The Whole Story

I don't think Sam really did the whole ADU permit ordeal justice, so I'll try to fill in some details. Not too much, mind you, since I've been spending way too much time lately staring at a computer.

Basically, this whole issue starts way back before we even bought the house. In order for the bank to sign off on our loan, we had to provide a renovation permit. And in order for us to get a construction permit, we had to show Seattle's Dept. of Planning and Development our renovation plans. This meant drawing up the house layout as it was ("the original"), and how we planned to change it ("the renovation").

When Ben drew up the plans for the original, they very clearly showed that there was already a MIL apartment in the basement -- kitchen and all. And when he drew up plans for the renovation, that kitchen was still there. DPD permitted our renovation, allowing us to go through the rest of the loan process and start the laborious rehab project that you've had the pleasure of following here on The Bagley Project.

During our first framing inspection, however, Ben found out that we were short a few permits, including one for our Accessory Dwelling Unit (the MIL). If DPD had done their due diligence back in June when we were first requesting our renovation permit, they would've known back then that the previous owner never got the necessary permits for his MIL apartment. Then they would've informed us of the need for this permit. Then they would've looked over our permit application and informed us that the ADU couldn't be approved because we lacked off-street parking for the main house, let alone the ADU. Then they would've told us that that the ADU had to be converted back into a garage in order for the house to be in full compliance. Then we wouldn't have bought the house, and we wouldn't have dumped thousands and thousands of dollars into a renovation.

But they didn't. And they didn't. And they didn't. And they didn't. So we did, and we did.

So obviously we were NOT amused when DPD realized they made a mistake and tried to tell us -- $60K in -- that we would have to turn the MIL back into a garage.

I DON'T THINK SO.

So Ben and Sam told the lady at the DPD as nicely as possible that that just wasn't going to happen. That it was their oversight that led to this mess, and that we weren't about to throw $60K down the drain just because they don't double-check their work.

Apparently this woman at the DPD took the boys very, very seriously, and sent our case directly to the department's top lawyers. Who knows what happened then, but some time later -- as Sam mentioned -- we finally found out that the lawyers agreed we should be granted an exemption from the off-street parking rule. And there was great rejoicing.

Good thing the lawyers sided with us, because otherwise we would've had to hire some lawyers of our own, and honestly, who has the energy to deal with all that?

So that's pretty much the story. As Sam mentioned, insulation is all in now, and we have pix to prove it. I'll try to upload these tomorrow. Meanwhile, Ben reports that the sheetrockers were working until 9pm today, trying to finish the entire upstairs. Ben also reports that he's put up the siding on the front of the house and about half of one of the sides. I can't wait to get over there to take a gander.