Setbacks galore !
- chet kamat
- Jan 9, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 12
So there I was, I had gone ahead and purchased two adjoining plots, paid the developer for them, registered the purchase with the authorities, obtained clear title in my name. I was raring to get started with figuring out how I could use the combined, whopping 17,500 sq feet (1625 sq metres for those who prefer the metric system) of land !
Thats when I heard about 'setbacks' - not the word we use in 'business' parlance to mean 'a hitch or a complication', but in 'architecture and statutory approval' parlance to mean 'placing a structure some distance from the boundary of your site'. Of course this architecture 'setback' was going to be a good old fashioned 'setback' for me as well. Here's why.
Before I start work on constructing my home, I need approval from the local authorities. One matter they are very particular about is setbacks of the architecture variety.
Simply put, this means your home needs to have 4.5 to 9 metres of space around it depending on how tall your structure is. This is not usually a problem. However if like me, you own two adjoining plots that you want to build on you cannot have a structure that spans both plots - from the point of view of the authorities you have two plots so you need to have two structures that have twice the setback space between them ! Even if you build just one structure it needs to be setback from the boundary of the individual plot its on.
The only way out is to apply to amalgamate the two plots into one - which is all about bureaucracy, process, indeterminate time and fees. Depending on where your site is, the jurisdiction will vary - in some cases the local regulation might require additional approvals at a higher level - and the whole matter can be quite opaque.
Fortunately for me, after exploring various avenues to expedite this, a friend with experience in this field, hand held me thru the process and we got it done. My wallet was lighter, however I was now free to proceed.
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