OT equipment shed

[D Squared]

I was going to build an equipment shed so I went down to get a permit. I have 2 adjoining lots that equal seven acres with a barn and a chicken coop that are on the county records as 100 years old. As you turn into my drive you go about 600 feet and turn 90 degrees to the right you are looking at the front of my house. The township law is written that the property between the road and your house is your "front" yard. (my side yard) I can't build anything between my house and the road (my "front" yard). However I can build it in my "side" yard (the real front yard). I can't build anything on a lot without a house on it (my adjoining lot). It gets better. My barn and chicken coop are in my "front" yard and are ilegal but they are grandfathered in. Did I say barn and chicken coop? I am zoned residential and can't have animals. I can go to zoning appeals and argue the point.....for $375.

 

[MNPete]

I wouldn"t have bothered with the permit....
pete

 

[edhOH]

Makes perfect sense. Heck, it sounds like the opening lyrics for a C.W. McCall song.

Thankfully, I live in an area with no zoning. It makes for some very interesting sites.

 

[TheOldHokie]

(quoted from post at 12:23:00 05/12/10) I wouldn"t have bothered with the permit....
pete

So you would construct a building knowing the municipality can make you tear it down?

I've been through this 'front yard" thing myself. I have no public road frontage and the permits people were quite reasonable - they concluded I do not have a "front" yard :shock:

TOH

 

[lastcamp2]

Have you asked for a variance, or exception, from the ordinance?

 

[D Squared]

It costs $375 to ASK for a variance.

 

[Jubilee85 (VA)]

These arent good answers but here goes.....

can you update your barn? increase it's size or redo it? Or move the contents? How big is the old barn and how big do you need to get your equipment in ? A lean to could work off the old barn ?

you could make the TWO lots ONE....I did that, yes it does cost to resurvey and remap it ....but now you HAVE A HOUSE ON THAT lot.....

not good answers but .....

 

[D Squared]

Pete, unfortunatly I live in a booming area. The county takes aerial photos every 3 years. They would know. I have seen them make somebody tear a garage down.

 

[D Squared]

I did sneak a lean to on the barn about 10 years ago. They did not make me tear it down but added the value of it to my property tax when they saw it. The biggest problem with combining the lots is the location for the new shed is still in the "front" yard. The only other place I have for it would be the "back" yard (according to the county) that is heavily wooded and across a creek. And as far as changing the barn goes, the rule is that if you change anything, you have to bring it up to current code. (it's in the "front" so it can't happen.)

 

[Anonymous-0]

Gotta love the gov't these days. Where I live now there is no zoning (yet), but where I used to live I had to have permits for everything, yet my next door neighbor (county fair board) built a public restroom and tractor pull track next door in a residential zoned area (same zoning as my property where I could not do anything). The tractor pulls were 30 feet from my yard, and lasted half the night. When I screamed they told me they could do that since it was a 'public park'. When I proved to them it was not a park, but private property owned by a board they deeded it to the city and made it one, and basically told me to shut up and live with it or move. I gave up finally, but made life miserable for them for a while. All depends on who you know or don't know. There are usually ways around anything if you look hard enough though.

 

[old]

That is why I love where I live. No laws telling me I can or can not build something and I can build it any way I want with any thing I want. My hay barn was built from all salvage stuff and cost me less then $200 to build but yet it holds all my hay

 

[Anonymous-0]

I feel for ya D - is there any loop-holes that might be out there. For instance, where we live you do not need a building permit if the structure is built on skids. Also we were able to avoid getting a permit to build a porch as long as the porch was not connected to the house - it is right against the house but not connected. I go out of my way to keep the county folks from "stopping by"!

 

[lha]

That is what happens when a rural area is taken over by a nearby city or town.Where I used to live,in far south Texas 12mi from Brownsville,Tx.The city "drew a line"on the opposite side of the highway, where not much of anything existed.A developement had taken place on that side of the hwy,so the city picked an arbitrary spot to include the new houses& pulled an arc[line]to include part of my lot &the entirety of the rest of the houses.they put an announcement in the newspaper[which was not delivered in the area]and in a short time,they had us.this included TAXES,but no services.---lha

 

[Josh Cronk]

Would they let you build a "garage" in your front yard?
In my area pole barns and buildings build on skids don't require building permits.
Any loop holes like that apply to you?

 

[wickedsix]

Can you replat the lots into 1 big lot?

 

[D Squared]

A few answers
I would have to have a variance to put the building the only place I want it. They will not consider a variance without first bringing the lot up to code. This could be done by either combiningn the 2 lots (that I don't want to do) or transferring a peice of the lot to my house lot then buying property from a neighbor to "pan handle" the lot to meet county specs ($$$$). After I did that, then I could submit for a variance (for $375) to put it in my front yard. It may or may not pass. They did allow skid buildings in the past. I remember seeing a meeting on cable TV where a guy wanted to put some under high power lines (no buildings allowed in high power easement) for a landscape business. They let him do it. I will have to see what the current rules are.

I forgot, I may have to pave my 600 foot gravel drive to bring it up to code (all drives must be paved)

I think I will just move.

 

[tesmith66]

Move your "Front" door...

 

[Jerry Kirkpatrick]

Reminds me of the story of the old dog that was lying on the front porch just howlin' somthin' awful. Neighbor asked the owner why his dog was howlin' and the owner said "He's lying on a nail." Neighbor asked "Why don't he move?" Owner said "He will, soon as it gets to hurtin' bad enough!"