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My new shop

36 posts
  1. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/2/2013 12:10 PM
    Well, we are all moved in and got the final CO on the fuel tanks last week. Thanks to everyone who helped out and answered questions about all of the various parts of this. We were under construction since January and in permitting for 5 years, so it's nice to be finally be in.

    http://www.amberfrederiksen.com/houchingleneagle/



  2. Hector Velazquez
    Hector Velazquez avatar
    0 posts
    10/2/2013 3:10 PM
    WHOAW! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!! Congrats. :D



  3. Keith Lamb
    Keith Lamb avatar
    3 posts
    10/2/2013 3:10 PM
    He likes showing off. Heard he can juggle chainsaws too.

    Kidding aside, what did that put you back? Love the recessed lift table, covered bins, his and hers water fountains, etc.....



  4. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/2/2013 3:10 PM
    Keith Lamb said: He likes showing off. Heard he can juggle chainsaws too.

    Kidding aside, what did that put you back? Love the recessed lift table, covered bins, his and hers water fountains, etc.....



    The low water fountain is for the dog.
    1.4 mil

    Steve



  5. Andy Jorgensen
    Andy Jorgensen avatar
    1 posts
    10/2/2013 3:10 PM
    I didn't see an office for the assistant, the assistants assistant, the 2nd assistant, the 3rd assistant, the irrigation tech, the irrigation tech's assistant, the administrative assistant, the administrative assistant's assistant, the spray tech, the spray tech assistant, the chief bottle washer, the mechanic or the mechanic's assistant. Only yours. Didn't think of everything, did we????

    I guess that is what I use when I present in a few weeks for a new shop here. Gotta give them something to cut and red line during budgeting. That turned out great though. Looks phenomenal. Really makes us central Florida boys jealous of you guys below the Florida hemisphere. Good job and maybe one day I'll get to see it in person.



  6. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/2/2013 4:10 PM
    The first office picture is my office, the second one is my assistants office. I don't have a second assistant.



  7. Ronald Kirkman
    Ronald Kirkman avatar
    42 posts
    10/2/2013 4:10 PM
    Congratulations Jr. you have done a beautiful job. You should be very proud.

    Capt. Kirk
    Retired Alien
    Needham Golf Club
    Needham, MA 02492



  8. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/2/2013 4:10 PM
    Thanks, Cap



  9. Clay Putnam
    Clay Putnam avatar
    33 posts
    10/2/2013 7:10 PM
    Nice joint. Shiny.



  10. Jon Kindlesparger
    Jon Kindlesparger avatar
    0 posts
    10/3/2013 6:10 AM
    Wow!



  11. Melvin Waldron
    Melvin Waldron avatar
    43 posts
    10/3/2013 3:10 PM
    That is sweet Jr., but isn't that one fountian a little tall for your dog? What kind do you have?

    Mel

    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO

  12. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/3/2013 3:10 PM
    The picture doesn't show the diamond encrusted stepladder.


    Steve



  13. Melvin Waldron
    Melvin Waldron avatar
    43 posts
    10/4/2013 10:10 AM
    Steve,

    I think I misunderstood the user of the second fountain, it's for your Director of Golf? Not your dog? I can see then why the diamond encrusted stepladder comes in handy then, the guy is a little short? I think the dog deserves better anyway, you must have a chilled dog bowl for the dog?

    Mel

    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO

  14. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/4/2013 11:10 AM
    It's for handicapped dogs.

    It's been an interesting process, for sure. The building has to be ADA compliant even though it is unlikely that anyone other than an able bodied person would ever work here and we do not have any public restrooms. We have also been subject to some rediculous requirements from our county inspectors, which has led me to hate the government even more now than before.

    The plans which were approved by the county called for some bollards in front of the Convault tanks, which is total overkill, but anyway, they installed the kind of bollards that the plans called for. They are bolted to the concrete pad with 3/4 x 6" stainless hardware. The fire inspector said that he wouldnt CO the building unless we buried them three feet in the ground or removed them completely and then he said he didnt have time to wait around while we unbolted them and he would be back in a month. I was so hot you coulda cooked on me.

    Steve



  15. Joe Wachter
    Joe Wachter avatar
    5 posts
    10/4/2013 1:10 PM
    Those are some impressive slides Steve. A great place to start and close your day from. Your staff must be very proud to have a new facility.



  16. Melvin Waldron
    Melvin Waldron avatar
    43 posts
    10/4/2013 2:10 PM
    Steven Huffstutler, CGCS said: It's for handicapped dogs. The plans which were approved by the county called for some bollards in front of the Convault tanks, which is total overkill, but anyway, they installed the kind of bollards that the plans called for. They are bolted to the concrete pad with 3/4 x 6" stainless hardware. The fire inspector said that he wouldnt CO the building unless we buried them three feet in the ground or removed them completely and then he said he didnt have time to wait around while we unbolted them and he would be back in a month. I was so hot you coulda cooked on me. Steve


    With the bollard requirement, you would think the county and the fire inspector would be working from the same specifications/codes, that is crazy. And the government wonders why they get a bad name, if they would only work together and demand the same specifications, but I am guessing sometimes different cities use different codes, then unicorperated areas etc. If only there was some logic to it. Of course I have heard some crazy things in the private sector too.

    Mel

    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO

  17. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/4/2013 3:10 PM
    It is absolutely maddening and it's no wonder people hate their government. They are a capricious and vindictive lot who has forgotten who they work for. I was in the military for a long time and I made sure I told my sailors that the equipment they used didn't belong to them, rather it was the taxpayers property and that when we dealt with the public, we were dealing with our countrymen.
    This county has set us all up as bad people who's sole desire is to rape the environment and screw other people over, when in fact we are just the opposite. The club I work for has gone out of its way to be cooperative and their reward was to spend 5 years in permitting.
    We would finish a plan, send it to them with the requisite check and they would send it back for further revision. Every time required paying an engineer, an architect and then the county fee.
    We asked for a meeting not too long agao, it was granted and when we were done, we had to cut them a check for 500 bucks.
    Un.frikin.believable.

    So, yes...we are very happy with the new facility, it will make us a much greener and more efficient operation. It's great to go to work and have a nice office and have a nice lunchroom and shop. We worked out of an utter dung hole for so long that we got used to it and it didn't bother us. The guys had to eat in the shop sitting on mowers because we didn't have a lunchroom and the mechanic, assistant, spray tech and I shared an office. Tru the be told, it worked just fine and if we were still working that way, it would be ok with me, but it's difficult to attract good people when the working conditions are so horrendous, especially a good equipment manager.

    This is better.

    Regards,

    Steve



  18. Melvin Waldron
    Melvin Waldron avatar
    43 posts
    10/4/2013 4:10 PM
    Steve,

    One has to wonder if the architects and engineers have a hand in getting the government to come up with these specifications just to keep them in business. Once it has been submitted as required it should be approved, I can't believe if the requirments were followed that it shouldn't be rejected. Unless neighbors what to question it, if the county doesn't approve it, let the engineer pay for the changes if they didn't do it right.

    I wonder too what would accountants do if we ever simplified tax laws. Just my opinion.

    Mel

    Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO

  19. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/4/2013 7:10 PM
    I'm not much on conspiracy theories, I think people are just being dicks because they can. There are no consequences, their superiors back them up and you can't vote them out of office.

    Thankfully, that's behind us now and we are enjoying having a nice facility to work out of. The dog is especially happy.

    Steve



  20. Justin VanLanduit
    Justin VanLanduit avatar
    0 posts
    10/5/2013 7:10 AM
    Steve,

    That place is impressive! What size of property does that facility sit on?

    Justin



  21. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/5/2013 1:10 PM
    Hey Justin. It's on 2 1/2 acres.



  22. Tom Forsythe
    Tom Forsythe avatar
    0 posts
    10/6/2013 9:10 PM
    So the total cost of the building was 1.2 and there was 0.2 in extra BS costs?



  23. Justin VanLanduit
    Justin VanLanduit avatar
    0 posts
    10/7/2013 7:10 AM
    Steven Huffstutler, CGCS said: Hey Justin. It's on 2 1/2 acres.


    Thanks Steven



  24. Ronald Conard
    Ronald Conard avatar
    4 posts
    10/9/2013 11:10 AM
    Awesome. Even has a couch in your office. Is that for therapy sessions?



  25. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/9/2013 1:10 PM
    That's my Assistants office. Lazy bastard.



  26. Gary Carls
    Gary Carls avatar
    20 posts
    10/9/2013 1:10 PM
    Mel, On the Convaults......sadly that is how government works. Back in the late 90's we did two Convaults at two different courses in San Jose, one owned by the city and one owned by the county. The one at the city course only required bollards all the way around it so vehicles couldn't run into it. The one at the county required additional secondary containment so the Convault actually sat in what was like a huge bathtub in case of spills. No real logic to any of it but you don't get a choice....do it or don't get it approved for use.

    Gary K. Carls, CGCS, President - Oakland Turfgrass Education Initiative

  27. Andy Jorgensen
    Andy Jorgensen avatar
    1 posts
    10/9/2013 2:10 PM
    Installed the split 500 gallon Convault at my old course during a new shop construction. Dry weight of the tank was around 18,000#'s. The county I was in required hurricane strapping so that it wouldn't blow away in a 100 mph wind. The inspector said the 1/4" cable we installed after the fact was sufficient and they passed us.



  28. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/9/2013 6:10 PM
    Funny. I don't know if you can see it in the pictures, but the con vaults consist of a one thousand gallon tank that is split half and half between diesel and gas. Next to it is a 300 gallon con vault waste oil tank. The whole works weighs well over 20000 lbs. they were installed after the roof was put on and the contractor had a hell of a time getting them into place. They sit behind a 6" thick poured concrete wall. The county decided that they needs to be strapped to the slab with 1/2 cables. They found no such requirement for the ESD or the chemical building. I will guaran.g.d.tee you that the next hurricane will take the roof off and the chemical building will be next door but, by god that con vault isn't going anywhere.

    Steve



  29. Peter Bowman
    Peter Bowman avatar
    11 posts
    10/9/2013 10:10 PM
    Most government officials have to somehow justify their continual paychecks. And we let them get away with it.



  30. Steven Huffstutler
    Steven Huffstutler avatar
    11 posts
    10/10/2013 5:10 AM
    There are no consequences for them and they are scared to death that their names are going to bo on a piece of paper that allowed something and come back to haunt them so the easiest thing to do is just delay or over engineer.



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