Drugged and Raped Ch. 08

His afternoon was interrupted by a call from the local planning commission office. He and Thomas Wilkes were requested to attend a meeting about his proposed house. This was a little puzzling as they believed their request to build a new house on the property was within the residential city code.

The members of the planning commission were a mix of professionals, e.g. lawyers and architects, solid citizens and members of the city council. They were all present when Chuck and Thomas came into the room. When Chuck asked about his plans for the lots he was surprised at their response.

The commission chairman took the lead. "Mr. Endo, your company, RM Industries, has made an unusual request in building a large house on two lots with a large swimming pool in an area that, to be blunt, has seen better days. This neighborhood is in decline. There hasn't been a new house built in the area for years. I believe most of the houses are small two and three bedroom bungalows built in the late 1940's. Most people with the wherewithal are building in the suburbs. Can you enlighten us as to why you want to build here versus in a new development?"

Thomas spoke up as the attorney for the company. He told the commission that Chuck was a major stock holder in the company but his money was all tied up in the business while it became viable. He informed them about the estrangement from Bev and how Chuck wanted to be close enough for his sons but outside the 1000 foot range of the protection order. If allowed this construction would give the boys a place to come at any time and be safe. The large pool and extra area would allow play room for the boys and friends.

The members of the commission had other questions that revolved around the feasibility of Chuck and Bev getting back together. Chuck spoke for himself and stated that the chances of reconciliation were poor at best and even if they did reconcile they would probably live in the bigger house.

Another question involved what was going to happen to the existing houses. They were solidly built small houses and it would be a shame to just bulldoze them.

Chuck and Thomas conferred for a short time. "What if we gave the houses to Habitat for Humanity and paid to have them moved?" asked Thomas. That was immediately agreed on by the members.

Finally the chairman decided to give the commission's opinion to Chuck.

"You know that money is at a premium at any time for the city, I believe. We have barely enough to maintain the infrastructure as it is and still pay for police and fire protection. I wish it were different but it is what it is. This area that you are building in is older and not that well planned for amenities more than sidewalks and streets. The nearest park with a swimming pool is two miles away. Kids are constantly playing in the streets and there have been many near misses as cars are driving through the area. This pool of yours looks to be a magnet in the area and we wonder if you have considered that fact in your quest to have a great area for your kids to play in."

Chuck knew all about this. It was a consideration when he and Bev bought the house but, at the time, it was within their budget and they had to compromise. When they started to plan a new house they had decided to move to a gated community but this debacle had changed his plans immensely. He nodded his agreement of what they seemed to be asking.

"So, do you want me to delete the pool from the plans?"

The chairman actually looked a little embarrassed. "Actually no, we don't. We would instead ask a huge favor of you. Would you consider buying out the rest of the block and expanding your idea for a pool? We have partnered with private individuals other times to design and create a park that was then turned over or managed by the city and we are in need of a park in this area that could help attract young couples with children back into this area."

He then rolled out a new plat plan that they had come up with. Chuck's house was moved to the center of the block with parking on both sides to allow access to an even bigger pool. A kids' splash pad was now located on one corner and a play area with equipment was located next to the splash pad. The pool had access from the opposite side of the block through a building that would house the changing rooms and a small snack bar that was also accessible to the splash pad and play area. There were a lot of green areas to help break up the parking areas. His house would still be a dominant feature of the area.

Chuck was impressed. Thomas asked the obvious question about whether the commission would approve of Chuck's original proposal or would the pool be nixed if he didn't agree to the expansion. The chairman was a politician. "We would have a lot of reservations in endorsing the plan to the city council but if it was a planned park then I believe the entire council would whole heartedly endorse the plan. If you need extra funding there are a number of private foundations that might help with development costs that are not accessible to the city. We do believe that there will be token resistance to the city managing the property but that is normal to keep the taxpayers feeling that we are good stewards of their money."

Chuck was starting to like this idea. A park was needed there and the kids of the area had little access to a pool otherwise. If the city managed the park he wouldn't have to worry about security or risk. "What if I want to use the pool? I would not have any access to it for myself if the city was managing it."

The chairman was happily relieved. "I suspect that we will be able to work out some kind of arrangement. We could easily make the pool a private one in the evenings for you and your family. Your family would not have to pay regular rate and could access the pool from the house if you wish. We also saw that you wanted an interior pool that could be shut off from the outside pool and that could still be possible if you wanted. The only quibble would be during winter months when the outside public pool would be closed."

"What about the planned hot tub and spa area? Also, what about the waterfall and grotto that I had originally planned for? I see that the water slide is still in the plan."

"We believe that the hot tub and spa could be fenced in for your private enjoyment. The waterfall is still in the plan but we believe the city would have a safety issue with the grotto area. It would be very hard for the lifeguards to see into that area at all times."

They negotiated back and forth for some time. Chuck added an eight foot privacy fence around the entire pool, something that was not done at any other public pool in the area. He also added a metal sunshade to the entire west side of the pool so that loungers could chose to be in direct sunshine or in shade at the side of the pool.

The plan also called for relocation of the other houses on the block. Chuck agreed easily to that part of the plan. It might take a little longer to accomplish but he wouldn't have to pay as high landfill fee for the entire demolition, just the basements and whatever garages were left over.

When they left the commission offices both Thomas and Chuck were happy. It would eat into Chuck's financial reserves more but with the offing of more contracts it should be doable. Thomas was going to look into grants from various foundations while Chuck called his realtor and sicced him on the next stage, acquiring the rest of the block. All of the owners would be given their choice of a full by-out at market or above market price, the moving of the house to a new lot at RM Industries' expense, or purchase of a townhome at a reasonable price. All of the existing homeowners were to be told of the full plans for the park and all would have their names immortalized on a plaque as donors to the park.

The negotiations would take some time, actually many months. A few of the elderly homeowners were not adverse to selling but didn't have enough to move into assisted living. RM Industries then set up a non-profit foundation to accept money from other foundations and assist the homeowners with their living expenses. Construction was started on the lots that were opened up by movement of the original houses to a new Habitat block a few miles away. Chuck also helped with the lot and foundation expenses there.