There is so much going on right now, I can hardly describe it. I have had meetings with builders, excavators, foundation guys, and people at the lumber yard. I had a sit down with Joe Callahan at the town hall and I am anticipating a FINAL approval of the building plans early next week. Yee haw! This project was supposed to break ground in April, and it looks like it will finally be getting off the ground. I met Tim Pallace yesterday. He is a licensed electrician, with some general contracting experience, and has given me some great ideas. I'm crossing my fingers for breaking ground next week.
I just received an email from the CT Clean Energy fund. We have been accepted into the geothermal rebate program. Woot!
Friday, May 28, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Trees are down and gone
We contracted with Wall to Wall, a tree company- and nine trees are down- chopped, delimbed, and chipped. The site looks so different. This is really starting to go.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
And they huffed and they puffed...
BCL Construction came to the site and is pulling down the house today!
So, Scott, Larry, Steven, and I removed all of our recyclables this past Saturday- The stove, the toilet, two cabinets, two sinks, two doors, two ceiling fans. I wanted to remove the tub, but it was to rusty to reuse.
Teri is out on-site watching the house come down. She says that she is sad about it, remembering all of the good times she had growing up and "summering" out at the bug house. Teri and I even spent a year living there while saving money to be able to afford buying our own house. Well, it had to come down because it's time to start some new memories on Coventry Lake. Building permit and bank acceptance, here we come!
Pictures to follow.
Thanks for reading
So, Scott, Larry, Steven, and I removed all of our recyclables this past Saturday- The stove, the toilet, two cabinets, two sinks, two doors, two ceiling fans. I wanted to remove the tub, but it was to rusty to reuse.
Teri is out on-site watching the house come down. She says that she is sad about it, remembering all of the good times she had growing up and "summering" out at the bug house. Teri and I even spent a year living there while saving money to be able to afford buying our own house. Well, it had to come down because it's time to start some new memories on Coventry Lake. Building permit and bank acceptance, here we come!
Pictures to follow.
Thanks for reading
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
And then there was one...
I have been telling my daughter that there were three hoops that we had to jump through to begin building the house, gaining acceptance from the wetlands commission, the planning and zoning commission, and acceptance from the bank. Last night we received acceptance from p&z, though not without some effort.
Teri and I both coach our kid's soccer teams. I coach Rebecca's, she coaches Dan's. So we rescheduled our practice last night to 5:30 so that we could make the seven o'clock p&z meeting. We needn't have bothered. Little did we know there was an applicant scheduled before us. Someone wanted to get an application approved to build a used car lot on route 44. WOW! There were forty people at the meeting to protest this application. So, Teri, the three kids, (yes we did bring them) had to sit for two and a half hours listening to this proposal and the angry citizens trying to shoot it down. The kids were great. I can't believe how well behaved they all were. Beyond amazing.
Finally it was our turn. I introduced myself, and our intentions to build. By this time, it seemed that the committee just wanted to be done, and were ready to accept the minute I stood up. However, there was a small wrinkle in the process. To apply for the permit, you need to put signs up on each corner and send registered letters to each person that owns property next to ours telling them about this public meeting. One of our neighbors showed up! When the chairman asked if there were any comments from the floor, this person, stood up and said "Currently I have a view of the lake from my house. If this house gets built, I will lose the view. I am very uncomfortable about this. This will lower the value of my house if this really large house gets built." Oops.
The chair asked Bob, our neighbor "Sir, do you have lake front property?" (this is a tax designation)
Bob: "no"
Chairman "Sir, do you have lake VIEW property?" (another tax designation)
Bob: "no"
Chair "Then as long as the applicant has followed the statutes and obligations of residental zoning, which he has, we have no recourse to deny the application."
WHEW!
One last issue, about the existing well, was brought up and I satisfied it. Unanimus approval!
Hopefully we will have bank approval by the end of the week, our building permit by the end of the week, and our demo bid at the same time. Things are really beginning to heat up.
Thanks for reading.
Teri and I both coach our kid's soccer teams. I coach Rebecca's, she coaches Dan's. So we rescheduled our practice last night to 5:30 so that we could make the seven o'clock p&z meeting. We needn't have bothered. Little did we know there was an applicant scheduled before us. Someone wanted to get an application approved to build a used car lot on route 44. WOW! There were forty people at the meeting to protest this application. So, Teri, the three kids, (yes we did bring them) had to sit for two and a half hours listening to this proposal and the angry citizens trying to shoot it down. The kids were great. I can't believe how well behaved they all were. Beyond amazing.
Finally it was our turn. I introduced myself, and our intentions to build. By this time, it seemed that the committee just wanted to be done, and were ready to accept the minute I stood up. However, there was a small wrinkle in the process. To apply for the permit, you need to put signs up on each corner and send registered letters to each person that owns property next to ours telling them about this public meeting. One of our neighbors showed up! When the chairman asked if there were any comments from the floor, this person, stood up and said "Currently I have a view of the lake from my house. If this house gets built, I will lose the view. I am very uncomfortable about this. This will lower the value of my house if this really large house gets built." Oops.
The chair asked Bob, our neighbor "Sir, do you have lake front property?" (this is a tax designation)
Bob: "no"
Chairman "Sir, do you have lake VIEW property?" (another tax designation)
Bob: "no"
Chair "Then as long as the applicant has followed the statutes and obligations of residental zoning, which he has, we have no recourse to deny the application."
WHEW!
One last issue, about the existing well, was brought up and I satisfied it. Unanimus approval!
Hopefully we will have bank approval by the end of the week, our building permit by the end of the week, and our demo bid at the same time. Things are really beginning to heat up.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
this is my wetlands mitigation plan that I presented to the wetlands commission. (Long)
Proposal for construction at 225 Avery Shores presented to the Coventry Wetlands Association.
Presented by Sam and Teri Norman
It is my and my wife’s intention to build an energy efficient, environmentally friendly home to replace the eyesore that currently is uninhabitable on the site. In developing the plan for building, we have had to make a number of decisions in the design and potential implementation of this plan. This document is intended to inform and explain:
• use of property;
• placement and orientation of the house;
• our plan to mitigate of some of the misuses of the now-identified wetlands.
Currently there is an approximately 950 square foot house and a two car garage on the property. It is over forty years old, and when built, building codes were much different than today. Last summer, (June 09) a large tree fell over and punched a large hole in the roof of the house. No one had been living in the house at the time, and no one has lived at 225 Avery Shores for 3 years. The property has not been maintained. The foundation, made up of stacked cinder blocks is crumbling and breaking apart. Raw weather has been entering the six foot roof hole for almost a year. In addition to the state of the main building, the garage is also in very tough shape. The wooden garage walls are rotting, paint peeling, shingles falling away. The whole site is in a general state of disrepair.
The state of disrepair of the foundation at the current building is unacceptable to build on; it would have to be completely torn down and the foundation completely rebuilt if we wanted to build on the same footprint.
Instead, we propose to remove the uninhabitable eyesore (both house and garage), destroy and fill the existing septic tank, whose leach field is within the wetlands border, and replace it with a highly energy efficient two story house (footprint approximately 1230 square feet) and an attached two car garage hooked up to the town’s sewer system.
In trying to place the house on the site we had a number of items that we had to consider; existing setback rules, newly established wetland lines, and lastly the orientation requirements that a passive solar house.
In a passive solar designed house, the climate of the house is regulated by using the energy of the sun, absorbed by a thermal mass within the house, and then later released as heat as surrounding air cools. This design provides for the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly heating source available. There are a few concerns in the building of this kind of house primarily types of materials used that are beyond the scope of this proposal, but an aspect that is vitally important is the orientation of the house.
In a passive solar house, especially one as north as Connecticut, the house’s orientation is vital and has to be as close to true north/south as possible. This orientation allows for maximum solar gain. In southern climates, a variation of up to 20 degrees off true north does not adversely affect heating efficiency, but in northern latitudes, an offset of more than 10 degrees can dramatically affect the house’s ability to gain heat effectively.
We spent a long time trying to manipulate the house footprint to best fit the site. We swapped the garage, flipped the house, rotated it every which way, and fit it in the best way possible. While looking at the site map and the orientation of the property, we were able to move the proposed footprint of the house into a true north/south orientation while at the same time move the house as easterly (away from the wetlands) as possible, and still remain inside the regulated setback zoning area as required.
Recently, Mr. Penny, town engineer, suggested rotating the house clockwise to see if it moved the foundation away from the wetlands. With Messier & Associates, professional surveyors, we did just that, and here are the results:
• At true north, as originally placed, the full foundation is 21’ 6” from the wetlands with concrete posts for the porch 13’ 6” from the wetlands.*
• At an angle of 10 degrees off true north (the maximum feasible for this passive solar house) the foundation is 22’ 10” away or an increase of sixteen inches.
• At 16 degrees off true north, (which then removes most of passive solar benefits) the foundation is 25’ 2” away or an increase of forty-four inches.
* There is a discrepancy between the distances first provided the wetlands commission on 3/24/2010 and now. The originally stated distance from the delineation point was 16.7 feet. This error occurred due to an incorrect (over)sizing of the house and garage. That has been corrected and the increase of 3’11” from the wetland area is now correct.
It is our opinion that given the increased energy efficiency as well as the benefits that the environmentally friendly passive solar energy provides in a true north/south orientation outweighs the very minimal sixteen or forty-four inch differential from the delineation.
In regards to wetlands mitigation Teri and I have come up with a plan to help restore much of the natural aspect of the wetlands and the important part it plays in our ecosystem while still being able to enjoy the property as landowners.
First, we intend to clear man-made or natural debris off of the wetlands. This will include a doghouse placed there, a pile of wood chips that were left when the tree that hit the house was removed, as well as any brush piles that we encounter.
Next, we propose that the area between marker 3 and marker 5 continue to be used as residential lawn. (Again please see attached plan) We intend to keep all wetland soil, only that we are permitted that area’s use due to it’s historic nature of a residential area.
Thirdly, we will be growing a wetland garden to enhance/improve current conditions. (Please see plan attached) Bonnie Norman, a past president of the Manchester Garden Club, assisted in developing the wetlands garden. We also plan on only using organic fertilizer to preserve wildlife, as well as avoiding any potential toxic runoff. This will be an ongoing concern since both Teri and I are passionate regarding “green” issues. Lastly, we will place a posted sign within the wetlands stating to the effect that “the area has been designated wetlands and any activity within requires a permit”. In our opinion this mitigation plan will dramatically improve the current state of the wetlands on our property, allow for the continued improvement of this area, while insuring the continued and ongoing function of this type of environment.
Even though the footprint comes fairly close to the wetlands, we feel that the extenuating circumstances of the pre-existing conditions of the lot, the requirements of the passive solar design, as well as the mitigation plan that we have proposed should allow you to find in our favor in granting us approval in this project. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
Presented by Sam and Teri Norman
It is my and my wife’s intention to build an energy efficient, environmentally friendly home to replace the eyesore that currently is uninhabitable on the site. In developing the plan for building, we have had to make a number of decisions in the design and potential implementation of this plan. This document is intended to inform and explain:
• use of property;
• placement and orientation of the house;
• our plan to mitigate of some of the misuses of the now-identified wetlands.
Currently there is an approximately 950 square foot house and a two car garage on the property. It is over forty years old, and when built, building codes were much different than today. Last summer, (June 09) a large tree fell over and punched a large hole in the roof of the house. No one had been living in the house at the time, and no one has lived at 225 Avery Shores for 3 years. The property has not been maintained. The foundation, made up of stacked cinder blocks is crumbling and breaking apart. Raw weather has been entering the six foot roof hole for almost a year. In addition to the state of the main building, the garage is also in very tough shape. The wooden garage walls are rotting, paint peeling, shingles falling away. The whole site is in a general state of disrepair.
The state of disrepair of the foundation at the current building is unacceptable to build on; it would have to be completely torn down and the foundation completely rebuilt if we wanted to build on the same footprint.
Instead, we propose to remove the uninhabitable eyesore (both house and garage), destroy and fill the existing septic tank, whose leach field is within the wetlands border, and replace it with a highly energy efficient two story house (footprint approximately 1230 square feet) and an attached two car garage hooked up to the town’s sewer system.
In trying to place the house on the site we had a number of items that we had to consider; existing setback rules, newly established wetland lines, and lastly the orientation requirements that a passive solar house.
In a passive solar designed house, the climate of the house is regulated by using the energy of the sun, absorbed by a thermal mass within the house, and then later released as heat as surrounding air cools. This design provides for the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly heating source available. There are a few concerns in the building of this kind of house primarily types of materials used that are beyond the scope of this proposal, but an aspect that is vitally important is the orientation of the house.
In a passive solar house, especially one as north as Connecticut, the house’s orientation is vital and has to be as close to true north/south as possible. This orientation allows for maximum solar gain. In southern climates, a variation of up to 20 degrees off true north does not adversely affect heating efficiency, but in northern latitudes, an offset of more than 10 degrees can dramatically affect the house’s ability to gain heat effectively.
We spent a long time trying to manipulate the house footprint to best fit the site. We swapped the garage, flipped the house, rotated it every which way, and fit it in the best way possible. While looking at the site map and the orientation of the property, we were able to move the proposed footprint of the house into a true north/south orientation while at the same time move the house as easterly (away from the wetlands) as possible, and still remain inside the regulated setback zoning area as required.
Recently, Mr. Penny, town engineer, suggested rotating the house clockwise to see if it moved the foundation away from the wetlands. With Messier & Associates, professional surveyors, we did just that, and here are the results:
• At true north, as originally placed, the full foundation is 21’ 6” from the wetlands with concrete posts for the porch 13’ 6” from the wetlands.*
• At an angle of 10 degrees off true north (the maximum feasible for this passive solar house) the foundation is 22’ 10” away or an increase of sixteen inches.
• At 16 degrees off true north, (which then removes most of passive solar benefits) the foundation is 25’ 2” away or an increase of forty-four inches.
* There is a discrepancy between the distances first provided the wetlands commission on 3/24/2010 and now. The originally stated distance from the delineation point was 16.7 feet. This error occurred due to an incorrect (over)sizing of the house and garage. That has been corrected and the increase of 3’11” from the wetland area is now correct.
It is our opinion that given the increased energy efficiency as well as the benefits that the environmentally friendly passive solar energy provides in a true north/south orientation outweighs the very minimal sixteen or forty-four inch differential from the delineation.
In regards to wetlands mitigation Teri and I have come up with a plan to help restore much of the natural aspect of the wetlands and the important part it plays in our ecosystem while still being able to enjoy the property as landowners.
First, we intend to clear man-made or natural debris off of the wetlands. This will include a doghouse placed there, a pile of wood chips that were left when the tree that hit the house was removed, as well as any brush piles that we encounter.
Next, we propose that the area between marker 3 and marker 5 continue to be used as residential lawn. (Again please see attached plan) We intend to keep all wetland soil, only that we are permitted that area’s use due to it’s historic nature of a residential area.
Thirdly, we will be growing a wetland garden to enhance/improve current conditions. (Please see plan attached) Bonnie Norman, a past president of the Manchester Garden Club, assisted in developing the wetlands garden. We also plan on only using organic fertilizer to preserve wildlife, as well as avoiding any potential toxic runoff. This will be an ongoing concern since both Teri and I are passionate regarding “green” issues. Lastly, we will place a posted sign within the wetlands stating to the effect that “the area has been designated wetlands and any activity within requires a permit”. In our opinion this mitigation plan will dramatically improve the current state of the wetlands on our property, allow for the continued improvement of this area, while insuring the continued and ongoing function of this type of environment.
Even though the footprint comes fairly close to the wetlands, we feel that the extenuating circumstances of the pre-existing conditions of the lot, the requirements of the passive solar design, as well as the mitigation plan that we have proposed should allow you to find in our favor in granting us approval in this project. Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.
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