HomeMy WebLinkAboutPermit File 1819 10th Street (2)April 22, 2019
Mr. Don Measamer
Director of Planning, Community, and Economic Development
City of Anacortes
Re: Reeves Residence, 1819 10th Street, Anacortes
Mr. Measamer:
As you know, my wife and I are working with Inspector Steve Kramer of your department to complete
the tests and inspections required to secure the overdue Certificate of Occupancy for 1819 10th Street.
Recent challenges that we have encountered during the testing process lead me to send you this letter.
The latest of these required inspections requires a pneumatic pressure test, at 10 PSI air pressure, of the
DWV portion of our home's interior plumbing system. Mr. Kramer has specified that this test must
originate at a point on the sewer lateral line that is outside the home's foundation wall. This latter
requirement has proven to be challenging to satisfy, requiring us to contact three different Skagit
County plumbing contractors to identify the process and cost required to complete the pneumatic
testing. We have still NOT completed this test, for reasons which I will explain below.
Two weeks ago, we hired Bay Point Mechanical to inspect our plumbing system and conduct the
pressure test. However, the only sewer line access point currently at our house is a working cleanout
port in our basement that is 12 feet INSIDE the foundation wall. Conducting the pneumatic test as
specified from outside the foundation wall requires us to replace our entire sewer lateral line between
the house and the sewer main, install a second cleanout, and demolish our existing exterior deck.
Bay Point Mechanical's estimate to perform the pneumatic pressure test on our home's interior
plumbing DWV from the existing inside cleanout is about $5000.00, omitting excavation, lateral line
replacement, and deck demolition. However, this does not satisfy the City'outside the foundation wall'
requirement described earlier in this letter. So we asked Bay Point Mechanical for an estimate for sewer
line replacement. Bay Point Mechanical's estimate for excavating our back yard, replacing the sewer
line, and installing the required 'outside' cleanout port is $20,000. We hired a second plumber, CPI, to
inspect the sewer lateral and supply an estimate for trenchless sewer line replacement ONLY. CPI
Plumbing's estimate: $20,000. Neither of the latter two estimates include the price of the required
pneumatic test.
We consulted a third plumber: Skagit Plumbing. Mark, who responded to our call, asked about the
composition of our plumbing. When I replied, "Black Plastic", Mark referred us to Section 712.0 (Testing)
of Universal Plumbing Code 2015, adopted by the City of Anacortes. Section 712.1 (Media) states that
`plastic pipe shall not be tested with air', but rather, with water. Section 712.1 also specifies that
pneumatic testing be done at pressure of 5 psi, not 10 psi as specified by the city. Mark informs us that
employing a pneumatic pressure test at EITHER 5 psi or 10 psi could seriously damage the plastic pipes
under and inside the walls of our house. Thus, I think that the City inspector needs to revise the
specified DWV testing protocol so that it conforms to UBC 2015 Section 712. For example, is it possible
that a water test from a point inside the foundation wall can replace the specified pneumatic pressure
test?
The video inspections of our lateral line performed by both plumbers show that the line is fully
functional. So is our backyard deck. And, reiterate the opinion of both plumbers, our house's interior
plumbing can be successfully tested USING the EXISTING (and 'legal', by earlier building codes) cleanout
port inside the house.
Mr. Measamer, as you know, when purchasing our Anacortes property, my wife and were defrauded by
a dishonest homebuilder who failed to secure the required inspections and permits required by law, and
then concealed this fact during the escrow process. Since discovering this fraud in February 2018, we
have spent more than $20,000 of our savings and 500 hours of uncompensated time working on a
remedy that leads to compliance with Anacortes City building codes. It is likely that we will spend even
more money to bring the house into code compliance required to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy
without any assurance that we will recover these costs.
We do not have unlimited financial resources, and cannot see the logic in spending an additional
$20,000 to replace a functioning sewer line simply to install a second cleanout port that from an
engineering standpoint is NOT necessary to perform the City -required testing on the interior plumbing. I
also note that at the time of our home's construction the Building Code did not require the installation
of a sewer cleanout port outside of the foundation wall.
I am requesting that you and Mr. Kramer meet with us to identify an alternative solution to completing
the pressure test of our house plumbing system that does not require a large expenditure of funds,
which could be better used to make other required structural improvements to our home.
We look forward to meeting with you.
Sincerely,
Rick and Sarah Reeves
1819 10th Street
805 455 3326 mobile
Attachment: UPC 2015 Section 712 (portions)
Cc: Offices of Andrew C. Schuh, PLLC
w-"� o q •igal
'11_' W a` 3 '3 a ,wCOO._- z c v .= 5 �' c �.a AMOCOo a v q G � y c a
d'n �O -Iva scw�u �� nGain U� G ii cis' p vag fl y d �' Call
Or
t+7
10 S °� >r ,S IOU Sm"a p y a am as o°su °� v'tm G u '� 9 1 s Ys � :n21m small fit" COO, C nXim • al OAp" CIA CON
$- a L' a
Cal Lia't C u74 an RA f Fi 'CJ 4 r7 w
O �'"' C8 cc
.�+ '° 0 a v% C ` II 5 dup or
Y ORION ,y •rj •� ? °° ' aq [ r =
$00 " a' p a rnrn °� �i ' �° a S �' S a S g ` 5
V C 's ,c"r� r Fj v w `C C - C .M qw-I ORION ' "` d �.' COO,
= 0 mrj`zt A COO,
� ='
o c 3 q g d c .°" e a ?- t' t7all n c y52 1� °�'� e q � �'?L I s
lofth
sir 4. Coo va CA
gS o tf ''7ca=( $ L .� -' ` _ W ' 0 F v p .7�CS ,� y .p ��. n L' 08'7
CA � gal
r4a
L. am Mage z
YOr
`,��ya. c � Q�� n y ¢ 'a r mgal n� - O m v� c� iota cCOO Ic Js
Mageej
Q�. ��J*jDROP
4 , 1: •h `.fir .4, C�i '-' 'i7 '' C'm •Fj , ± :COMMON iollp MOL Lea) )in1 �,�. Vl # ,g, e dLOM ,Mail l <.^ G Q'�r �': G a C a' a C '+ O� C a _a yC„
J S a FFF
n Gewe° a •s�t��°g�c - � •e�. caF,ac��� €i,����z�8
CIO 4,1Pc N ° rJ ri :. ,� ca x ;a cLCOL ae all, er� J �`
45 CEO '-i � w �2 A`-� ii p '� � '0i In 1 tr- tom` r � P = � � r _.. e � a �� c Ir. � � � 8 cc �i h rvi 3C �i tr+ a £ �
C'^ 'a3' T, y .�..G '2 AM
`4� C G Jlig J J - ' OldC a PJ Call
COMMONCIS
rail ej gas ME
as
asImill
wild la,.1
all Oak
I Oil,
COOS Car
O. C VU L m M ,� E all
F '° Sm b VCC` G 4« C i[ 8 6 "S r ^J ip3 V u
OSj� al>03 _5 a 0. pwi ca�cg CCCIiiiiBAu m �+�l Yn
m G a w o Y3 a 9 {C d m ° '� c =° $ 'Im 6 a p 9 ocq g^ 3 ;a �' w �i COO 'U d
�L^[�76 m9,ay��� '� ani��n�Y�j`isc„1' E � 'LLa� aa'' � v�ygl
COO
c c u ,✓� try`, {5, a a • 'S �•° 9 8 S `y�-. S !P'-c,.' 'boa W t0 'ar. a n fS Siagent � �,7 .� h
MOCIII y ` (Miami 657. a, al e� ,5 7 c a Mail,dui �" 'C y4 Qi y�i'I C' G'� N � '{� 17 ,c G 40 real ej "A A p W
p •N €'� C NMij a Kall '� a! r� m C a0 ;�.' 09 �F Ci ,F- 4 H J .m
e r� � ES � a y a m EOiLe a Z7 OC c c Y as " o L
0^1�ad
c�a�Mill rr £rammTIIII �2��4ra5 c';to •la"IF did e` L o w 6c,p�1� aSou
d
�.= X �� �� n c ti w �b a > n as d 5 o r �e c 01 c'� R � COO � g�S� N.� on
.t �#rMIA�a&� y� _ N N rc
ui 3 oa 1= tom. v c k Fd :. �' n n v Q � Iaa t^+ vim` '�
NLa
Liz gimmi
c w K e`P c v :3� o n a co• aea � fat: mcryPPOMO oU
o s c a c G U"Mal 4 p� & v fi S Jd u 4i w? a a" E c A a v'.� c t< � S p tic. d .�
[fit_ V•rSOl
p� .a dar9r�S,4 ms �am;e YS 'urp�I�n�� ��o a�� •ISa$ G
U " 2f u �a "e 2 c 2�'d^ 2 $ }g111 m�m �— a 2 C � ON Mail
�v a � s E,88
t r .G l- +W{+p G u yn _ P7 Q } '9 .� v O c'!y • C �4f $
n ,fig• � YO 00 C i' °° C k dl Y a� n E a .4 F D c `"� 'k a m cc �e1� ' `�' S u G o 'a
—COO CIA cai � 35 a _ � G ob�� ��� 9'`Oftm � U> � Ca "4 'cmvZ.53 a U
y,. o v -Sm COOLa^ c Y�a�af acu�¢¢ xIc m �{'$� cn� �u � CC C c
Ebill
4aa 3$ a _ 3 Mangn '� a 2,c 9 u p? 2b2 L w'�5bs b m crs a
� E� 5� d� �� 2 � c� b � �, c r a �S G a G n u- d' n9am, Lai m
c ��: 6 wgagai- 7on
C� ILIA
k� r" c�- ��,N o y k.-� Lc f�' u c °�" LU
a
lime
ILL
w CIS
COOCe�c ij
'S Old r.c 9' c r e > C a u "E 4 3
MCI Call
5 OR IONIC
CL
wCal
P p It..'m ,� SOL9 •5n� ,fiia- mat_ G9 9 agal, .d a gi ,PC,1 : y^ y e � a $ lei, ' N
e0 C a oo h e °Q C Oil 09
7� i^- E a c 5 i Lr' v g 1^ r a t° 87 COO,
a1 c o bI _G uJ CAge
d m al"G C Q 'h ^� W3 n 0 1 O � f` G `'� u 2 r L O w
L pp n. n n W G C �,% J _ _ r =i - y o c •pq .�i r w u
A C J •� h > .�-' L h of l - ,4 r`. F if - rJ n u N = .L' �' Y C f� a :. a v. C.
v rOPh J $ °ntS x. U -COO a'oviam ;eC Oil III r , A on Y 7 fr Lirp� �°L } d 1� y,cj
COO, Z
Or CAOCCOMMOM
o a
r� cc .4 w G� e �` CanM a �cc i. 5, 4
n2 COO ? C��n c �^��d �'J'r 41a� ^fit JO��ic
op
COO
OCOIC Cot
IIPOO a?
C 4 Nu
q Call Q "� t y W jeage
oe'� V�'sa�o�4w J ._m?�a�:�u�cPa (On fill, LA ziad Val
g
•p, '— '$ciet ."OiC
e� W p , ,sl' yo �Olial was� _ ..to � -3 ,c� m �q o 'y a e
E. a �' U '� t= �.� _ w"O , rlaw cu•V a a „y) �p QiQ tJ 'c
o o 2 u e d s V p `1 011) [ C Mail [V X Ol r, e7
e a` C A v �• 32' d - 3,s� p J aAt•e is n> W
01, am
Oa I Call al, S
Cd
t � ao w an % 2 Cravc n A ;r j J1 v mot ._ a } .c d m
°�"�d CA b m qMML�em
�aj COO �MILL� . 'S "c:� 4by"'s A J �' un� � ��s� � r ..p� u
.0 a � � � � � •J i. u� "' rJ m .J 'S a CI Is •� V _^ � � e! ,j i � ou iJ+ ,G �1 v O •� � F Z
a� m y� a •� ` _F .J en= •d > c a t a G m g it i� a .a
uc8 °i C � 0 IE a S° '��.. � a` s�., `o INJFa d'L^ �
Cal6�5y 8COOc e3�I a�ii.main .IONIC
d ="ac Claim
s
`°Vim,® c9 �N�a S2 M - crai�fill� R a n �a2a a'a.9ca £'k`r'COO 2N,.ti.� _��a ?
"I
d ¢ Lf)N
w � L} / co
QWw O rn
OFF ■
QWo ZICT
dJ0 N=) «1
�N
zN N
f F�
O
2p
CO
CO
rr
m
m
0
0
m
to
to