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Small Cabin Forum / General Forum / Small Cabins and Permits
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Manfredn
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 04:44pm
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Hi everyone. I'm new here. Great forum. I have just run into something very interesting regarding permits. I have 138 acres in Ontario Canada. It's very remote. 3 miles to get there on an old mining trail. I asked the township if I could build a 100 sq. ft. cabin. They said no. First you need a house or permit to build a house. So then I told them there is already an old log cabin there that's around 100 sq. ft. and we stay in it. So they told me I can repair it even if it means replacing 3 walls and the roof. So I now have asked them since I already have a building there I should be able to build another structure under the magic 100 sq. ft. I am awaiting a response. I want to build the new cabin up on the hill away from the pond. See pic of existing cabin. Has anyone had any experience with this? Any help is much appreciated.
Log Cabin
Log Cabin


dstraate
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 05:12pm
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Fix that bad boy up! It's cool. And with 3 walls worth of improvement allowed, you should be able to do whatever you want to it.

wakeslayer
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 06:05pm - Edited by: wakeslayer
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You could always do the fourth shortly thereafter...

and slightly further out on each one ; ^ )

TomChum
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 06:24pm
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sounds like it's time to stop asking questions

turkeyhunter
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 06:51pm
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dont ask...........they will never know.......
Ok too late for that..... ;-(

cool looking cabin----i would make it a lot bigger when i move those 3 walls.......:-)

cabinbiscuits
Member
# Posted: 6 Jan 2012 08:15pm
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Quoting: TomChum
sounds like it's time to stop asking questions


i agree with TomChum once you get the answers to the questions that you've already asked, I wouldn't ask anymore. Especially if your location can't be seen from a public road or neighbor's property. Some jurisdictions use the air to check on building issues, but that is not very common, and due to its' expense they have to have a pretty good hard on for you in order to do that. They could try to use things like Google Maps or Bing Maps, but in the U.S. at least I would object to those due to the lack of a chain of custody for those images since the municipality won't have the people involved with the taking, handling, and posting of those original images available to testify at trial.

I urge you to try to get a copy of your zoning ordinance if you can. Maybe it's available on line for free, or you should be able to buy a copy of it from the township. I would read it and become very familiar with it so that you can answer your own questions and find the holes in it. There are almost always holes in them, even the best of them written by teams of attorneys. Many holes come from undefined terms subject to common or not so common interpretations.

It's also not uncommon in construction to tear down all but one small section of an old existing building and build what is basically a brand new building incorporating that old section in order to fit in under zoning and building codes as a remodel instead of "new construction". You have to be careful though because there can be requirements as to how much of the original structure must remain.

Good Luck

Manfred1
# Posted: 8 Jan 2012 09:05am
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Thanks to all who responded. I will get the zoning rules next Friday. Will keep you posted.
Regards
Manfred

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