The shed (Private)
Nov 15, 2014

As the Buckeye Complex was nearing completion, we noticed that >>>

2014-11-15 --- The shed (Private)

As the Buckeye Complex was nearing completion, we noticed that something was missing: our big storage shed.     In its place were two double wide phone booths, which are at best marginally adequate for storage.     When asked, GRF said they had no funds to purchase a larger shed.    This situation was discussed by the RTC board, and a subcommittee was assembled to investigate options for a larger shed.     After looking at several types of sheds, their consensus was that something along the lines of a Tuff Shed would best suit our needs for storage space and durability.  When GRF was approached a second time, they said that we could have the shed delivered to GRF once purchased, and that they could pour us a concrete slab up to 10'x10' without a city permit, but they asked us to hold off on building the shed until after the city signed off on the Buckeye project.

Fast forward to midsummer.

We approached GRF to ask them to pour us our slab so that we can build our shed.  Oops!   There's no more money, so they can't do it.   Would we be OK with crushed gravel? No! All the literature about these sheds state that pretty much all sheds need to be on a concrete slab or something similarly rigid.   If placed on gravel or other soft surface, the shed can sink, compromising the integrity of the shed, making doors difficult or impossible to open, weakening the roof, etc., etc.   But we were told that we can pay for the slab ourselves if we want.   Whether there would be available GRF funds next year remained unclear.

Back to the board: what do we do now?

GRF initially gave us an estimate of $2500 to pour the slab.   The board felt that since this would more than double the cost of building the shed, the project was tabled temporarily while we asked the subcommittee to look into less expensive alternatives.   Options considered included: putting the shed on pier blocks which give a solid base of support but are less expensive to pour than an entire slab;  looking into purchasing a smaller shed; and putting the whole thing off until next year, or until we are forced to move the tennis equipment from Creekside down to the Buckeye Complex.

Then, as the date for the drainage project approached, GRF said that we could get the slab poured as part of that project for only $1500, although still at our expense. In view of the 40% lower cost, the board approved this new option.  After some frantic phone calls Monday morning trying to clarify whether or not we needed to have anchoring bolts installed at the time the slab was poured,  we got our slab on Monday afternoon 11/10, without bolts, and on Tuesday 11/11 the shed was purchased. Arrangements are being made to set a date for assembly of the shed, and the company will assemble the shed on the slab, and then drill and install lag bolts to anchor the shed to the slab. And we will finally have our big storage shed.

And that's where the whole thing stands as of mid-November.