Building in Florida...finally
 

Well, after dealing with "red tape" at the Citrus County Land Development Dept for 6 weeks, I am finally approved for my building plans. I am putting up a 60 x 72 post and beam building. It will have one end, 1680 SF, devoted to living space. The rest will be my new shop. A 24 x 60 section will have eave height of 14' for a lift, the other 48' will be a 10' eave height. Basically I'm building a decent sized house with a big-ass attached garage. I've drawn up some home-made blueprints and have been in contact with three different contractors down there. I'm going to have the shell built, then my brother and I will build the living space and finish off the garage. I'm not in a big hurry to get it done, so I'll be making quite a few trips down there in the next year. I hate winter here.

So you are planning on moving Tony ? I think the building space sounds really cool.

It sounds like he is building a playpen for all of us to visit .

That sounds sweet!!
I would love to have something like that, but when I told my wife about your plans she said my 2 car garage is big enough. She seems to be under the impression that the larger the space the more money I will spend trying to fill it up.

Where in the world did she get that idea?????????????:confused:

Great, a place to park my car(s) during the winter.

What part of Citrus County? A family friend lives in Lecanto. (Near Crystal River)

My thoughts exactly. Also sounds like a great place for Tony to have us all over for a car show.

This place is going to be our Winter home. It's about 5 miles South of Dunnellon. We have three acres, right across the road from the Withalacoochie river. We have an access to the river. Should be plenty of room for a car show and car parking.
Rich, try a different tactic. Tell her she needs a nice Chevelle of her own, so she will need more room.

Wish I could afford a winter home, congrats

You've met Leslie, she could give a crap about cars as long as she has her new daily driver....but she is a great wife letting me spend the the money I do on cars and lifts and motorcycles, snowmobiles and Jet ski's in the past.

Sounds great Tony. Let me know when it's done so we have a stopping off point on our trips to FL.

Sounds like you have a good one.

Tony, forgot to mention. If we bring the motorhome down we'll need at least 30 amp power, fresh water and a sewer hookup. Being a licensed plumber the last two should be easy.:)

Thanks Ray. The wife and I have both worked many years to be able to finally do this. I hope it was all worth it.


Ric, there is one opening in the Spring class at "TWs Wife Obedience School". Contact me for pricing and enrollment info.


Hank, got ya covered!

Hank, You'll also need a flat cement surface to park on, a unlimited supply of beer as well as a hot rod to drive....don't let Tony pawn his truck on you.

Not a bad idea at all Tony, with one exception.

I have a strong feeling if I tell her that, her reaction will probably be that she already owns one!!!!!! haha :eek:

Cement slab is not a requirement Ric. The beer supply is a given, didn't think I needed to mention that. As far as a hot rod to drive, I'm sure Tony will have that covered.

I'm trying to get you everything and you are not helping undermining my negations ...Tony just wants to feel wanted.

I'm thinking about putting AC in the Nomad and taking that down there. Do you also want me to put PS on it Hank? Ric, don't get too demanding about perks. I have limitations.

AC for sure, I can live without the PS now that I know it doesn't have it. It's a bit of shock when you first drive it assuming it has PS then find out it doesn't first time you go to turn.

Easy Ric, I think we're close on getting all the essentials covered. If we push too hard Tony may pull back and we'll lose ground. I've never parked the motorhome on a slab before so I can live without it.

[QUOTE=FlintTony;41651]Ric, there is one opening in the Spring class at "TWs Wife Obedience School". Contact me for pricing and enrollment info./QUOTE]

Tony, I'm not sure about your class, when I took the begininng class in Nov 2011 it cost me big time and I came home with the Camaro.

Ahhh, but you really like that Camaro, don't ya? The Camaro cash is about to pay for a big ol chunk of concrete in Florida. Want me to put your name in the concrete somewhere?

LOL, well since Ric is paying for the slab for your house/garage I guess maybe you can spring for a slab for my motorhome. I may be able to get him to spring for the extended warranty on the Camaro if that would help. Just have to know how to write up those warranties and all the requirements so you never have to pay out. I can definitely help with that, it's all in the fine print.

Now yer talking Hank! Get to writing, I need to pour a 200' long driveway, along with your pad!

You should sell "blocks" of concrete to get your paving done. :)

Hmmm. Let me digest this for a moment.

It should pay a whole lot more than the concrete unless you are sprinkling gold nuggets in it...

Also, I'm thinking a 24"x 24" engraved block and if you want a pic on it we can do that would be placed in the concrete so that you would see it everyday. It could read.

"Ric Beckman
I'm a better person
for knowing him
since 2003"

That brings up the point that I think that it will be 10 years in Sept when we met at Frankenmuth. Any special plans to mark this special day?

Leave it alone Ric. I talked to Tony the other day and he was contemplating slitting his wrists on that occasion. I got him talked out of it so please don't bring it up again. :butt1:

The tenth anniversay celebration is the first of the major milestone anniversaries. As you celebrate this special 10th anniversary, think about the durability of your commitment to one another for a full decade.

10th Anniversary Traditional Gift:
Tin or aluminum. The pliability of tin and aluminum is a symbol of how your friendship needs to be flexible and durable and how it can be bent without being broken.

Just thought I would give you guys some gift ideas. :)

Got back today from Fla. I'm sick. Will type a story later.

Hope youre better soon ,Im still fighting the Creeping Crud .

Thanks John. I don't know what this sickness is, but I've never been this sick. 3rd day now.

Ric, the slab is 60 x 72, with a 12" footing. There are 3 porch's, 2 at 8 x 28 and 1 at 8 x 68. They will have a rat wall. The contractors price on concrete is about 24 grand. I'm going to check around with some local guys for a better price.


I've been dealing with the County down there for a couple of months to get this building approved. Finally got the OK from the legal dept. Good to go. I've been in contact with the HOA of the Plantation where my property is. The Architectural Review Board gave me a tentative approval, until they see the Architectural stamped plans. Then they met me in person. There are 10 homes built in this sub right now, the sub is out in the sticks, a total of 350 acres. My lot is 3 acres. All lots are owned by Doctors, Lawyers, retired FBI supervisors, head of the Citrus County Sheriffs office, "artists", and big-time contractors. They see me as a long haired, tattooed biker. I scare most of them. It now seems like they do not want me in their little world. I may have gotten a little upset with some of them and told them what I think of them. That didn't go over too well, and word spread like wild-fire that I was a screaming, angry, dangerous lunatic. Now I have to submit the plans for their approval, and I anticipate a pretty good fight with them. I will win though.

Your suppose to be nice to your new neighbors until you have finished the building, Lol.

Then you can be a "screaming, angry, dangerous lunatic", and they will leave you alone.

Good luck with your project.

Tony, have things that go bang... will travel. :D

Let us know when the house warming is, will be sure to bring more angry, screaming, dangerous, lunatic types with motorcycles and muscle cars. ;)

If they give you too much bullcrap tell them all your car crazy friends are going to come down there and buy everything around them and take over .LOL

Yeah we will.

Tony, it will all work out for you. You have made it this far, don't let them win. Do everything they ask, by the book, then if they give you a hard time. You have a legal leg to stand on. I would keep a diary of everything, just in case. Especially if this is a place you want to live.

It just gets better. There is an 80 year old woman that is the former Secretary of the HOA. Today, she drove by the property a half dozen times, looking at the crew I hired to do tree removal and clean up the brush. She finally stopped and told the crew they couldn't be there working. Crew informed her other-wise. She called the County. County sent out an inspector. Inspector was lost about what to do, so a Supervisor had to come out. Supervisor had a copy of my permits, so the crew was told they could continue. This old bag is full of cancer. The docs told her she would be dead in a year or less. What it all boils down to is they just don't want someone that looks like me in their world. My brother knows a few of the members in a National Motorcycle Club. Not the nicest people. He is thinking about inviting the Florida Chapter out there for week-end long a cook-out.

I like your style ,they will come around .

Tony, what did you do to tick these people off ? Oh yeah they are the clean cut, upper class that think they are better than you. I think a cook out sounds like a killer idea, no pun intended.

That's it in a nutshell, Ms. All the email correspondence that I have had with the HOA and the ARV, I have been very articulate, correct spelling, actually sounded pretty smart. When the old lady and her retired big shot lawyer husband first laid eyes on me, they thought I was my brothers yard worker. They were SHOCKED when I told them who I was. I was very pleasant to all the people down there, until they changed their minds about allowing my building. I wanted a reason, they would only say "we don't want a metal building in here". I explained to them that every home in there now has a metal roof, most have metal porch enclosures. I had the contractor figure a cost for doing the building in lap vinyl siding. 12 grand more, so I told the ARB that I would compromise and do the front and living quarters in vinyl. The building is 180' off the road, in the middle of the woods. The front is only visible for a split second as you drive by and look down the curved driveway. The North end and the rear are totally concealed by woods. Then they said the RV garage was too big. Well, the stinking HOA rules say "No RV can be stored outside". The lawyer husband ass-hole said "You could build a nice fence to put the RV behind". I politely asked him what he thought a 12' high fence would look like? He said "that would look horrible". Yep I'm dealing with some uppity fools out there.