Barn alteration to meed easement requirements.

[seedtime]

In 2013 we purchased 4 acres in the Michigan Thumb. At the time we were aware that an Enbridge pipeline ran through one of the back corners of the property. Last year Enbridge paid me a visit, and said I had some structures within the easement. Honestly all their reasons made perfect sense, and I could offer no argument. Two were sheep shelters with no posts on the ground or footings (easy to move), and one was a 24 x 36 barn. After many surveys, it was determined that only a slice had to be removed from the backside of the barn. Looking on the positive side;
1) we would not see the missing slice from the front.
2) the building needed a new roof on the back anyway.
3) the building was an eyesore, and I needed an excuse to make it a priority.
4) most importantly my wife goes back there every day, and this was my chance to impress her...once again.

Here are some before pictures. The aerial photo shows the center of the pipeline, 40’ setback on the left, and a 20’ setback on the right.


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[rixtrix1]

Welcome! Good luck with your project. Doesn't look to be too complicated. Does the barn have a concrete foundation, or floor to work around?

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[RPH]

That barn looks like it’s been there awhile. Who came first barn or pipeline. If barn then Enbridge knew about it before the pipeline was put in. It may be grandfathered into the easement. So I would dig into a bit more. Being from Michigan and being a neighbor we both know Enbridge hasn’t been the most forth coming corporate citizen. They have problems statewide with there pipelines. Good luck!

 

[driftpin]

Look at the county plat maps, and any historic aerial pictures there may be, the US Geodesic Survey may shed some light on the question.

 

[seedtime]

It’s a typical pole style building with 4x4 and 4x6 vertical columns sunk in the ground. The foundation is very hard compacted dirt, a layer of red sand, and thick rubber mats of various sizes and lengths up to 24’. Fortunately the lower girts were all in great shape. After the walls were exposed, I just ran another course of treated lumber. I was careful not to tie the old and new girts together, so I could replace the original ones if necessary. For the one wall that I had to cut back, I used cinder blocks with a treated lumber ledger.


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[seedtime]

That barn looks like it’s been there awhile. Who came first barn or pipeline. If barn then Enbridge knew about it before the pipeline was put in. It may be grandfathered into the easement. So I would dig into a bit more. Being from Michigan and being a neighbor we both know Enbridge hasn’t been the most forth coming corporate citizen. They have problems statewide with there pipelines. Good luck!

The pipeline was installed in the 60’s, the house built in the 70’s, and the barn built in the 90’s. The Enbridge engineers tell me the EPA easement requirements have not changed, they are now being pressured to enforce them.


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[seedtime]

Now that I’m 100% done with the barn alteration (i can’t say that too often), I thought I would send out an update. The exterior has brand new Smartside paneling, Windows, roof, and some embellishments. The interior got upgraded hay feeders, storage, cinder block platforms to keep things extra dry since it floods at least one a year. The doors, animal gates, all got new hardware. I built in a chicken coop for my wife’s barn friends, and a entrance for the fat barn cat. Two shelters were moved off the easement, and an old shed was dismantled and hauled away. I managed to completely fill a 30yd dumpster with all the debris. And yes, I packed it like nobody’s business.

I notified Enbridge that It was complete, and my fingers are crossed that I will never hear from them again. I am looking forward to getting back to my garage project.




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[rixtrix1]

Turned out looking great!

 

[fourbyford]

Awesome transformation!
So... what's going on in the garage?
...D

 

[meathooker]

That looks great! Quick turn around as well.