rick rottet
reefkeeper// propagator
Once again, I would like to give a big thank you to Henry for being so helpful in getting up my subdomain at the CIMA web site set up, and again, sorry about that last email my friend.
This project is the culmination of nearly two years of research involving not only types, styles, and options of different greenhouses but also all of the additional construction supplies such as wiring, plumbing, wood, tools, rental prices for equipment like trenchers and excavators, and local zoning ordinances. I also researched prices for all of the equipment I would need to run the facility including pumps skimmers, blowers, supplemental lighting, propagation and quarantine vessels, and other supplies like salt, water filtration equipment, pumps, buffers, kalk, etc... After all of that, I checked out the building site for shadow lines, bought a light meter and took some measurements then did some more research for the natural lighting levels measured on actual reefs for given species of coral. Assured that there was plenty of light available, the first step was to go to the County Zoning Board and apply for a zoning waiver. Our county zoning laws specifically address greenhouses. I could build a private use greenhouse without a waiver but it could only be 25% of the square footage of the first floor of my primary residence located on the same property. That would have meant building a greenhouse about 250 square feet (10' x 25') which was nowhere near what I wanted, so the only way around that was to apply for a zoning waiver and classify the building as commercial even though it was to be built on a residential property.
I then had to go to each of my neighbors that lived within 300 feet of my house and have them sign a petition either in favor or against my proposal. There was only one opposition but that meant I would have to appear before the planning commission of the zoning board and present my proposal to them and assure them that the fears expressed in the opposition would never come to pass. I passed that commission.
The next step was to appear before the actual zoning board in a public hearing to present my proposal and again calm the fears of the opposition. I also passed that hearing.
I had to take out a newspaper ad declaring both of the meetings to the public which had to run for three weeks prior to each meeting.
This whole process sounds allot easier written here than it actually was and it was very nerve wracking for me because the one opposition was from my neighbor directly to the south. The zoning board puts more emphasis on the surveys from people who live the closest. There were concerns of the availability of off-street parking.Then there was the expectation of semi trucks pulling in and out of my driveway for deliveries not to mention big earth-moving machines making loud noises and leaving tracks all over the neighborhood. It just happens that my driveway doesn't run straight down to the street and the last fifteen feet or so, at the end towards the street, gradually tapers over the property line to those neighbors. There was some legal issues to settle first, title searches and aerial photographs going back thirty years, but I ended up laying down new gravel to make the driveway straight and totally on my side of the property line to avoid a costly/ lengthy court battle- which I was assured that I would have won anyway since the driveway has been in its' current location and function for over thirty years. There were lots of little and big hurdles to jump over along the way, but in the end, it all came out fine.
Having received the 'ok'/'go ahead' from the zoning board of appeals, I just had to purchase a building permit and get started.
The future site of my greenhouse coral propagation facility-(my backyard). The first step was to clear the land of some trees. There was a crabapple, red apple and an ornamental pear tree which just had to go. Keep your eye on the big tree on the left and the three smaller trees on the right as this column progresses, they will eventually come down too.
A closer view of the first three trees to come down.
One.
Two.
Three.
This project is the culmination of nearly two years of research involving not only types, styles, and options of different greenhouses but also all of the additional construction supplies such as wiring, plumbing, wood, tools, rental prices for equipment like trenchers and excavators, and local zoning ordinances. I also researched prices for all of the equipment I would need to run the facility including pumps skimmers, blowers, supplemental lighting, propagation and quarantine vessels, and other supplies like salt, water filtration equipment, pumps, buffers, kalk, etc... After all of that, I checked out the building site for shadow lines, bought a light meter and took some measurements then did some more research for the natural lighting levels measured on actual reefs for given species of coral. Assured that there was plenty of light available, the first step was to go to the County Zoning Board and apply for a zoning waiver. Our county zoning laws specifically address greenhouses. I could build a private use greenhouse without a waiver but it could only be 25% of the square footage of the first floor of my primary residence located on the same property. That would have meant building a greenhouse about 250 square feet (10' x 25') which was nowhere near what I wanted, so the only way around that was to apply for a zoning waiver and classify the building as commercial even though it was to be built on a residential property.
I then had to go to each of my neighbors that lived within 300 feet of my house and have them sign a petition either in favor or against my proposal. There was only one opposition but that meant I would have to appear before the planning commission of the zoning board and present my proposal to them and assure them that the fears expressed in the opposition would never come to pass. I passed that commission.
The next step was to appear before the actual zoning board in a public hearing to present my proposal and again calm the fears of the opposition. I also passed that hearing.
I had to take out a newspaper ad declaring both of the meetings to the public which had to run for three weeks prior to each meeting.
This whole process sounds allot easier written here than it actually was and it was very nerve wracking for me because the one opposition was from my neighbor directly to the south. The zoning board puts more emphasis on the surveys from people who live the closest. There were concerns of the availability of off-street parking.Then there was the expectation of semi trucks pulling in and out of my driveway for deliveries not to mention big earth-moving machines making loud noises and leaving tracks all over the neighborhood. It just happens that my driveway doesn't run straight down to the street and the last fifteen feet or so, at the end towards the street, gradually tapers over the property line to those neighbors. There was some legal issues to settle first, title searches and aerial photographs going back thirty years, but I ended up laying down new gravel to make the driveway straight and totally on my side of the property line to avoid a costly/ lengthy court battle- which I was assured that I would have won anyway since the driveway has been in its' current location and function for over thirty years. There were lots of little and big hurdles to jump over along the way, but in the end, it all came out fine.
Having received the 'ok'/'go ahead' from the zoning board of appeals, I just had to purchase a building permit and get started.
The future site of my greenhouse coral propagation facility-(my backyard). The first step was to clear the land of some trees. There was a crabapple, red apple and an ornamental pear tree which just had to go. Keep your eye on the big tree on the left and the three smaller trees on the right as this column progresses, they will eventually come down too.
A closer view of the first three trees to come down.
One.
Two.
Three.
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