Time for a long-overdue update on progress at the new shop.

I’ve long held that one cannot gain wisdom without feeling like an idiot, and I’m feeling a lot wiser now.  I think it is a good thing to have one’s contractor handle the city building permits since they are the one responsible for doing the work, but what I’ve learned is that as client I should take the trouble to follow up with the city and verify that the permits they pulled are the ones they said they’d pull.  Had I done this I wouldn’t be sitting here idle for three weeks.  With a partitioning wall, door reconstruction, rearrangements to the overhead lighting, and some plumbing repairs to do, this fellow went and pulled a permit for paint and carpet work.  A city inspector came by and pointed the problem out to the crew who was there, but the guy in charge did nothing, despite my protests, and they came back and shut down work.

After a lot of prodding I did get this fellow back into the city where we learned we needed an asbestos report done for our carpentry permit, which got done.  And to his credit, my contractor did complete all the permit applications, despite now being charged double for them due to the stop work order.  He didn’t just wash his hands of his little debacle and leave me scrambling to find a replacement.  I can’t say I’d hire this yoyo again, though.

One bit of progress is that despite the stop work order on doofis, the sign company was able to come and install the big sign in front.  So that warmed my cockles a bit.  Also, our work bench is complete and just waiting for the stop work order to be lifted, probably Monday or Tuesday, so I can get the tools set out.  The same carpenter (a former recumbent shop owner in the DFW area) is finishing up our counter.  Getting computers, tools, and inventory on shelves set out is ready to go, but I’m waiting for the contractor to finish some drywall work.  Once that dust settles there are lots of things ready to go.

Hopefully we’ll manage a soft opening by the end of June.  I’ve learned to moderate my expectations, however.

Work on the trail progresses in a schizophrenic manner.  The concrete contractor got an early start, but the city of Keller asked him to stop since they hadn’t actually issued him a purchase order for the work.  They got that out, and now the work seems to be set back several weeks.  I’ll see what I can do to move that along, but that depends on everyone’s schedules.

I was really glad several months ago when I put the matter of finding the location behind me so I could set to work setting things up.  Now I’m really looking forward to putting this phase behind me.  Me feel wiser every day!