[AT] Talking about shops/sheds + (OT) Building Code Changes

[Larry Goss]

The legislation/regulation is already there, Charlie.  It's in the form of requirements for establishing a subdivision.  If you have an existing property and want to divide it, you are generating a new subdivision and all the portions of it (including the improvements) have to meet the current code.  There's the rub.  There's no problem making the vacant land or new construction meet the code, but there is no "grandfathering" in accepting the existing improvements.  So our small church is struggling as the owners of property that is well worth over a million dollars, and we can't sub-divide it without spending beau coup bucks to upgrade the present improvements.

Larry


----- Original Message -----
From: charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011 6:29
Subject: Re: [AT] Talking about shops/sheds + (OT) Building Code Changes
To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>

> Guys the brilliant politicians that run this country now are 
> trying to push 
> through a bill that will require everyone to bring their house 
> up to current 
> code before they can sell it.
> No they can't escrow the funds for the new buyer to fix 
> it.  It would have 
> to be fixed to be sold.   That includes plumbing, 
> electrical, HVAC, windows, 
> insulation, green roofing materials (that aren't even current 
> law yet), 
> energy efficient appliances, air infiltration (loss and gain) 
> and probably 
> some other stuff I've forgotten.  By my estimate (as a 
> certified appraiser) 
> most houses over 30 years old wouldn't be worth 
> fixing.   As far as I know 
> that proposal has been beat back for now but it's out there and 
> some folks 
> want it bad enough that I'm sure they will try to hide it in the 
> law 
> somewhere before it is all over.
> 
> Charlie
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Chuck Bealke
> Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2011 2:23 AM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] Talking about shops/sheds + (OT) Building Code 
> Changes
> On 3/5/2011 9:14 PM, Larry Goss wrote:
> > You understand completely, Ralph.  REALLY 
> completely!  It's the most 
> > frustrating thing you can imagine.  The old tubes were 
> efficient, just not 
> > as efficient as someone wanted us to be.  So we've got to 
> go through and 
> > change out everything.  When I changed the incandescent 
> emergency exit 
> > lights at the church over to CFL's, I did the calculation on 
> power savings 
> > alone and found that we amortized the complete cost of the 
> changeover in 
> > less than one year.  But the congregation doesn't 
> understand the full 
> > meaning of what I say when I tell them that the infrastructure 
> of the 
> > church isn't worth our efforts to save it.  None of it 
> was built to code. 
> > Even though it is only around 50 years old, everything has to 
> be 
> > replaced -- all the plumbing, electrical, HVAC, septic, 
> parking lot 
> > paving, outdoor drainage, concrete floor, single glazed 
> windows with steel 
> > casement frames,  --- everything.  The sound system 
> stopped working about 
> > a dozen years ago because the insulation rotted off th!
> e copper wires of the 70 volt audio output.  It's all in 
> steel electrical 
> conduit, so it shorts out very easily.  But it's NOT just a 
> job for pulling 
> out the old wire and pulling in new.  All the original 
> conduit was 
> undersized, and you can't pull anything out to replace it 
> because the new 
> stuff is larger in diameter and won't even fit the existing 
> space.  It's a 
> good example for why nothing should ever be left up to a committee.
> >
> > Larry
> 
> Ralph and Larry,
> 
> Code changes over time that render church structures non-code 
> compliantand thus pose financial threats is one pregnant 
> topic.  I have been on
> the finance - sorry, Larry - committee of our church for seven years.
> It has been an education on building inspectors finding fault 
> with what
> was in the mid 50s - when the church was built well and met all the
> applicable city and other codes - a splendid, high quality 
> building.  As
> you likely know, churches are by and large threatened by diminishing
> membership and finances in this age.  Many in our area have 
> closed or
> are in the process.  Elevators, wiring, and fire protection 
> equipmentcome to mind as items subject to new requirements which 
> can threaten
> church financial solvency pronto.  In our case, we have a 
> school on
> property (Grades 1-5) and some florescent tubes overhead.  
> Hope the
> changes to lighting requirements like those mentioned in your shop
> discussions will not represent too bad a cost for us.  Will 
> check it
> out.   Thanks for the heads-up guys.
> 
> 
> _|___\  __
> |_____/    
> \          ~ Chuck 
> Bealke ~ Dallas ~
> (  )       \__/
> 
> Surfing find of the week: http://www.thebarnjournal.org/
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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