After we purchased the property in August we met with a builder to work out some of the details. She eventually met with an Architect about the home. After that initial meeting all contact was via email until Donna finished the home just the way she wanted it.
In the meantime I went to the local planning commission in Madison County to find out about permits. He informed me that because there was a stream bordering the property and the potential for the lot being in a flood plain I had to get clearance from the Division of Water in Frankfort, KY.
Well to say this was a surprise to us is an understatement. So I contacted them and we started 8 weeks of phone calls, emails, letters, more phone calls and requests for more information.
Our surveyor had to provide certified elevations and then supply Frankfort with Cross-Sections of five different parts of the property. This took time and then Frankfort had to do calculations on the data before they would approve the permit. During one of my conversations with my contact in Frankfort he told me the process could take up to 30 working days from when they received the information from the surveyor.
We knew the lot "was" in a flood plain but the reason we bought it is because the previous owners had the property back filled and the local planning guy told me he was sure it was above the flood plain. All we had to do was get Frankfort to agree.
In late December my contact in Frankfort finally told me he had approved the permit (Yea!) BUT when he took it to his supervisor, the supervisor wanted to see the back fill permit since that could have changed the stream in some way. Well they didn't have a copy of the back fill permit and needed to see who approved it. Now they were sending a crew to Richmond (our city) to get a copy of the permit and this could take an additional two or three weeks until our building permit could be sent! This was the week between Christmas and New Years and of course all his staff were out on vacation. I was told to call after the first of the year!
January 3rd, I called again and spoke to my contact. He said the review of the back fill permit was not done and I should just 'hold on' and be patient and let the process go on. I was not a happy camper and asked if I could speak to the supervisor. My contact only asked that he be allowed to brief his supervisor on the project and then I could call. I didn't have a problem with that and the supervisor called me within 15 minutes.
As we spoke the supervisor also indicated that they needed to see who had back filled the lot illegally because a fine could be involved. I told him I didn't have a problem with that because I had documentation showing the back fill had been done in 2003! In speaking with the supervisor (he really was helpful) I asked why my wife and I had to be denied a permit because of what someone else had done years earlier? He understood my reasoning and he thought there was something they could do. He told me he could issue a letter of 'No Harm' which allows us to obtain our permit. I asked him if there was anything he needed for the letter and he said 'Let me be sure I can issue the letter.'
The letter and permit came in the mail in about two days later with a copy to Madison County!!!
On January 9th, Donna took the letter to the Madison County Planning Commission and we received...
January 14, 2012 - Broke ground.
January 19, 2012 - Down to the base.
January 21, 2012 - Gravel down for the base.
January 23, 2012 - Foundation forms in place.
January 24, 2012 - Footers in place.
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