Lakefish Houseboat Permit: Update
After appealing the decision denying a building permit for the houseboat proposed by Mark and Heather Lakefish, as reported in the last issue of the Newsletter (see Puzzling Permit Decision), the permit for the originally proposed houseboat has been issued and construction is underway.
After the appeal was filed, the City Attorney reviewed the decision and decided to settle the case with the Lakefishes and issue the permit, with two conditions. The issues in denying the original permit were that the 12 foot concrete float would (1) impede fish migration, (2) be an added heat source in the water, and (3) added sealant on the concrete float might chemically pollute the water. The City acknowledged that in fact the 12 foot float was less deep than the existing float and therefore would not be an increased impediment to fish migration; the Lakefishes agreed to increase the float insulation to R-40 from R-30; and agreed they would move the float into drydock if it needed repairs in the future instead of making repairs under water.
Unfortunately, this revised decision still includes reference to "the amount of additional floating material that has been added to keep the floating home afloat. There are no records regarding of (sic) permits or exemption review for this material." This seems to imply that some kind of permit or review is required in order to add flotation to houseboats. The decision does, however, omit the statement in the original decision that houseboat floats should be no deeper than 6 feet. The revised decision was only sent to the pertinent parties and not published online.