One thing about this process is that there is a form for everything and you discover that various municipal agencies don't talk to each other as much as one might think. We have to get a permit from the Narragansett Bay Commission in order to get our full permit from the city of Providence, and in order to get our sewer permit we have to have a map of how our property attaches to the main system. These maps and archives exist in a number of different places. First I went to the city archives on the 5th floor of city hall, but they only have drawings that are like pre-1890...and even though the house was built in 1867, it looks as though it was not connected to the municipal sewer system until 1900. So my next stop was the Department of Public works, where not only did I get what I needed, but also met a really cool employee who seemed genuinely excited to help me find the documents that I was looking for. He was familiar with the house and area because as part of his job in snowstorms he tracks plowing in that part of the city and showed me amazing middle of the night bright full moon photos of Broadway in the snow. Then we talked about the Beatles and animator Ron Campbell. I know that I probably don't have to mention it to any reader of this blog, but art and music enthusiasts are the best, and part of the magic of Rhode Island is that people excited about these things turn up everywhere! Anyway aren't these 100+ year old drawings of the sewers awesome!!!!!
That is wonderful!
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