My condolences. What a shame, all the old architecture lost. I too lost my small 600 sq. ft 1950 mid -century in Altadena to the Eaton fire. All wood siding as well with most of the west wall covered with the original windows floor to ceiling. Phase 2 of the debris removal was just completed by the army corp of engineers. They decided not to remove the partially charred coastal oak tree. At 70 ft high, I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse as the trunk is just inside the east side property line about half way to the back so if it falls it threatens any part of my lot and some of the neighbor's house which was lucky to be passed over while all the others around burned. I wasn't insured so rebuilding will depend on how the mass tort case against Edison goes and what I'll receive if anything. I also wonder if I'd even be allowed to rebuild given the oak tree regulations. I'll be going to the one-stop permit center in Altadena in a day or two with lots of questions I hope they can answer but also have been looking at Zillow since before the fire, considering Arizona and New Mexico. I think some 3d printed homes are permitted so I'll be looking into that too.
My land is worth enough that I can sell and move into a Bruce Goff or Fay Jones house on acarage facing water. It makes me wonder why I am staying in a state that hates me
I don’t understand all your technical language but CA’s rules are infuriating. This morning a new, smart young Asian guy showed up at our trail running club. Turns out he went to my alma mater a few years after I graduated. Well the guy works for FEMA and was flown in to support whatever FEMA is doing in Altadena. He told me that all those chimneys still standing because they were designed to withstand heat— that they have to be torn down because new houses aren’t allowed to have fireplaces! I know I’m very behind the times but this nanny state is ever-expanding. (FEMA guy also felt that the covid vaccines were very important and disagreed with my choice not to take them.)
I don’t want to replace my gas stove with an electric induction one, I like my gas water heater just fine, and when my air conditioner breaks I don’t want the new one with less-effective, more flammable refrigerant. I also don’t want to have to cut down all the trees on my property for “defensible space” as I saw mentioned on Twitter yesterday. I’m stuck in California (don’t know where I’d go anyway) and we should be able to live our lives as we see fit without all this governmental intrusion. They can’t get the homeless off the streets but they sure can tell the homed how we are and aren’t allowed to live.
Uggg. It’s exhausting. I’m glad I found out about those west facing windows as I’m drawing our new floor plan. I’m an interior designer w over 30 years professionally. So I’m first drawing the plan then I’ll give it to an architect. A contractor just told me there’s some new design standards recently. One of which is the front door must be in line with the garage, or 5’ in front of it. What?!? Having front door in line with a garage is generally flat and potentially ugly. You have to have a large enough lot to have it 5’ in front, which we do, but others won’t. So I’m putting the door in line with the garage and sculpting out other parts of the west facing facade and I’ll soften it with landscaping. Another new one is the front door must have a distinguishing roof and certain sized porch or landing. Here’s the thing about moving out of state…I don’t want to. I built a life in this general area and raised a family here. Not that easy. I’m taking the whole thing as a design challenge in order to stay positive. I double dog dare it to keep me from building something affordable and beautiful.
Ive never had a garage at my house. I was just reading that the front door has to be visable from the street. it never has been at my house, yet everyone has always been able to find it. There is no plan that I have drawn that has the front door facing the street and I'm simply not going to do it. We need to start as a community pushing back on this bullshit. IMy front door never had a distinguishing roof and what the hell has any of this to do with public health and safety?
My condolences. What a shame, all the old architecture lost. I too lost my small 600 sq. ft 1950 mid -century in Altadena to the Eaton fire. All wood siding as well with most of the west wall covered with the original windows floor to ceiling. Phase 2 of the debris removal was just completed by the army corp of engineers. They decided not to remove the partially charred coastal oak tree. At 70 ft high, I'm not sure if that's a blessing or a curse as the trunk is just inside the east side property line about half way to the back so if it falls it threatens any part of my lot and some of the neighbor's house which was lucky to be passed over while all the others around burned. I wasn't insured so rebuilding will depend on how the mass tort case against Edison goes and what I'll receive if anything. I also wonder if I'd even be allowed to rebuild given the oak tree regulations. I'll be going to the one-stop permit center in Altadena in a day or two with lots of questions I hope they can answer but also have been looking at Zillow since before the fire, considering Arizona and New Mexico. I think some 3d printed homes are permitted so I'll be looking into that too.
Disgusting. And meanwhile tent cities and people openly defecating on the streets are preferable in California...because safety
A tragedy.
Can you not sell the land and move to a state where you can exercise your skill and creativity?
My land is worth enough that I can sell and move into a Bruce Goff or Fay Jones house on acarage facing water. It makes me wonder why I am staying in a state that hates me
I don’t understand all your technical language but CA’s rules are infuriating. This morning a new, smart young Asian guy showed up at our trail running club. Turns out he went to my alma mater a few years after I graduated. Well the guy works for FEMA and was flown in to support whatever FEMA is doing in Altadena. He told me that all those chimneys still standing because they were designed to withstand heat— that they have to be torn down because new houses aren’t allowed to have fireplaces! I know I’m very behind the times but this nanny state is ever-expanding. (FEMA guy also felt that the covid vaccines were very important and disagreed with my choice not to take them.)
I don’t want to replace my gas stove with an electric induction one, I like my gas water heater just fine, and when my air conditioner breaks I don’t want the new one with less-effective, more flammable refrigerant. I also don’t want to have to cut down all the trees on my property for “defensible space” as I saw mentioned on Twitter yesterday. I’m stuck in California (don’t know where I’d go anyway) and we should be able to live our lives as we see fit without all this governmental intrusion. They can’t get the homeless off the streets but they sure can tell the homed how we are and aren’t allowed to live.
Exactly.
Uggg. It’s exhausting. I’m glad I found out about those west facing windows as I’m drawing our new floor plan. I’m an interior designer w over 30 years professionally. So I’m first drawing the plan then I’ll give it to an architect. A contractor just told me there’s some new design standards recently. One of which is the front door must be in line with the garage, or 5’ in front of it. What?!? Having front door in line with a garage is generally flat and potentially ugly. You have to have a large enough lot to have it 5’ in front, which we do, but others won’t. So I’m putting the door in line with the garage and sculpting out other parts of the west facing facade and I’ll soften it with landscaping. Another new one is the front door must have a distinguishing roof and certain sized porch or landing. Here’s the thing about moving out of state…I don’t want to. I built a life in this general area and raised a family here. Not that easy. I’m taking the whole thing as a design challenge in order to stay positive. I double dog dare it to keep me from building something affordable and beautiful.
Ive never had a garage at my house. I was just reading that the front door has to be visable from the street. it never has been at my house, yet everyone has always been able to find it. There is no plan that I have drawn that has the front door facing the street and I'm simply not going to do it. We need to start as a community pushing back on this bullshit. IMy front door never had a distinguishing roof and what the hell has any of this to do with public health and safety?