I built a greenhouse now over a year ago and 3 month ago got a visit from big brother. It's too close to the house, only 2' to the eves at one point, that's considered a fire hazard so needs to be rebuilt. While I'm ad it, they want me to change a few other things to bring it up to code. For the last 3 month I have been drawing up plans and visiting city hall to get it squared away.

Today was going to be the final visit before the plans are submitted for approval. The city engineer suggested I should connect it to the house which would save a lot of trouble, and make modifications much easier. "That's what I thought the problem was" is said in astonishment. "Too close to the house". If it's a separate structure the 'Planning' dept has a say and they want a 4' separation from the house, If it's connected to the house 'Planning' is not involved and 'Engineering' doesn't give a hoot. Right now it's 2' from the house which is a fire hazard but if it's connected to the house it is not. Obviously it will be connected to the house.

One of my sons is second engineer on an articulated barge. A 100' tug boat connected to a 900' tanker barge hauls gasoline up and down the coast. Since the barge has no crew, it needs none of the human safety features including fire fighting stuff. The 100' tug has fire equipment to the ying yang, the 900' barge full of gasoline HAS NO FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT. Their fire drill involves disconnecting from the barge, which they can do in less than a minute and getting out of there at full speed, screw the barge.

The workings of the bureaucratic mind never fail to amaze me! Absolutely unbelievable.

Nick