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We Got The Green Light!!!  All Good!!!

Thanks for the support folks.

We are truly blessed with the events that unfolded tonight.

I can not even begin to tell you how picture perfect things went.

It was positive and supportive. 

None of the so called opposition showed up.  Our friend and neighbor the dairy farmer and our other good neighbor did and spoke on our behalf and the soundness of how we are building and why it's important to embrace it. 

The dairy guy made some excellent points about the fact we not only have a nice spot for the house, but that we are using marginal land and not taking any acreage out of crop production and that we are building in a low impact manner that is in harmony with land.

The good neighbor who is a designer for truss systems spoke to the intelligence of the build and what it could and should mean to the community as an example of what a good member of the community can give by minimizing resources.

...a real gift to have friends, even more so when they take time from their families to be supportive.

I gotta say, I feel honored.

The ZBA members AND their Attorney were all good as well.  They started by asking me to tell them what I am doing and why.  I did.  First I stuck to the items that would meet the criteria to justify a variance...financial hardship to spend more for space we don't need, that there was no minimum size when I bought the land and so forth.

Then we got into the building as a system and the how's and why's of why it works and makes sense and has a tremendous pay back in terms of efficiency, resources consumed, and livability.  They had excellent questions and I gave them intelligent and fact based answers.

They were all literally nodding their heads about the sensibility of my simple building method.

When the presentation and questions were done, the went over the criteria to see if I met the burden of making my case.  Item after item there was complete consensus on everything.  At a couple of points various members spoke out to each other saying that this project makes sense and this is a sound way of looking at the complete picture and one said this way shouldn't be the exception it should be the way things are done.

They were thorough and very meticulous in their review, they went by the book, the voted and it was good!

One member spoke up and made it clear that this case was setting a precedent to other's that being sensible about square footage and how we look at building.  It makes the path easier for those coming after me.

Throughout the meeting tonight it was interesting, something I can't remember seeing in a very long time, it was more than making a case about square footage, they were supportive of this idea of green and sustainability. 

After everything was done and we were all heading to our cars, three of the six members came over and said they wanted to see this house go up.  Not a problem.

So, we got the approval and it was a good experience.

Thank you.

gee...200 hundred rubber-necker's, experts, wanna-be's and tree huggers...that won't be good.  At least we can't be seen from the road since were building so far back (and if you look at the pix I posted under "limbic acres" you can see my wall of trees and there is a fence in there and a ton of posted signs all over...yes, I know it won't stop em all.

Since our ZBA meeting I am sure the word has and will continue to spread and someone will get interested.

I am reasonable and good to my neighbors/community, but I gotta get work done too...I am sure I can teach them to use a rake and stack blocks.

...Whenever we got this house together and we move in and can breathe a bit we plan to have a big ol cook out and invite anyone that has been a part of it...even if they just helped by saying 'looks good'.

I would love to inspire someone else in my Town to build this way...

...hate to say it...and I will erase this post if it is ever held against me...but Speed, KVR and Bishop (Rob Roy too) have helped us pull this all together...Thanks guys!!!