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I live in a factory that was converted into condos about 15 years ago. about 10 feet outside the back door of my condo is a set of railroad tracks for when the railroad cars used to deliver materials to the factory. As such, my unit is about the height of the railroad carriage above the tracks (roughly 5 feet). Across from the railroad tracks is a large mound of dirt (about 5 feet tall) that defines the elevation for the parking lot and everything past it. So, visualize a ravine about 5-10 feet deep and 20 feet wide between my house and the parking lot.
There is no retaining wall on the other side of the tracks and gentle erosion has made the area slope considerably. The owners are getting ready to put in the new parking lot, but I am sure it will be a mess if there is no retaining wall.
Originally we were not allowed to build on the tracks because the neighborhood had plans to have a public walking mall. That has since been scrapped.
Since the parking lot is much higher than this area, it becomes a swamp during hard rains. It drains out one end of the track area into the outdoor area of the attached restaurant where it pools and sits until it can be absorbed.
When I asked about filling in the ravine with dirt, the owners were afraid of affecting the runoff and causing the water to pool in the neighbor building's back yard--flooding their basement.
I recently had the idea of putting in a railcar that could be made into a pool. Water could run under the railcar for responsible runoff and the deck could be expanded to wrap around the new car.
How do I go about determining the permit requirements to do something like this? How can I show adequate runoff and what all should I consider before suggesting this to the homeowners association?
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration, I realize this is kind of an open box of worms. I just need to be pointed in the right direction.
There is no retaining wall on the other side of the tracks and gentle erosion has made the area slope considerably. The owners are getting ready to put in the new parking lot, but I am sure it will be a mess if there is no retaining wall.
Originally we were not allowed to build on the tracks because the neighborhood had plans to have a public walking mall. That has since been scrapped.
Since the parking lot is much higher than this area, it becomes a swamp during hard rains. It drains out one end of the track area into the outdoor area of the attached restaurant where it pools and sits until it can be absorbed.
When I asked about filling in the ravine with dirt, the owners were afraid of affecting the runoff and causing the water to pool in the neighbor building's back yard--flooding their basement.
I recently had the idea of putting in a railcar that could be made into a pool. Water could run under the railcar for responsible runoff and the deck could be expanded to wrap around the new car.
How do I go about determining the permit requirements to do something like this? How can I show adequate runoff and what all should I consider before suggesting this to the homeowners association?
Thanks in advance for your time and consideration, I realize this is kind of an open box of worms. I just need to be pointed in the right direction.