I don't consider the two PRs about the engineer to be fluff. The trouble is they always had to engage an engineer to prepare permit and zoning applications, but they are only now doing it.. Back when Drake was posting that they could mine gold before they had a permit, making it sound like production could start soon, they should have know they were facing a laborious permitting / zoning process. Was it ignorance or something else that caused them to make the claims?
The Estimated Time Frame and Event List PR would have been much more transparent if the Event List was time lined. I'm sure the list Harbin submitted to Drake was time lined, but Drake apparently elected to not give it to investors. Without a time line there is no adequate way for investors to judge the validity of it.
I'm a retired Construction Manager with 45 years of experience in engineering and construction. I've been through the zoning / permitting process many times and have talked to the Manager of the Georgia SMU about the peritting process.. I'll comment on the subject PR.
I think the 4 to 6 month time line given by DKGR is very optimistic based on:
* Engineering can't start until the site is mapped. Apparently they don't have an aerial survey company contracted, much less a firm schedule for the survey and production of maps.
* Once maps are in hand the Engineer can begin engineering. Most of this will involve drainage, runoff, lined ponds and other siltation features. This is not rocket science, but it takes time. This work is the meat of the permit.
* The Georgia SMU told me the permitting process usually takes from 6 to 12 months, after the permit was submitted. They said it could take a shorter time if every thing is in order on the first pass. Contracting a local Engineer could help the time line.
* Zoning documents can be prepared in parallel with permitting work, depending on the resources Habin is prepared to devote to Drake.
* I wanted to check zoning requirements, but don't know what County Drake's site is in, so I checked Monroe County, where Harbin is based. The zoning application is submitted to the Zoning Officer. He has up to 45 days to review the application. Once the review is complete the app is submitted to the Zoning Commission to set a Public Hearing date. No time line is given for how long that takes.
Once a hearing date is set, the Zoning Officer must mail hearing notices to affected citizens preferably 30 days, but not less than 7 days in advance of the hearing. Notice must also be posted on the site. The application is either approved or denied at the conclusion of the hearing.
It's impossible for one of us to estimate how long this will take because we don't know what resources Harbin will devote to Drake, or what priority Georgia authorities will put on expiditing permitting and zoning. My guess is that Drake told Harbin to come up with a best case time line for public consumption, but the Event List had an actual timeline estimate. We'll see in September if I or Drake is full of crap.
AI
