We done did it

final inspection. today. it's over!

California Influence

Last month we were in San Diego for a few days. Saw these interesting doors on the side of the mission at San Juan Capistrano. I'd like to recreate these for our garage. I like the waves.

A lot has happened. While we were gone, the stucco guys finished the outside of the bandroom. We came back and finished the insulation (or rather, Joe did), passed inspection, had the drywall installed and textured. Bought a new truck and sold the old one to our drywall man, Kenny.

Wheeeeee!

Passed electrical inspection with flying colors. Thanks, Matt!

Have narrowed the paint choices down to 2 or 3. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the yellow/beige of the last 11 years.

Inspections & Door Framing

We've done two inspections for electrical and about three for construction. Our next electrical inspection is tomorrow and hopefully we will be clear for insulation and drywall.

At this point we are cleared to stucco the outside of the building, pending the door being framed out and finished. Joe worked on that today though I'm not sure if the framing is completely done.

Resuming Progress

There has been a slow trickle of progress so far this year. We completed the hurricane-strapping part of the process. This morning we passed (building) inspection.

Our zoning hearing was cancelled and the case closed (thank you thank you thank you).

The electrical is underway.

We hired Bella Glass to do the fixed-pane windows. They framed everything in Monday. Monday night Jimmy and I primed all the wood & trim. Tuesday they cut and installed the glass in the 8 fixed-pane windows. It looks great.

Red Cap Plumbing took care of three dripping faucets and capped the pipes that used to run into the side of the bandroom, then pulled all the nasty rusting pipes off the wall (except in one spot that we will have to break and patch).

We hired a carpenter to finish framing in the door. Once that is done, we can stucco the outside and paint.

Got a little more to do on the furring strips.

Things are getting done.

Inspection

Not as painful as imagined.
We can resume work.
The modifications are minor.
Whew!

The Registered Letter

Happy New Years eve to us: We've been summoned to a hearing. In February.

I don't know what to say.

Our plans are approved.
Our fines are paid.
I think we are ready to proceed.

I feel like I'm floating in anti-gravity...

Zoning Hurdle Over (?)

We got some kind of certification from zoning. This is a breakthrough, although I fear we are very far from the "finish line."

Jimmy's phone call with the lady from zoning nearly put him in cardiac arrest. Apparently we had awoken her with our phone call, or perhaps she is on a large dosage of blood pressure meds, and she stumbled and bumbled through a few other people's files before she found ours (regardless of the fact that he repeated the address numerous times).

At one point she told us that we had missed our hearing... that we'd have to wait until February to have another hearing... that we needed to post a zoning hearing sign on the front yard and send notices via certified mail to all neighbors within 250 feet of the construction zone....

Two months and counting

Today, fingers crossed, we will find out if Zoning will allow us to have this bandroom, the bandroom that has stood here for close to 60 years, so close to our house.

Somewhere along the line, someone came up with a 5 foot rule. That is, if a structure is on fire, and another structure is more than 5 feet from it (eve to eve), the second structure will not catch fire.

We wait.

53 days and counting

53 days since we had to cease and desist. We've spent over a grand on plans and fines and we are still not clear to proceed. This sucks.

Pink Elephant

Well the pink elephant in the room for the last month has been this citation from the City of Tampa. Yeah, we did all that work in September without the benefit of sharing our plans with the city. We got a citation on October 1st telling us to cease and decist, and to file appropriate plans with the city. After weeks of no progress we are finally starting to move again. The plans have been drawn up and submitted, and we've even met with an inspector. He wasn't a bad guy at all!

Come what may, we are moving forward....

No Progress

For three full weeks now. It's so depressing. The bandroom looks like a prisoner with it's black hood.

work stoppage issues

Things have slowed down here. We are all taking a breather while Joe is on vacation. Time to paint, clean, organize and de-dust (like Amelia Bedelia, I really don't agree that the verb meaning "to get rid of dust" should actually BE "dust").

Our beautiful orchid bloomed. This is the first time!