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Much
of the information presented so far should be useful if you decide to
build on your land. The
discussion below should help fill in the gaps.
Before
investing much time or money in your project, you will want to take the
following steps: ·
Check with
the appropriate municipality or municipalities regarding your intended
use of the property to make sure it is permitted (see Chapter Ten).
Get copies of any permit applications required.
·
Get copies
of relevant ordinances governing your intended use of the property,
required setbacks, building codes, restrictions on vegetation / tree
removal, and any other requirements.
·
If your
property will be served by a private sanitary system, talk to the
Land and Water Management Department, (262) 284-8313, to begin the
process of obtaining your sanitary permit.
Neither building nor zoning permits can be obtained before your
sanitary permit is issued. The
location of your sanitary system may also affect where you place
structures or your private well. After
determining how your property will be developed, you will be ready to
hire surveyors, architects, builders, contractors, landscape architects,
etc. as needed. All plans
should be submitted to the relevant agencies for approval and permit
issuance before you begin site preparation or construction so as to
avoid costly mistakes. If
your property is relatively small, you may have very little choice as to
where to place your building once you take into account setbacks and the
location of your sanitary system. If,
however, you have several options for building placement, you may want
to consider the following questions: ·
Will the
proposed placement of my house add to, detract from, or blend with the
scenery that led me to purchase this property?
·
Do I want my
house to be visible from the road, water, or neighboring properties? ·
Will I have
trouble getting to my house in winter?
For example, how long and steep will my driveway be? ·
Is there a
place I can locate my house so as to get some protection from wind or
blowing snow? ·
Do I want to
build the house at minimum setback(s), or do I want to save room for
possible expansion? Many
land divisions and some types of development require the design and
installation of an approved storm water runoff management system.
The purpose is to prevent flooding of adjacent properties and to
protect water quality. To find out whether or not your project will require the
installation of a storm water runoff control plan, contact the
municipality or municipalities that govern land divisions and zoning and
building permit issuance for your property (see Chapter Ten).
Plans
are usually developed by a private engineer and then evaluated and
approved by either an engineer designated for a particular municipality
or the
Land and Water Management Department (LWCD).
For further information about storm water runoff control, contact
the Ozaukee County LWCD at (262) 284-8270.
For
some large projects or construction sites near wetlands, you may be
required to utilize construction practices that minimize erosion or
sediment runoff. For more
information, contact the municipality or municipalities that issue your
building and zoning permits [see Chapter Ten], or the Ozaukee County
LWCD at (262) 284-8270. The
decisions on how or if to landscape your property will depend on a
variety of factors: the
property’s naturally occurring vegetation and geology; personal
aesthetic preference; and the amount of time and money you wish to spend
on landscaping and maintenance. You
may choose to do very little to your property if the natural character
of the land is what attracted you to the property in the first place, or
if you do not wish to spend your time mowing the lawn or gardening.
On the other hand, if you prefer the appearance of more
traditional landscaping and/or enjoy the maintenance involved, you may
wish to devote a great deal of attention to landscaping your property.
Whatever
your choice, make sure that the trees and plants you establish are
suited to your property’s soils, sunlight access, etc.
[for more information on native plant species, see Chapter
Eight]. The
Land and Water Management Department, at (262) 284-8270, can give you information about what
types of trees/shrubs are suitable for the soil types on your property
and what species of wildlife utilize them. OUTDOOR
LIGHTING
Outdoor
lighting may be necessary to provide safe access to your home and to
protect your property in your absence.
Unfortunately, outdoor lighting can also lead to “light
pollution”, detracting from the beauty of the rural night sky in
Ozaukee County. You
may want to install a motion-activated lighting system.
These systems allow safe entrance to your property and surprise
potential trespassers, but remain dark the majority of the time.
They may also save a considerable amount of money in electric
bills. RADON
AWARENESS
From:
"EPA's
Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon" Radon is estimated to
cause about 14,000 deaths per year in the United States (National Safety
Council, 1990). When you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung
cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second
leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking
causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high
radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. Radon is a radioactive gas that has
been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the
natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the
air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air
above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the
foundation. Your home can trap radon inside, where it can build up. Any
home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed
and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.
Radon can also be a problem in schools and workplaces. However,
you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation
exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time. Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. Radon can also enter your home through well water, and in some cases the building materials can give off radon, too. However, building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves.
Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. The indoor air in many home’s throughout Wisconsin possibly contain elevated levels of radon gas [4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more]. Contact your state radon office for general information about radon in your area. While radon problems may be more common in some areas, any home may have a problem. The only way to know about your home is to test.
Zone 1 - Highest Potential (greater than 4 pCi/L)
Zone 2 - Moderate Potential (from 2 to 4 pCi/L)
Zone 3 - Low Potential (less than 2 pCi/L) EPA Map of Radon Zones, 1999 Based on a 1995 study of
48,000 short-term basement radon measurements completed in homes
throughout Wisconsin, the following table shows the results from Ozaukee
County by zip code.
Radon levels in homes vary
with the seasons and are generally highest in basements, lowest in
second-floors. The lung
cancer risk is cumulative with radon exposure through time; including
the time individuals spend in basements, first-floors and second floors
of homes. Radon levels can
also vary from home to home in the same neighborhood. The only way to know what your home’s radon level is is to test. It is recommended that a home be tested in the lowest lived in level. Lowest lived in level is described as an area where a person spends at least 1 hour a day Since you cannot see, smell, or taste Radon, special
equipment is needed to detect it. When
you're ready to test your home, you can order a radon test kit by mail
from a qualified radon measurement services provider or laboratory.
Test kits are also available at the
Ozaukee
County Public Health Department, by calling 284-8187 or
1-888-569-7236, or you can hire a qualified radon tester, very often a
home inspector, who will use a radon detection device(s) suitable to
your situation. As new
testing devices are developed, you may want to check with your state
radon office before you test to get the most up-to-date information. Wisconsin
Division of Health The radon in your home's indoor air
can come from two sources, the soil or your water supply.
Compared to radon entering your home through water, radon
entering your home through soil is a much larger risk. Most of your risk
from radon in water comes from radon released into the air when water is
used for showering and other household purposes. If you've tested for radon in air and have elevated radon
levels and your water comes from a private well, have your water tested,
and if your water comes from a public water supply, contact your water
supplier. If you have elevated levels
of Radon in your house or drinking water, it can be fixed.
A variety of methods can be used to reduce radon in homes.
Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic
part of most approaches to radon reduction. Your home's water supply can
also be treated with either granular activated carbon (GAC) filters or
aeration devices to decrease radon concentrations.
Refer to the U.S. EPA
Consumer's
Guide to Radon Reduction and the
Ozaukee
County Public Health Department for additional information on Radon
abatement. Other
publications on Radon awareness, safety, and testing can be obtained on
the internet from the U.S. EPA’s:
Radon Home
Page and www.radon.com. Lead
Paint and Housing ·
Why is lead a problem?
Lead can harm children. Homes
and apartments built before 1980 may contain lead paint and varnish.
Ingestions of lead can cause permanent problems with learning,
growth, and behavior. Severe
lead poisoning can also cause organ damage and possibly be fatal. ·
How does lead poisoning occur?
Children with lead on their fingers and in their mouths can
become “poisoned” by lead. Children
under the age of six are at highest risk of lead poisoning because of
their hand to mouth activities and because their systems absorb lead
easier than those over six years old.
Adults can also become lead poisoned.
One of the main causes of lead poisoning in adults is from
sanding or even burning lead coated surfaces during renovation
activities. Lead poisoning
in adults can cause damage to the nervous system and kidney failure as
well as other symptoms. ·
Where is lead found? Lead
dust from lead paint and varnish is the major source of lead poisoning.
Lead dust can be created when windows with lead paint or varnish
are opened and shut. Old
furniture, old toys, water pipes, plastic blinds, pottery, stained
glass, fishing supplies, cosmetics, soil, some home remedies, and work
clothing can be a source of lead. ·
What about lead in water?
It is possible to have lead in water from brass faucets and old
lead pipes. Often times old
lead pipes do not pose a lead threat because they are so coated with
minerals that the water never comes in contact with the lead in the
pipes. If you are concerned about lead in your water supply you can
contact the Health Department for information on how to test for lead. ·
What should you do? 1.
Ask
your doctor or the Health Department about testing your child for lead
poisoning. 2.
Keep
your child away from peeling paint and windows painted with lead paint
or varnish. 3.
Do not
scrape, power sand, or burn lead paint or varnish. 4.
Your
child should have a diet high in calcium, iron and vitamin C. 5.
Call
the Health Department for information before renovating a house of
apartment building build prior to 1978. EPA and HUD Real Estate
Notification and Disclosure Rule To protect the public from exposure to lead from
paint, dust, and soil, Congress passed the Residential Lead-Based Paint
Hazard Reduction Act of 1992, also known as Title X.
This rule became effective in 1996 and requires the disclosure of
information on lead-based paint hazards before the sale or lease of most
housing built before 1978. Prior
to selling or renting a house/apartment build before 1978 the
seller/landlord is required to: ·
Disclose
all know lead-based paint hazards ·
Give
buyer/renter the EPA pamphlet “Protect Your Family from Lead in Your
Home” ·
Include
certain warning language in the contract/lease as well as signed
statements from all parties verifying that all requirements were
completed Home Renovators and Remodelers Lead Paint Law A new
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation that went into effect
June 1, 1999, requires renovators, working for compensation, to
distribute a pamphlet to owners and occupants of most housing built
prior to 1978 before commencing renovation activity.
The pamphlet, entitled Protect
Your Family From Lead In Your Home, discusses ways in which
individuals can protect themselves and their families from lead-based
paint hazards. The rule
covers Building Contractors, Bathroom Remodelers, Carpenters, Plumbing
Contractors, Kitchen Remodelers, and other Home Improvement Businesses. Renovation activities that disrupt
more than 2 square feet of painted surface will be covered by this rule.
Sanding, scraping, and other surface preparation activities that
disrupt paint and generate dust are the two key sources of lead exposure
during renovation. This
rule covers renovation done in single family and multi-family housing.
The purpose of this rule is to protect people, especially young
children from lead poisoning. Lead
from paint, dust, and soil can be dangerous if not properly managed.
·
Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before
they are born ·
Even children that seem healthy can have high levels of lead
in their bodies ·
People can get lead in their bodies by breathing or
swallowing lead dust, or by eating soil or paint chips with lead in them ·
People have many options for reducing lead hazards.
In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not
a hazard (unless it is disturbed) ·
Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger
to your family EPA is enacting this
pre-renovation lead information rule to ensure that families are fully
aware of the importance of preventive measures to protect housing
occupants before beginning renovations in housing that may contain
lead-based paint. Home Owners, Building Contractors,
Bathroom Remodelers, Carpenters, Plumbing Contractors, Kitchen
Remodelers, and other Home Improvement Businesses can become certified
to do lead abatement work. Call
the Ozaukee County Public Health Department for a list of accredited
Lead Training Providers. The
Health Department also has a list of Certified Lead Contractors who are
trained to remove lead hazards safely.
For a copy of Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home, (in English and Spanish)
or the rule, call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD
(5323). Specific questions
about lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards can be addressed by
calling the above number or Ozaukee County Public Health Department at
(local) 262-284-8170 or (metro) 262- 238-8170. Websites
for Additional Lead Information
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