What happened to last weeks post, you ask? Well to be totally honest, I didn't want another post saying yes, yes, yes we're still waiting and was a tad down about that situation.
This week, ironically, we're still waiting but at least we're closer. Marianne, the architect, met with the city staff yet again, after e-mail exchanges and trying to get answers on moving forward that would be acceptable. I have a whole new respect for Architects, Contractors and property owners now that the intimate understanding of the process is pulsing through my veins.
I'm not trying to point fingers but this really seems to be a case of "the road to hell is paved with good intentions". So what's the answer? Perhaps, the answer is to have a school program called "Decision making 101" that is implemented in the elementary school curriculum. It could be a life skill class that continues onto high school, post-secondary and grad studies. The focus of this program would be grounded in common sense, practical application and supportive win-win solutions.
Wouldn't that be awesome! People being raised to come together and solve issues and challenges in a positive way, where everyone leaves the table feeling like they have a win-win situation. I don't think it would be that difficult actually.
In the case of this project, it would be the owner leaving with 5 homes for people to live in; architect proud of the design to make that happen; contractor happy to build these homes; city department approving and issuing permits to make a micro community happen. All done efficiently, like over a few meetings, and not a 1-2 year process. So why is this not the case? Why does it take so long for this to become a possible reality? Most importantly why doesn't the process feel good for everyone involved?
Answer: we're missing that program described earlier.
So while we wait here's some more fun about ridiculous situations...