on the docket for a BZA meeting to secure your variance. With that date in hand, you then sign a letter saying that you want an At Risk Permit and drop it to the City Building folks. One catch: IF you don't get your variance from BZA, any work you have performed must be demolished within 30 days. Big IF huh?

For me, I didn't see the downside in At Risk. There were no grounds to be denied, so I figured this whole BZA thing was just a formality. Real downside was waiting an extra month and then having the house in shambles while Wendy is going mental preparing for school to start. No competition on what I should do.

Plan was to charge forward with plans and go to the June 6 BZA for variance approval. That meant my real focus needed to be getting the architectural plans finalized, with structural engineer's letter, to get my At Risk Permit. Sound crazy? I'm sure many thought so.

You Thought You Knew Chaos - and Volume

But until you've had a tree guy taking down a huge white oak (chainsaws) while an electrician runs all through

your house turning off power (drilling holes) while a chimney guy starts cleaning out your fireplace (shop vac) - ALL while your 4-part family is home for the summer, you really can just think you know chaos. And this is all while you're trying to find subcontractors and deal with getting a building permit.

Good times.

Variance fun & Permitting OR How to lose your mind and learn to like living alone on an island

Applied for City variance and paid required fee. They said, "Go to LCNA and NPU meetings in April, then come see us in May" and I was put on the BZA docket. Emailed my NPU rep as City told me and he said, "Just go to LCNA meeting and then we'll touch base." Gave LCNA additional documents they required and went to meeting - APPROVED. First hurdle overcome.

Spent too much time uncovering subcontractors and trying to make decisions. Meanwhile, my NPU meeting passed without me. Never heard from them, though neighborhood passed along their approval. Few days later found a text message from NPU rep asking if I was coming to the meeting (I rarely text and don't get alerts). Emailed him and he asked if I was still going to BZA meeting as scheduled or did I want to defer until next month's NPU meeting? I said I was going to BZA. Since BZA really makes decision and my neighborhood approved, why shouldn't I?

Because they would deny me! Thought this was a no-brainer but realized I was without the brain. Since NPU "deferred" my case, BZA refused to pass judgement. Told them my neighborhood approved unanimously but they still refused my variance. I was stunned. Was I now going to have to wait a full month, or more, before starting this reno? This would not be good for creating calm before Wendy went back to teaching at the beginning of August.

Stumbled out of the meeting dazed and confused. As I stood outside the doors, someone asked me, "Do you need help?" I asked if she understood variances and started to share my tale. She turned out to be with the Mayor's office and immediately got on the phone and connected with someone in building permits. I met with Ann Heard and she talked about "the Agee rule" and what my options were. Really, there was only one option - AT RISK PERMIT. Did not sound fun.

Plunging Head First

So deciding to be the GC means that I'm responsible for all the subcontractors AND the joy of permitting.
For us, the first step was a variance.

Since we're City of Atlanta, we need to have a variance. Usually a variance is if you're expanding the footprint of your house, building a huge SnoCone on top of your house, or somehow changing the birds-eye view of your home. Not so in the City of Atlanta. "Grandfathering in" isn't really accepted. Now our plans are to go straight up vertically and not have a neon Santa rotating above height restrictions. Still we need a variance. Here's why...

So our home was built in the late 1930s early 40s by my stepfather Russell Dale's parents. We've got an old picture from 1941 that shows a sapling where a mammoth oak now stands. Back then the setbacks weren't quite the same as today. Meaning that it was ok to be just 5 feet from your neighbor's property line and not a big deal if you were only 32 feet from the street. Today, those distances are 7 & 35 respectively.

So we had 2 choices, we make our granite-based home 2 feet narrower and move it back 3 feet or get a variance. So the process began. It's a 3-step process.

First, you find out when the City of Atlanta's BZA (Board of Zoning Adjustment) meetings are. Sometimes

they're only once a month and their deadline is way in advance. I just made the March 20th application deadline for the MAY 9 meeting! Next meeting wouldn't be until June 6. They ask for all kinds of documents and fortunately I had them because we had our architect early. Plan accordingly.

Second, you go to your neighborhood association's regularly monthly meeting PRIOR to the BZA's meeting. My Lake Claire Neighborhood Association met at end of April. Now I had to notify them I was applying for a variance. They wanted additional drawing, maps, and signatures from all neighbors within 100 feet or so. That meant I ended up getting 15 neighbors "ok" to do my renovation that would not impede their sightlines, sunshine, or quality of life. Fortunately, I have terrific neighbors so this part went smoothly (remember I only asked for change in setback from 7 to 5 and 35 to 32 feet).

Third, you go to your Neighborhood Planning Unit (NPU) monthly meeting. City is divided up into NPUs and each one is kind of an oversight for multiple neighborhoods. They can dislike something your neighborhood liked and vice-versa. Usually they work together.

With the thumbs up from Neighborhood and NPU, you go to BZA (see how you have to get the scheduling right?), and they make the final determination. First two can deny your variance but the BZA is the only one that has the true authority in this triumvirate. They can say Yea or Nay. How hard can this be?