Just because you are told off gridding is against ordinance doesn’t always mean it is! I highly encourage you to think outside the box! Go to a meeting listen, read the codes and ask questions! Here’s a little experiment I did at a code meeting!
I recently went to the city hall for an unrelated matter! They were about to have a code meeting that was open to the public, so I thought I’d conduct a little experiment!
After listening in for a bit I raised my hand and waited to be addressed by the speaker/councilman!
I stated, “I was interested in buying a 20 acre wooded lot that was just inside the city limits!” Provided I could hunt it!
(As far as I knew no such property existed!)
He immediately fired back with the “blah blah code number states hunting in the city limits was permitted but with bow or crossbow only! (No Firearms)
Alright! This guy knows his stuff and thats good to know but that was not where this was going! .... (Its game time!)
A few minutes later I raised my hand again and said, “Sometimes I like to go on 3 or 4 or 5 day hunts, so could I build a hunting cabin out there to?”
Again quick to answer He says “Sure! (Code #) states as long as you do not “live there” you don’t not have to hook into the city grid, water system or sewer system!”
I then ask, “ How does the code book define “live there” He says, “A dwelling”
My next question, “Specifically how many days does the code consider one can stay in a structure before its a dwelling? I hunt a lot!”
To that he has no answer and says he will have to look that one up and get back to me!
I ask about catching rain water to water a food plot at my “hunting cabin” He says, “It’s permitted for that purpose as long as it’s not piped inside the cabin!”
TIMES UP MEETING IS OVER
I see the councilman coming over to speak to me!
He says, “I couldn’t find anywhere in the code book that specified the exact number of days “lived in” before it’s considered a dwelling!”
But he presumed it would not be more than a week once it was voted on and put in the book!!
As we both walked toward the door to leave I playfully joked, (not really joking) “So a person could build two hunting cabins on opposite end of the property and just move back and forth every week to avoid the hook up!'
He laughed and said, “No! Because technically you would still be living continuously on that same piece of property!”
“That makes it a “dwelling” therefore you must still hook to city water, sewer and electric grid!”
Just as I was accepting my defeat on the subject and about to the door! He leans over to me in a whisper as if almost trying to keep other board members from hearing and says, “But you can have that property subdivided for $85.00 as long as both properties have road frontage!” .......
•In short what did I just learn•
In the city limits, (not county) this is city that insist you tie to their overrated utilities!
•You can have a hunting cabin which ultimately is a cabin!
•You can have a food plot which is ultimately a garden! (so your deer eat tomatoes and sweet potato)
•You can catch rain water “for a food plot!” (Garden) Sssh!
You can not only have one cabin off grid in the city! You can have two!
You can subdivide that one property in to two and switch back and forth from week to week (or whatever the allotted time frame) to avoid “living” on either property! Thus avoiding the mandatory utility connection!
NOT SAYING THIS WILL WORK EVERY WHERE! Codes are all different but I am saying just by sitting in on a meeting I found away around them in less than an hour!
Now this was never my plan but where there seems to be no way I will find a way! Its kind of what I do!