Planning issues are quite thoroughly dependent upon the municipal jurisdiction in which the business is located. What specifics do you have in mind?
more on legal
Wolf posted on FB about an article from the crossfit journal which really explains why he didn't open his own place in NYC.
"The floor at Brick CrossFit NYC looks the same as that in any CrossFit gym: painted concrete. But buried in the floor are special springs that absorb shock, and small gaps have been cut around each support pillar to stop vibrations from spreading to the building above. At a cost of US$200,000, it’s perhaps the most expensive floor in CrossFit. It isn’t decorative and it doesn’t enhance performance. It’s just indicative of the civic hoops Perelmutter has had to jump through. What’s more, it wasn’t enough to satisfy his neighbors, who later used acoustic studies to allege Brick was in violation of noise bylaws."
They describe a bunch of other legal back-and-forth that cost a lot of time, effort and money.
Brodie gave us an excellent rundown of liability issues in running a fitness business. Perhaps some could speak about planning issues.
Last edited by Mark Rippetoe; 12-13-2014 at 05:38 PM. Reason: Link removed
TMPHBITEU
Planning issues are quite thoroughly dependent upon the municipal jurisdiction in which the business is located. What specifics do you have in mind?
Well, I'm sure there'd be a "things to consider" - just like the liability issue, while rules differ, they will commonly make rules about a few basic categories of things.
And of course we could have a few people share their experiences.
TMPHBITEU
In the Northern Hemisphere, "planning" refers to building code compliance, things that must be done before permits are issued and a CO is granted, especially in the context of your OP. So, is this what you mean, or are other considerations the point of this question?
Member
Reading Coase's 1960 paper "The Problem of Social Cost" may provide some general insight, in terms of thinking about how to deal with neighbors in situations where one is producing some externality, such as noise, and how willing one should be to bear costs for it.Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
But most everything will depend on city or county rules, state law, and how relevant (or not so relevant) cases have previously been decided.
And your neighbors and your relationship with them, of course.
Your best bet is often going to be getting to know the local bureaucrats and officials that make decisions, and having a positive relationship with them.
TMPHBITEU
This is known colloquially as "graft."
Yes, sorry if I was unclear. Essentially I mean, if you're someone wanting to open a gym, what are some legal issues to consider - and we can assume there's a building there already, rather than just an empty piece of land. We can also assume people will know what stuff to buy, etc.
For example, in my own neighbourhood, parking is an issue. If your clients use up neighbours' parking spaces, they can complain to council, and things get hairy. But noise isn't an issue 7am-11pm, you can do basically what you want. So "parking" and "noise" might be two categories, I suppose. Some will have active rules about them, "you must have this many spaces", while others will be reactive, "someone complained you were using all the spaces," etc.
Member
I would of course never advise anyone to attempt to engage in corruption.
Though it is inarguably a very effective and popular strategy for dealing with regulators at all scales of government.
I meant more in the sense that there is often no worse tyrant than a petty bureaucrat that thinks you're disrespecting them, and things will go a lot more smoothly if they feel respected and like you're a positive, productive part of the community. Rather than a pain in the ass. The same goes for neighbors.
Member
Perhaps a little negative. Networking is probably what tertius was driving for. There's a lot to be said for the suggestion. The world is still lkely to remain a largely "...it's who you know" place.
Member
Are the springs put into the gaps cut into the columns -- to isolate vibration on the floors above? Is the procedure to jack up the floor temporarily, cut through the columns and clean up the surfaces, insert springs or dashpots, and then lower, all without damaging the concrete floor or columns (if reinforced concrete)? Sounds like a tricky job to design and do. And even then neighbors above complain? Also, wouldn't it be 100 times easier to limit dropping weights to platforms that have dampening, rather than modifying the building?
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