Dan Christianson of Mattituck asks, what would you do if you were in this situation? Here’s the scenario:
THE CASE OF THE 3 FOOT 2 x 6
It is a Thursday afternoon in the spring of 2008. The husband has walked from the home to the dock to check things out in anticipation of a visit, for the weekend, of his children and grandchildren. He finds that a 3 foot 2×6, which is part of the fixed dock decking, has deteriorated to the point of being a safety hazard and needs to be replaced, in kind. Upon reporting the condition to his wife he is informed that “The kids will not be allowed on the dock until that plank is fixed”.
Other than paying taxes, they have had no dealings with Town Hall, beyond applying for “dump stickers” for their car. The husband has heard, from a friend, that upon asking about permission to repair his dock, the friend had been handed a 22 page package of forms to complete and submit.
The husband is capable of carrying out the replacement of the 3 foot 2×6 in about one hour total elapsed time. He has available:
- an 8 foot long [untreated] 2×6
- a circular saw capable of cutting off a 3 foot piece of the 2×6
- a crowbar
- a claw hammer
- a battery powered portable 3/8” drill with appropriate bitts
- a supply of suitable deck screws
Assuming that proposed Amendments to Local Law 275 have been approved by the Town Board and are now in force:
- What action(s) should the Grandfather take?
- How long will the total permitting and repair process take [total elapsed time]?
- What will the total out-of-pocket cost be, including appropriate permit, expediter, lawyer, survey, engineering and ‘other’ costs?
- List major expense elements.
- In light of the mandate to preserve our wetlands “for the use of our children and grandchildren”, how do you justify any delay, beyond one hour elapsed time, in returning the water dependent dock facility to full functioning status in time for the upcoming weekend visit?
- In light of financial practicality, how do you justify any non-zero out of pocket costs?
What might your action be in the above circumstances? [Be honest]
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