ChickenHole Base Ep 24: Big Supply Drop

Your last option - getting somewhere else as "home" and commuting to CHB sounds the most practical and kicks the can down the road. You can always change things in the future and move to CHB if you get the paperwork in place. Stay happy and safe.

Cody, I used to volunteer for a planning and zoning commission in a rural county in CO. I'd encourage you to take another look at your zoning codes. From my experience, your building plans only need to be stamped by a PE, which is much cheaper than having them do the design. Also, many rural places only care about structures meeting wind and snow loading requirements, and maybe also meeting fire code. They won't care about the non-structural fiddly details like what your walkway is made out of. Since you're essentially using mass manufactured prefab structures (the tanks) you might be able to find a firm that'll stamp a drawing showing that these prefabs can withstand the required wind/snow loads and have the required egress points (doors). RE water: you might not have to dig a well. You might only need a cistern of a certain minimum size and to file a plan to tote water from off site or have it delivered by a company. Hopefully that alleviates some of your permitting headaches about Chicken Hole Base. From an ease of life perspective, I'd encourage you to get a "home" that is off site in a nearby town. This will allow you to take your time on CHB, and potentially move there someday when you feel things are ready. Last point: try to befriend someone who works in the county zoning/planning department. There's almost always a way to get things done, it just requires some creativity and someone who knows the details to help you think through things. I spent a lot of time talking through hypotheticals with my planning department. If the office is slow, they'll likely welcome the distraction! Finally, you might be able to go down the "variance" or "special permit" route which will allow you to sidestep certain permitting requirements. If your county is reasonable, I'm sure you can work something out, especially if these structures won't be occupied and aren't permanent (no foundation). From the county's perspective, these are just sheds and greenhouses using recycled prefab structures!

Glad Cody got paid! He's so committed to the simulation of a space program that he even included funding delays!

Cody-- leverage YouTube. Go for collaborations. I know there are engineers that have channels. I know there are people with the resources to drill wells. If you make it all content for you and content for them... Win-win. Audiences LOVE collaborations.

re: Paperwork: - 'Designed by an approved engineer' just means a P.E. stamp -- i.e. an engineer licensed in the state reviewed and approved your plans; it doesn't mean they need to have drafted the plans themselves. - Remodeling and redecorating work doesn't usually require plan approval if you're doing it under an owner-builder exemption, especially if it doesn't significantly change the footprint of the structure.

Having a pressurized kitchen where residents can cook in a mostly traditional method would be very helpful for psychological health. Cooking and eating together are vital for family and community bonds.

You can really feel how much happier and more excited Cody is now that that Google Ad disaster is out of the way and it's contagious. I'm looking forward to finally see things pick up even with these new permit problems and whatnot.

For the property question, maybe do a mix (over time)- get an engineer to sign off on a tinyhome with septic and water and a mailbox, but for the "base" leave it all spaced and temporary enough to squeeze through the loophole. For the Iron Kitchen, remember in that closed space the iron will eat your oxygen like the chain locker on cargo ships. Without good airflow it'll rust to anoxia so only RoboCody can work in there.

Treat the CHB as your "office" . As a youtuber , you actually work there . keep family safe !

(As long as it costs less to get a school permit) Chicken hole base is clearly a school where you do remote teaching. Cody is everything from the caretaker to the principle.

Why not use a pressure cooker for cooking rather than pressurize an entire habitat? Cody: So I can stir it, duh.

Bloddy beaurocracy ! Who would have thought it catches up on you in the middle of the desert.

Cody - If you do end up looking to relocate the base you'll want to come to Cochise County Arizona and use the "Owner Builder Opt-Out". If that should come to pass please reach out and I'll give you a hand and info. This is one of the few places in the country where you can build basically anything (and only pay a tiny fee to have the right). If you poke around on Youtube you'll notice there's a ton of off-grid homesteaders here. That opt-out is the reason.

I believe the solution to get a place in a nearby town as official residence is the way to go. It gives you a place to call home if something unexpected happens. A place where you can take a break if needed.

Government and councils always get the way of private life and enjoyment and seem to do as little as possible to fix ,repair public roads,areas etc ! This is a fantastic educational opportunity for them to support and really appreciate your not in the middle of town,g'day from Australia power on robot Cody

Cody Cody Cody Cody PLEEEAAASE use that giant insulated "keep the chickens warm" container as part of a huge heat exchanger setup! I got so excited when I saw it; The opportunities presented are amazing (And you can absolutely have martian-applicable setups too!). ChickenHole Base is already more luxurious than the majority of the rented accommodation I've been in!

Cody you are an amazing person. You sparked my interests in Chemistry, Bee keeping, and homesteading. Watching your videos while growing up definitely had an effect of the type of man i became. Thank you.

I think the New Mexico idea is better than it sounds at first. New Mexico doesn't just have lax laws for Earthships, it also has Earthship communities. These are places with people interested in Earthships, a community you'd get along with. A lot of these people are also skilled in building these structures, and you could ask for their help when needed.

the shelf on the greenhouse can be used for habitats for insects, so they can pollinate and having a better environment for crops

With the logistics of having a family, you’ll want to live in town anyway. Even if you homeschool, you’ll want to be near a hospital, a pharmacy, a park with other kids, etc.