Christmas Valley?

[Windsor]

Hey folks. Wondering if anyone here has or knows someone who has land out near Christmas Valley. I'm looking at buying 40 acres out there and am trying to find out how much of a PITA it is to be able to build.
I'm looking at building off grid with solar and wind for power, well and a transfer tank for water, leach field for grey water and a composting toilet.
Any pointers/loopholes/ direction on who to talk to would be very much appreciated.

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[CoastRange57]

Don't know anybody out there, but I hear the sage rat shooting in the alfalfa fields is awesome. Get it built and a place for me to park my trailer for a couple night !!

You might look online and see if they have tax lot listings and then get somebody to find out who owns the properties and contact them.

 

[Windsor]

Been trying. Also haven't gotten a response back from the county. I am going to drive out there tomorrow to look at a couple parcels and talk to some locals. It would be about a year before I can put a permanent structure up, too many surgeries and other crap coming up this next 12 months.
One parcel I'm interested in has a neighbor that built close to the property line instead of middle of their parcel. But I think it should still be usable, I will see tomorrow. Never been rat hunting out there, but I will read up on the regs to find out about parking trailers f

 

[Windsor]

*for a weekend*. Damned IPod doing things I didn't tell it to.

 

[Certaindeaf]

And it gets COLD there in the winter..! I don't know how well solar and wind will work for heating.. there's not much wood around there either.
Lot a wide open country out there.. make sure you've got like a 25-06 or .243 or something.
Neat place and good luck.

 

[CoastRange57]

, but I will read up on the regs to find out about parking trailers f

It is Eastern Oregon. You travel much around there and you soon find out zoning regs are pretty much ignored.

 

[Windsor]

Yeah, the plans I drew include a fireplace. I converted my open car trailer into a car/utility, which I can put sides on and haul wood.

 

[Windsor]

It is Eastern Oregon. You travel much around there and you soon find out zoning regs are pretty much ignored.

Yeah, that's what I gather for the most part. The major stuff will all be legit. Reading the regs online contradict themselves on some stuff, so I'll be talking with the county on a bunch of stuff. Such as one thing saying zoning/CUP is required for DEQ to inspect and approve building on site sewage system, and another section saying DEQ has to approve on site sewage system before zoning/CUP can take place.
I have a bunch of family members who own RVs and trailers, so I plan to install a RV grey water leach field. So they don't have to worry about grey water while visiting. Of course it all depends on what DEQ says. But it is in the basic layout drawing.

 

[Windsor]

Anyways, I'm going to look at 4 parcels tomorrow. All ~40 acres each. Hopefully I'll be able to decide on one.
Still, if anyone has any info, I'd like to hear it.

 

[slingshot1943]

I own 20 acres right at edge of town not far from the lodge and golf course. Over the 36 years i've had it i've looked into building permits a couple of times. Each time I have inquired they have asked you to apply for a varyence of something. But they say they are easy to get.

 

[jluck]

Call the lake County planning department and talk with them. Hopefully they're as good to deal with as Klamath county. They told me "we want your money" and are willing to work with a guy, exactly opposite of what I've seen from my home county, they're always looking for a reason to block a project.

 

[Kid@Heart]

Small town city and county building departments will cut a lot of slack to taxpayers building on their own property. I have seen home designs done on graph paper. They will even help you with the plans, most of the time.

A word of advice- Don't try to do the work and ask forgiveness later. If you get them mad at you, they can make you tear it all down and restore it to it's "original" state.

If you have to get contractors involved, all bets are off.

 

[Windsor]

I was just thinking if I want to make it a 2 day trip and go to the county office on Tuesday. I have a list of questions that I need to figure out.
Kid@Heart, I'm going to make all the major stuff legit, simply because I don't feel like ripping stuff apart or paying fines on top of building permits if they decide to enforce.
Other than having $, mainly I just want knowledge that will help me ensure stuff gets approved on the first go.

 

[Charliehorse]

Yeah, that's what I gather for the most part. The major stuff will all be legit. Reading the regs online contradict themselves on some stuff, so I'll be talking with the county on a bunch of stuff. Such as one thing saying zoning/CUP is required for DEQ to inspect and approve building on site sewage system, and another section saying DEQ has to approve on site sewage system before zoning/CUP can take place.
I have a bunch of family members who own RVs and trailers, so I plan to install a RV grey water leach field. So they don't have to worry about grey water while visiting. Of course it all depends on what DEQ says. But it is in the basic layout drawing.

Yes, Planning (DEQ's front) is a bigger pain than the Bldg Dept. Pretty sure you'll have to do a full septic system w/tank.
I doubt they'll allow just a leach field because there's no way to guarantee it will only be 'grey water' in the future.

 

[Windsor]

Went out today and checked out the properties. I knock one out simply because I couldn't get my car to and from it. Down to 3 (or two if I get the two that are side by side= 80 acres).
Some of the lot markers were easy to find, some a PITA, and a couple were MIA.
Talked with some of the folks out there. Most noted, getting permits/inspections are often hard to get done and not to build unless I'm living on the property due to thieves.
Still no reply from the county. I'll call again tomorrow with my list of questions.

 

[jluck]

Thieves are a big problem in Klamath county too.... wouldn't mind finding some in action to help them change their ways.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Kinda the way it goes. Down in south America, it's common to siege an estate. Fast or slow.
Thieves are demons.

 

[CoastRange57]

Most noted, getting permits/inspections are often hard to get done and not to build unless I'm living on the property due to thieves.
Still no reply from the county. I'll call again tomorrow with my list of questions.

Spending a good portion of my working career as a general contractor, anytime you talk to a county official, drone or other person, make double damn sure you follow that up with e mails asking them to confirm what they told you and keep a solid paper / e mail trail on EVERYTHING you talk with them about. They have this habit of " forgetting" what they said it a phone conversation with you when it turns out they had no clue as to what the hell they were talking about.

Even with e mails and paper trails, they will even back track on what they said if their boss changes their mind for them. As for drawings, I learned real fast that my drawings and plans did not mean jack shot when it came down to it. I went to having all engineered drawings done by architects and civil engineers. Cost more money, but makes it pretty hard for them to welch on the approvals,and say that the "drawing" is not right for the job.

 

[Windsor]

Thanks CoastRange57, I will be sure to get everything I can in verbal and written conversation.
From looking at the minutes, it seems that they approve most requests for conditional use permits to build residential homes on agricultural land. As long as neighboring land owners don't have a valid objection.

 

[Windsor]

Finally got to talking with the county. She explained the procedure. Conditional use permit (residential on agricultural), DEQ inspection of test pit to verify soil conditions for leach field, permit for leach field, leach field inspection, building permit and then associated inspections.
Neither Oregon or county building codes have anything in regards to containers, so she said it would have to be engineered. I think I will look more into 1 trip "new" for the first structure. That way there will be less of a chance of them saying a scratch reduces structural integrity.