Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Asking "permission" to put up a Skyshed POD.
I think this will be a lot easier than modifying my existing shed - will they allow more than one "shed like" structure though....
And that way I can keep other house-necessities like lawn mower, etc in the shed too.
I made a Word document showing pictures of the POD and the dimensions - with the "minimum footprint 3-bay option" being just a hair under 10'x10' so maybe I won't need a township permit for it.
I reassured them that I would NOT be ordering the glow in the dark version  and that I would not be pouring concrete - I might put it on a wood deck but this way the structure is not techincially a permanent one... Let's see if they agree!!!!!
I will start out with the RCX tripod, and later on move onto a metal pier with sand, no concrete. Not the ideal pier but best compromise I think.
Wish me luck....... 
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Rick Woods
Postmaster
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 5684
Loc: Inner Solar System
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HOA - bah!
Good luck, though.
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- Rick
14" LX200GPS
Dyslexics Untie!
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40314
Loc: montana
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Joe, Best of luck in moving forward with your plans.
Be sure to let us know how things are going!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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GeorgeDuke
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 1592
Loc: PARADISE! (So.Florida)
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Once you get approval for the POD and set it up, you can make modifications like pier etc inside without any problem.
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George
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SkyShed POD XL-3
LX200GPS 203mm f10
StellarVue SV102ED2 Feathertouch Ser#0018
LXD75 GOTO with Orion 16" pier extension
Baader Hyperion 8mm ,13mm, 21mm + FTRs
2" GSO ED barlow, 2" SV Dielectric and Orion Prism Diagonals
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Spoonsize
Vendor/Clothing
Reged: 08/27/04
Posts: 3301
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I agree with George....Once the POD is in place, it might be a simple matter of digging a hole for a pier and pouring concrete with the top just below ground level, add a metal pier and surround it with soil and seed.
Of course, this will mean you will have to make wine bag shaped tubes of cloth to place inside your pant legs, fill them with dirt and surreptitiously distribute said dirt in your garden, shuffling your feet as you go to mix the dirt in to the garden dirt.....MMmmmmmmm.......oh yeah....I remember now,....The Great Escape with Steve McQueen......Yeah, that's just the ticket.
And, as in all similar endeavors....many images are a must!
Best Wishes for a Happy POD!
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Steve Durham
www.margesmonograms.com
(Marge made me do it)
"Nobody get's in to see the WIZARD, Not Nobody, Not Nohow"
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Doug76
Postmaster
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 5574
Loc: SE Louisiana, future Texan
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What's an HOA?
Where I am, you just throw up whatever construction you want.
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Doug
Truckstop Astronomer
The Universe, the light of God, in all it's majesty
6 achro refractors, 50mm-150mm
1 apo refractor, 90mm
1 SCT, 8 inch
UO Abbe Volcano Tops
Faworski Ortho's
Panoptic 24mm
Carton 100mm f/13 under construction 
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mikey cee
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/18/07
Posts: 3531
Loc: bellevue ne.
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Doug.....Sounds more like OHA(Ozark Homeowner's Assoc.)dripping down to where you live. 
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7x35 and 10x50 sears tower binocs, 3" f/10 edmunds reflector, 2.4" f/11.7 manon refractor, 6" f/8 jaegers refractor, "The 8 Ball" 8" f/13.3 brandt refractor, 3" f/15.8 sans&streiffe refractor, 3.1" f/15 selsi refractor(towa 339), 2.4" f/15 sears refractor, selsi 30x30mm spyglass, criterion 5-draw 25x45x75x spyglass(1957), 4.25" f/14.8 tasco 20te.
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Well it's not one of the extremely restrictive ones, the dues are only $100 a year (no benefits or clubhouses though) and since they don't take care of the outside of your property like in communities where you'd pay a high HOA fee, they can't say well our lawn guy isn't going to want to maneuver around that "thing" or some other excuse.
Crossing my fingers, regardless.
Did anyone here pick up their POD at NEAF to save some shipping costs? I will call and ask if that is a possibility.
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GeorgeDuke
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/24/03
Posts: 1592
Loc: PARADISE! (So.Florida)
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I saved the $800 shipping cost to Florida by finding a used POD for sale right here in Florida! It was a 4 hour drive but well worth the trip.
You might advertise in Classifieds and swap & Shop and on AM if you have an account there.
I am sure there must be other situations like mine. The POD owner bought a larger scope and needed a bigger observatory so I "helped him out" by buying his POD for less than half of what it would cost me from the factory.
With all the home foreclosures and job losses there may be someone near you that needs you to "help" by buying their POD for half price!
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George
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SkyShed POD XL-3
LX200GPS 203mm f10
StellarVue SV102ED2 Feathertouch Ser#0018
LXD75 GOTO with Orion 16" pier extension
Baader Hyperion 8mm ,13mm, 21mm + FTRs
2" GSO ED barlow, 2" SV Dielectric and Orion Prism Diagonals
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thj
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/07/06
Posts: 578
Loc: San Tan Valley, Arizona
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Good luck and let us know how it goes!
I know our HOA would most likely not approve something like this so I'm working out some plans to build my own "observatory" that's just an inch or two lower the wall around my backyard.
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Thomas
(My Astro Photos)
--
N 33° 09' / W 111° 33'
Orion 10" Newtonian
Orion 102mm F/7 ED
Atlas EQ-G
Stratus 21/13/8/5 mm EPs
Orion 32mm Q70 EP
Plössls in many shapes and sizes
Celestron NexStar 114GT (for "Grab-n-Go" moments)
Canon Digital Rebel XSi (a.k.a. 450D)
Edited by thj (10/15/09 02:12 PM)
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Heh, we can't have privacy fences though, oddly. Not even if you have a pool. Post and rail fences only, with chicken wire to prevent the odd wandering toddler from getting into your pool (I don't have one) and drowning.
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skybsd
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/01/08
Posts: 603
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Hello Joseph,
Congrats on the decision to realise your objectives there  Fingers crossed that your application will find favour with your (had to read up on what this is) HOA.
Good luck!
Regards,
skybsd
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Got an answer requesting some clarification from the HOA president:
Are you replacing your existing shed with this one?
Are you putting up the pod in addition to your current shed (This is my hope)
and my favorite question, "Are you putting the pod inside your existing shed? (and converting the existing shed into a roll-off roof)"
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oldsalt
Astro Philosopher
Reged: 02/12/05
Posts: 8677
Loc: Pa - between starparties
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Joe, I'm a little confused as to why you would need the HOA approval for the POD. It isn't a premanent structure. You aren't placingit on a pad, or building a deck for it either. It would be akin to one of those kids "playschool houses or castles you see in peoples backyards.
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There are no winners in war, only bigger losers.
Jim
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csa/montana
Den Mother
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40314
Loc: montana
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Some HOA's are very restrictive. When I lived in town; you could not even have a clothesline in the yard, in our neighborhood. A little tight-knit group ran the HOA, and no one bothered to get them replaced, with more lenient individuals.
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Quote:
It would be akin to one of those kids "playschool houses or castles you see in peoples backyards.
I'm sure the backyard playground two houses down needed approval as well.
Playground sets are "what suburban houses are supposed to have" in their backyards, while shyshed PODs, well, "what IS that thing?!?" is probably the most common response among the non-astro-knowledgeable members of society (and that's 99% of them).
If they don't approve the POD they should be more lenient on me modding the existing shed - since "looks" is all the HOA cares about.
While I would rather keep the shed as is, to house the lawn mower and other stuff that doesn't belong in the basement, I'll manage it, if in the end I get something to permanently keep my telescope in (and actually getting to USE it would be nice!). If going that route I would definitely buy skyshed plans from them (same company) as Wayne has been quite helpful with my questions so far.
A rolloff roof will look like the shed that's been there for a while, with posts and rails next to it. If an inquisitive dogwalker asks, I will say I am building a pergola or whatever those things are called.
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Edited by Joseph Gillman (10/16/09 12:08 PM)
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Timber
sage
Reged: 11/08/08
Posts: 394
Loc: SW foothills of Mt. St. Helens
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Hi Joseph,
My heart really bleeds for you and everyone else that has the misfortune to have bought in a HOA development. I have been there and had to sell my property. There are lots of officious, autocratic, bureaucratic people with nothing better to do in life than walk around the neighborhood with their clipboards telling people how they know better how you should live your life.
I wish you well in your project.
Richard
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My four beautiful Saluki's; Barron, Sophie, Majnun and Kassandra, and I live on a small, rural, remote farm.
No close neighbors,
No streetlights,
No private security lights,
No power poles,
No traffic,
No TV,
No HOA
No Mosquitoes
Rather Wonderful
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Joseph Gillman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/05
Posts: 2784
Loc: Aston, PA
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Don't shed too much blood for me. I'll be okay either way as I do like the house and neighborhood (mostly) otherwise
Absolute worst case I will sell my RCX 12" and get something more portable, but I sure would miss that scope which as of now might not be easily replaceable in the future.
I think they only go around with the clipboards every year or two (from what I heard) so they aren't the most restrictive HOA ever. But lets hope they see the (star)light so to speak.
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skybsd
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/01/08
Posts: 603
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Wow! 
I guess you learn something everyday.
Good to know of some of these experiences..,
Regards,
skybsd
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RobertED
professor emeritus
Reged: 07/11/03
Posts: 1194
Loc: Johnston, RI
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Go for it!!, Joe!...and may the force be with you!!!  
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