Many apologies for the delayed update. We actually didn't have any real news until this week, two weeks after the March 11th meeting with the Williston Development Review Board. The meeting itself went really well. We made our case for building this summer and described in detail the energy efficient building strategies and materials we planned to use. The board seemed sympathetic. But, in the end, as we found out this week, we were not given permission to build this summer. Other developers who scored higher on the town's survey received the phasing units for this summer. We will be able to break ground July 1, 2009.
While we were initially VERY disappointed in the board's decision, we also understand and respect their decision-making process. In addition, as we've spent time reflecting and talking about the decision, we've slowly come to realize that this might actually be for the best. We now have a full year to continue planning our build and seeking the most competitive bids for the work. Had we broken ground July 1 of this year, we would have been incredibly crunched for time to complete our plans and solicit bids. We can now relax a bit, conduct some more research, begin buying products when they're on sale, make more connections with folks in the area who might want to be a part of our project, etc. All in all, this additional time is probably a really good thing. Oh, and we have another year to save. The extra money we can squirrel away between now and next summer could go a long way. Can you say solar hot water???
So we're keeping a smile on our faces and staying positive. In the grand scheme of things, an extra year isn't a big deal, right? And the posts won't stop...as long as I'm reading and researching, I'll be posting. Thanks for all of the words of encouragement from friends, family and fellow bloggers. Your support means a lot!
