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Borrego
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# Posted: 13 Sep 2009 03:32pm
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Hello all.... My wife and I are just closing escrow on a 5 acre lot in the Anza Borrego desert. It is in an old homesteaded area with about 100 lots, some with decent houses, some shacks and some bare lots. I will be building a cabin of some sort. My first and biggest decision is whether to take a chance and build the size I really want (maybe 15' x 40') or only build the largest I can legally do without a permit (120 sq ft). Getting a permit is not an option sadly...
The people out here are pretty cool, no one likes the County pokin' around (since there is lots of non-permitted building out here) and I doubt I'd get turned in, but....
I was thinking I could build several 12' x 10' s and join them together later. Anyone else had to deal with this? Any tricks :-) ?
Check out the pics - it's really nice if ya like the desert!
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Danno_MN
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# Posted: 14 Sep 2009 10:31pm
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If you like the desert...
Wel I am from Minnesota, we LOVE the cold. OK I am lying a little. Actually, it doesn't matter where you build. As long as it is yours.
I am having a similar issue. The other point is, IF you pop up on the counties radar, then are they going to be all over you for ever?
I would build a small one to start and feel it out for awhile, then add on.
Good Luck
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cabingal3
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2009 11:21am
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dear Borrego-in Oregon,the biggest u can build without a permit is 200 sg.feet.so we are doing what u are.first the one smaller cabin,as a place to store our tools and things we need to stay out there and work.
then we are doing a bigger one.we may or may not add on...but we are sure thinking about adding a porch.Enclosing it and then slowly making it another room.well-some of the stuff they want u to do and to charge u for all the permits and such is pretty wild.we do not have the time to go to county and get permits when we live pretty far from our land.so this is what we are doing too.cabingal3
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Borrego
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# Posted: 15 Sep 2009 06:57pm
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Thanks for the replies, all. Well to get a permit in this wilderness area requires a) $10,000 to the school district 50 miles away, b) a graded turn around for fire trucks, c) a 10,000 gallon water storage tank (for the fire dept). And that's just for starts! Whats going to burn out there, sand? So that's why we are going the permit free route. There is very little chance of a County inspector driving past our place. It is up against a mountain about 100 miles from the County building. In the desert. So I'd be more worried about neighbors, but they all seem cool, and most of them are non-permitted as well. But i still think I'll start with a 'legal' shed (12 x 10) with loft, build a big deck around it, and add another 'shed' 6 ft away or so. Check this out: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/12/30/greathomesanddestinations/1231-wyg_5.html
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 16 Sep 2009 05:55am
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wow.thats nice.we are just staying away from the county as much as possible...but from what we hear from the neighbors and what we see where we have our cabin is-everyone i pretty cool.they build what they want.do what they want.But if someone gets mad at u...u may get turned in.thats what has happened up where our cabin is.Then the county came out and they were totally cool and told the turned in guy what to do to make things ok and it was so cheap.
In your case,the 10,000$ for the school district and the 10,000 gal.water storage tank.Thats why people do what they do...build a legal shed...and add on.thats just insane.good luck.cabingal3
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lawnjoky
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 08:47am
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I have seen barns built in California avoiding permits by buying two used shipping containers and placing them up to 20 feet apart. Then roofing over the gap. I have seen this done at several large construction sites too. At one time I managed a ranch in Northern California and my neighbor did this and sided the exposed sides of the containers making an attractive barn. For your purposes I would enclose the two open sides and pour a slab between over time. The containers would be exempt from permits since they are portable and the roof would simply be a sun cover.
Containers can be used as living space and provide security. I have seen containers placed on old tire rims for cheap blocking.
If you are going to do this do it soon as I see enforcement stepping up in the future to increase funding of state and muni govs, the bastards.
Jocko
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cabingal3
Member
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 09:00am
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yeah.Jocko.u are so correct about the powers that be revving things up.i also on another subject know that is people want ammo for there guns.they need to get it cause there is a shortage of this happening right now in central and southern oregon.
our neighbors up in the woods(we are not living there yet)they just got 2-40 ft.containers.he is halving one of the containers with his wife.she can have one half to store her stuff in and the other half to store his stuff.the other one is going to be for car(there is really heavy snow load up where we are going to be)...his car will not get crushed in like the other one did.so then after all of this-he s going to build guest quarters and a sun deck on all of this.heehee.so hilarious.this guy is so wonderful.he is in his 80's and loving life.His wife is a city girl and wants to go back to the city.i say let the old guy live out his days in glory.
thanks alot for your responses.they are so right.cabingal3
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Borrego
Member
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# Posted: 26 Sep 2009 05:01pm
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Thanks, I've actually been looking into this and will continue to do so...
Bruce
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swanugly
Member
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# Posted: 27 Sep 2009 12:56pm
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looks real nice to me , i like the desert , good luck on the cabin
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