A trio of Aspen elected officials said they will seek harsh penalties for the developer of a spec home that has run afoul of its original building approvals, including doubling the height of some of its exterior and retaining walls, encroaching on open space, building at a higher elevation than what was approved, and failing to make its on-site tennis courts ADA compliant as part of an agreement with the city.

Representatives for the developers contend they have been following the rules because the city has approved changes to the project. But at their Aspen City Council meeting Nov. 11, members Ward Hauenstein, Ann Mullins and Rachel Richards called for stiff, punitive measures to be taken against the development team, led by Leathem Stearn, behind the spec-home project at 1001 Ute Ave.

I just think its unconscionable that the developer did it, Hauenstein said, adding that if they did it intentionally its shame on us for not catching it.

The matter came to the councils attention during its first reading of the developers request seeking approval to memorialize the improvements that are inconsistent with the councils original blessings, made in 2006, that came with the planned development.

Still unfinished, the home is perched on an eastern slope of Aspen Mountain and near the Ute Trail. It sits on a 21,636-square-foot lot.

As part the approval process with council more than 13 years ago, the developers gifted a 4.1-acre parcel of open space an area considered a vital link to the adjacent Ajax Park, as well as the Ute and Ajax trails to the city.

The deal also included the development of a three-bedroom working housing unit on the developers property. An additional condition of approval required the development of three on-site tennis courts, with ADA accessibility from Ute Avenue, that the developers would lease to The Gant a condominium-hotel across the street for 100 years.

Also included in the agreement was the construction of a second free-market house in the immediate area, which gained its certificate of occupancy in 2011.

The other house as well as the worker unit, however, have not received their certificates of occupancy. Richards suggested the most extreme measure would be for the city to not issue COOs for the unfinished home and employee unit.

That would strike the developer more deeply than anything else, she said, noting the luxury property could not be marketed for sale without a COO.

Council members agreed that having the developers undo their alleged damage isnt feasible given how far the project has come. Even so, they were open to hearing what the affected neighbors might want.

Is there community service, something that will make an impact on these developers that they cant develop the lots at their convenience? Mullins said.

City Attorney Jim True urged council to pass issue at first reading so it can advance to a public hearing Dec. 10, when more details will emerge. By a 4-0 vote, council approved the first reading. Mayor Torre recused himself because as a tennis pro, he works at The Gants courts.

The city began investigating the projects compliance earlier this year as a result of a neighbors complaint that a portion of developers free-market home projects air-conditioning units and staircase were encroaching on common area open space. That led to the citys discovery of other infractions, including that both free-market homes first-floor grades were finished at elevation of 8,012 feet, higher than the allowable 8,007 feet.

The city also found that some of the propertys retaining walls are as tall as 6 feet, more than twice their allowable heights in some areas.

The developers also are seeking City Councils approval to provide ADA access to the two tennis courts The Gant manages on its side of Ute Avenue, instead of its original agreement to make the three courts on its side of Ute Avenue handicap accessible. Richards said she would be wary of making that concession because it would deny disabled people, whether they want to play tennis or merely observe a match, access to the three courts on the homes side.

At an Oct. 1 meeting of the Aspen Planning & Zoning Commission regarding the same issue, planner Chris Bendon, on behalf of Stearn and the developers, said the city had signed off on the changes it now considers out of compliance. Multiple change orders that were submitted to the city gained approval from its engineering staff, leading the developers to believe they were cleared to proceed with their amended plans, he said.

Before Bendons remarks at the Planning and Zoning meeting, True said the developers were seeking forgiveness for running out of compliance. Bendon, however, disagreed.

We dont particularly agree with asking for forgiveness as a way of describing it, Bendon said, because we think what we submitted for, we had a permit for.

In a memo in advance of last weeks City Council hearing on the matter, planner Kevin Rayes wrote that the citys engineering department reviewed and improved the elevation change because it satisfied grading and drainage standards.

The Zoning Department was not routed and did not review the change order, the memo said.

Regardless of where the project stands now, council members expressed frustration that it got this far in the first place.

My first question is: How does this happen? Mullins said.

rcarroll@aspentimes.com

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Who's to blame over Aspen house gone wild? - Aspen Times

The Help to Buy scheme is available on new-build homes costing up to 600,000 and advertised as Help to Buy by a registered developer.

The Government provides a loan of up to 40 per cent of the value of the property meaning buyers need a deposit of five per centanda mortgage for the remaining 55 per cent.

Here are five hot Help to Buy schemes on sale in London at the moment.

Live in Zone 1, with fabulous transport links and within an impressively evolving regeneration zone.

As well as homes this development includes renovated railway arches now home to independent shops, and some of the flats have iconic views of the Shard and the London Eye.

Prices start at 557,500 for a one-bedroom flat (nhgsales.com).

The southern tip of the Isle of Dogs represents the best of both worlds, with quaint Greenwich and the wilds of Greenwich Park a 10-minute walk in one direction, and the monster regeneration zone of Greenwich Peninsula a couple of miles to the north.

Island Gardens DLR provides good transport links.

This corner of the Isle of Dogs has so far resisted regeneration but Calders Wharf overlooks the Thames, the homes are high-spec, with Siemens and Smeg kitchen appliances, underfloor heating and timber floors.

Prices start at 497,500 for a one-bedroom flat (johnsand.co).

An emerging London village, with independent shops, cafs, and restaurants set around a green, and just a mile or so from the bright lights of Islingtons Upper Street or the grit of Dalston.

The nearest station is Dalston Kingsland, 10 minutes away, or you could use Londons Cycle Superhighway to head to the City.

Newington Gate is a boutique development of 72 flats with a communal garden.

Prices start at 470,000 for a one-bedroom flat, and 600,000 for a two-bedroom flat (newington-gate.co.uk).

London's original docklands are being reinvented with vast investment in new homes and facilities. Over the next few years 3.7 billion will be spent on homes, bars and restaurants, public spaces, cultural venues and sports facilities.

Gallions Point sits right at the eastern side of the docks close to Gallions Reach Docklands Light Railway station, with trains to Canary Wharf taking 15 minutes.

A new river bus pier opened at the Royal Docks last month, for those who prefer to commute by water.

Prices start from 348,750 for a one-bedroom flat, and the development has its own landscaped courtyards, a residents lounge and concierge (gallionspoint.co.uk).

Get real bang for your buck and a quick commute at this riverfront development.

The first of just over 900 new homes beside the River Roding went on sale last month and the first residents will move in next year.

As well as homes the site will have shops, cafs and open spaces, while Barking station is a 15-minute walk away with trains to Fenchurch Street taking 15 minutes.

Prices start at 308,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and 390,000 for a two-bedroom apartment (freshwharf-barking.com).

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Help to Buy homes for sale in London:five of the hottest new-build developments with flats for sale right now - Homes and Property

It's been a grim sight for almost two decades, with thousands of motorists passing it every day.

But at long last something is happening to the abandoned and badly vandalised hotel started in 2001, but never finished, beside the A40 near Burford.

The smashed windows, graffiti and dereliction will finally be a thing of the past and work to rejuvenate the site is already well under way.

The first phase of development, led by Westfields Homes, is seeing eight houses, four apartments and a farm shop and cafe built at what will be known as Windrush Heights.

The abandoned hotel will be transformed in the second phase of the project, becoming 20 new apartments.

Take a look at the site before, what it's set to look like upon completion and inside some of the homes in the gallery below:

Moving there will cost you between 195,000 and 575,000 depending on which of the homes catches your eye.

Estate agents Knight Frank are marketing the site. The sales brochure says: "Nestling in thousands of acres of rolling countryside, Windrush Heights is a development of new homes beautifully designed in the local vernacular and in harmony with their stunning rural surroundings. Located halfway between Oxford and Cheltenham, just outside the picturesque village of Windrush.

"The first phase of the development includes a range of two to four bed houses and two bedroom apartments, with associated car barns.

"The Outpost, which offers food, drink and deli, will also form part of the development offering local produce and run by award winning proprietors Yvonne & Sarah.

"The development is situated just outside the village of Windrush and four miles from the thriving town of Burford, which offers a range of amenities including shops, restaurants and schools.

"The properties all benefit from open plan living, a high spec finish and rural views over beautiful countryside. The development is a real lifestyle development ideally suited to a range of buyers."

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Inside the luxury homes replacing abandoned, derelict and vandalised hotel beside the A40 - Gloucestershire Live

It's always good to reminisce the good old days - and what better way to do that than flicking through forgotten night out pictures.

This week, our gallery is purely of people living their best lives in Two Trees, which was knocked down just over a year ago.

Demolition crews ripped apart the 61-year-old building to make way for the boulevard development.

The five-week operation saw all but the brick wall on the western side removed.

Whilst the pub is no longer, the memories remain.

Scroll through our gallery, compiled of Smiles on the Tiles photographs in the gallery below.

Towards the end of October 2018, a 20-tonne demolition spec excavator machine was used to rip the 1957 building apart and a hydraulic muncher attachment will chew up the concrete.

On November 7, 2018, work began to demolish the ugly and unused bridge of sighs footbridge across Union Street , with the former midnight strip clubland being closed for a whole night.

Huge cranes helped dismantle the footbridge, which weighed an estimated 60 tonnes and Union Street was closed.

A new public square will be created in Union Street near to where two deep wells are about to be drilled as the long-awaited 2.9million Millbay Boulevard takes shape.

Engineers are to begin digging the 100m-deep wells to help heat and cool future homes and businesses around Bath Street.

It is all part of Plymouth City Councils push for alternative sources of renewable heat and to install infrastructure to help builders, developers and homeowners do their bit for the environment.

Meanwhile, work is also due to start on a new public square at the Union Street end of Bath Street, to make it a more welcoming entrance to Millbay Boulevard.

Moreover, an innovative subterranean drainage system will be installed with tanks capable of holding 240 tonnes of water being placed underground in case there is flooding, particularly if torrential rainfall coincides with high tides.

Above these tanks, will be rain gardens sunken beds planted with coastal grasses and flowering plants arranged beneath an avenue of trees which will be irrigated from the rain and flood water.

It is all part of the ongoing work to create a link from the city centre to the waterfront, a long-held aspiration with the council having been busy acquiring properties to enable its delivery.

It has also been demolishing buildings , including the former gig venue the Hub, torn down in 2019, and the Two Trees pub, which was turned to rubble in 2018. The former HQ of building firm Kier bit the dust in 2017.

When completed the boulevard will be lined with up to 300 homes, and a hotel, shops and offices as a thoroughfare designed to be in keeping with its waterfront location and to become an attractive and safe walking and cycling route linking the waterfront and the city centre.

It is all part of the wider regeneration of Millbay which has, since 2006, seen new apartment blocks spring up to overlook the docks, and new shops and restaurants and the building of Plymouth School of Creative Arts.

The boulevard scheme costs 2.9million and is being part funded by The European Regional Development Fund, Interreg 2 Seas and the Water Resilient Cities Programme, plus the HeatNet NWE Programme.

Other organisations involved include Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and Plymouth Pavilions.

The system is being developed with the Environment Agency and South West Water as part of the Water Resilient Cities Interreg Programme.

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Remembering The Two Trees - your pictures a year on from demolition - Plymouth Live

London saw the number of new office building starts in the last six months fall by nearly half, with just four schemes getting underway in the Square Mile compared with the 11 that kicked off earlier this year.

According to the latest London Office Crane Survey, published twice-yearly by consultant Deloitte, the capitals financial hub witnessed work start on just 200,000ft of development in the past six months, versus the 1.2 million ft recorded by the previous survey.

Overall, London witnessed a 49% slump in new office construction starts, with work starting on 24 schemes 1.8 million ft compared to 37 schemes, or 3.5 million ft, in the previous six months.

But while Deloitte reported the volume of total new starts was nearly 15% down on the long-term average of 2.1 million ft, it said the latest numbers revealeda rebalancing of office development following a three-year high of new construction starts, rather than a worrying decline.

Beyond the City, Deloitte said the West End had seen 11 new starts in the last six months, including seven refurbishments, with 35 new offices set to add 2.2 million ft of space to the market.

Londons Midtown more commonly known as the Holborn and south Bloomsbury districts and the South Bank had seen an increase in construction activity, with the latest survey highlighting four and three new offices breaking ground in the areas respectively.

The South Bank has seen the start of the Bankside Yards 220,000ft office development, the first phase of a massive 1.4 million ft mixed-use scheme being developed between Tate Modern and Blackfriars Bridge by Native Land.

Multiplex and Balfour Beatty are in the running for that job, which includes an 18-storey office block, called Arbor, as well as two residential buildings comprising 257 homes, all designed by PLP.

The technology, media and telecoms sectors enthusiasm for new high-spec space saw its share of pre-let accommodation under construction shoot up from 35% in the first three months of 2019 to 43% in the third quarter, while the proportion of pre-completion lettings for the financial services sector dipped from 29% to 16%.

Mike Cracknell, Deloittes real estate director, said the crane survey suggested developers were taking time out.

But he added: Looking ahead, central London still has three million ft of proposed office space in demolition, which indicates the next survey could see an uptick in new starts, albeit modest.

Cracknell said delays in the completion of some large schemes, notably the 22 Bishopsgate tower, the Citys tallest and due to complete next spring, meant the total completion volume for 2019 was set to fall short of the 2018 figure by 23%.

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London office construction starts slump by half - Building

Nov. 15 /CSRwire/ - The Shedat New York Citys Hudson Yards has emerged as one of the most important additions to the cultural landscape since opening in April. Durkan hosted an exclusive event there this week for more than 200 guests in town attendingBDNY. The flooring manufacturer, a division of Mohawk Group, brought together architecture, design and hospitality professionals on Sunday for an unforgettable evening of socializing and unwinding from the annual trade show. Together they experienced a dynamic presentation featuring three hands-on architects responsible for recent projects that are decidedly innovative.

In addition to exploring the most talked about construction for the arts since Lincoln Center, special guests interacted with the masterful custom flooring that Durkan produced for the eighth-floorTisch Skylights. Rockwell Group, which collaborated on the architecture for the project, specified wide-plank solid white oak hardwood composed into a unique configuration for the 7,500-square-foot rehearsal and event space. Each day natural light pours in from two skylights and floor-to-ceiling window banks that face the Hudson River and the now-iconic Vessel centerpiece.

Headlining the evenings program, which was titled Gathering Places: Buildings That Foster Creativity and Conversation, were Rockwells Greg Keffer, partner and studio leader, along with Anne Marie Lubrano, partner, Lubrano Ciavarra Architects, and Adam Rolston, managing and creative director of INC Architecture & Design. Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, editor-in-chief of Hospitality Design magazine, served as moderator. While much of the discussion focused on The Shed, Lubranos work for the TWA Hotel at JFK and Rolstons for the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge also were featured.

The selection of The Shed for the evenings backdrop was unique, unusual and intriguing. The venue is all about the arts and is such a remarkable piece of engineering. Durkan could not have selected a better location to showcase these projects, said Kathy Kesler, ASID, NCIDQ, interior architect and president of Miami-based Interspace Design Group. Having three different areas to network and learn in this beautiful space was a unique concept with social integration and a great way to end our first day of BDNY.

David Duncan, senior vice president of sales at Durkan, who helped facilitate the flooring installation at the Hudson Yards structure, said, The Shed is a great source of pride for all involved because of its unparalleled place on the cultural scene as home to every type of artmusic, dance, theater and the visual arts. It was critical that the architecture and interior design be a match to this higher purpose, and so we feel extremely privileged to have Durkan product play such an integral part of the built environment.

This year atBoutique Design New York(BDNY), Durkan invited guests to experience a curated showcase of the latest broadloom, carpet tile and enhanced resilient tile collections for hospitality interiors. Also highlighted was the flooring manufacturers commitment to delivering industry-leading customer tools that not only enhance the creative process, but also reduce environmental impact.

BDNY is the leading trade fair and conference for hospitality design professionals, serving the eastern United States, Canada and Europe. For two high-energy days each November, BDNY brings together some 8,000 interior designers, architects, purchasing agents and owners/developers with more than 750 manufacturers and marketers of exceptional design elements for hospitality interiors.

Durkans latest collections, comprehensive hospitality flooring solutions and customer tools showcased at BDNY included:Free Play, a multi-category carpet collection based on the Surrealistscadavre exquis(or Exquisite Corpse) approach to creative collaboration;Sakiori,awoven enhanced resilient tile that combines the soft look of textiles and carpet with the durability of hard surface while paying homage to the makers of yesterday and today;andLarge & Local, a domestically-manufactured, FloorScore certified collection of wide-plank enhanced resilient tile inspired by the beauty of the North Georgia mountains.

Inside Durkans booth this year at BDNY wasp.s.(Personal Studio), the manufacturers latest interactive tool for customers to design, personalize and review custom flooring products online. P.s. gives access to best-in-class customer solutions to customize color, patterns and backgrounds of running line products, visualize them in room settings, and order digital or printed sampleswith just the click of a button. Durkans innovative technology elevates the customer experience while greatly reducing the need for many of the non-digitized materials often produced as part of the hospitality flooring specification process.

About DurkanFrom hotel lobbies and corridors to guest rooms and ballrooms, theaters, casinos and convention centers, Durkan is world-renowned as an industry leader in innovative design solutions and high style, high-performance hospitality carpet and hard surface flooring solutions. Durkans products are offered in a wide range of exclusive innovative pattern and texture technologies, including Definity, an advanced generation precision sculpturing technology that produces the highest definition of texture, pattern and color available in hospitality carpet; and Synthesis, which provides a three-dimensional layering effect using a custom base and Precision Dye Injection (PDI) surface that enables unprecedented image quality. For more information about the hospitality division of Mohawk Group, visitwww.Durkan.comor call 800-241-4580.

# # #

Contact:Luke Chaffin762.204.5607luke_chaffin@mohawkind.com

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Durkan Kicks off BDNY With After-Hours Program at NYC's Hottest New Cultural VenueThe Shed - CSRwire.com

With legalization rapidly increasing across states, the cannabis market is exploding. And with estimates of sales in the billions, its no surprise that greenhouses and grow rooms are emerging everywhere. As growers and extracting facilities continue to expand one important consideration that most tend to underestimate, is how flooring can impact both their production and product. Bare concrete is often a popular choice in cannabis facilities, as there are typically very minimal costsif any at allassociated with preparing it for use. However, concrete floors can pose unique challenges when left untreated, which could inadvertently create unforeseen problems and unexpected costs.

Whether a facility is growing or extracting, the proper flooring can play a critical role in helping maintain optimal safety and sanitation standards, while simultaneously contributing to production. Thats why its important for growers and extractors to know and understand the potential risks associated with bare concrete.

Concrete is porous:While concrete is a solid material, people may forget that it is porous. Unfortunately, these pores can absorb liquids and harbor small particles that spill on the floor. They create perfect hiding places for bacteria and other pathogens to proliferate. Pathogens can then contaminate product within the facility, causing a halt on production, and/or a potential product recall. This can incur unexpected costs associated with shutdown time and loss of product.

Concrete can be damp: When in a facility with an untreated concrete floor, at times the slab can feel slightly wet or damp to touch. This is due to moisture within the concrete that can eventually work its way up to the surface of the slab. When this happens, items that are placed on top of the floor can be damaged by trapped moisture above the slab and below the object. When this happens, if a product is not protected properly, it can be damaged.

Concrete is dark and unreflective: An untreated concrete slab can often make a room feel dark and it does not reflect lighting within the room. This can result in the need for extra lights and electricity to properly grow cannabis.

Concrete lacks texture: When working in areas where water and other liquids can fall to the ground and accumulate, flooring with traction can play a key role in helping aid against slip and fall incidents. Untreated concrete typically does not provide sufficient texture and can become very slippery when wet.

While the previously mentioned risks can be associated with bare concrete flooring, there is an upside to the situation! Concrete is the perfect substrate for adding a coating that is built to withstand the industrys demands.

With the application of a fluid-applied or resinous floor coating, the risks of bare concrete flooring can be mitigated. There are a variety of resin and fluid-based coating systems that can be applied, such as:

Choosing the right flooring for a cannabis greenhouse or processing facility requires important consideration as every grow room and greenhouse is different. Bare concrete is a popular flooring option for manufacturing and processing facilities across industries, however, as discussed, it can pose unique challenges due to its innate nature. That said, by taking the right steps to ensure that the concrete substrate is properly sealed, it can then be an effective and hygienic flooring option, offering high durability and a longer life cycle.

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Risks of Bare Concrete Flooring in Cannabis Grow Rooms & Greenhouses - Cannabis Industry Journal

The Point of Final Collapse co-creator Cristbal Martinez sits at the top of the San Francisco Art Institute tower with the speakers that will broadcast his art installation. Photo: Scott Strazzante, The Chronicle

You cant hear the sound of the Millennium Tower creaking and sinking, but you can hear the anxiety it is causing in a sound installation in North Beach.

The four-minute sonic immersion blasts forth from the top of the bell tower at the San Francisco Art Institute, under the ominous title The Point of Final Collapse. It makes its debut at 5:01 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, and will continue every day at the same time until either the building is fixed and it stops sinking, the building is demolished or the building collapses, said its co-creator Cristbal Martinez, chair of the schools art and technology department.

The Point of Final Collapse is conceptual. It takes some effort on the part of the listener to even hear it above the city din, and a strong imagination to equate the muddled sound of the composition to the 58-story condo Millennium Tower, as it settles into the sand beneath it. But there is science behind the installation.

The art collective Postcommodity took the raw data from court documents filed in multiple lawsuits and built software to convert that data into a soundscape of deep relaxation intended to relieve stress.

The Millennium Tower is sinking at a rate of a little over an inch a year, said Martinez, catching his breath after climbing 130 steep concrete steps into the campus tower to check his equipment. What we are doing is taking that data of the sinking tower and translating that data into a sonic experience.

The effect is a whispered word mix of affirmations like everything is going to be OK, and youre going to get through this, overlaid with the sounds of whales and dolphins, cats purring, chakra tones and binaural beats.

A legal settlement was recently announced in the main lawsuit, with a repair of the leaning tower that will cost $100 million. But the artists are assuming the worst. They are prepared for the building to continue to sink. As it does, information is being fed into the software daily, so the four-minute sound blast will be ever-changing.

One of the plans to stabilize the building may take 50 years, said co-creator Kade Twist, who runs the art and social practice program at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. Were doing this piece so that it can play every day for 50 years and never repeat itself.

Representatives of the Millennium Tower did not respond to a request for comment.

The Chestnut Street campus is open and everybody is welcome through the gates and into the courtyard to gather beneath the 99-foot tower. But that is not the best place to hear The Point of Final Collapse. The two disc-shaped speakers use a high frequency to transmit a signal a great distance, with the quiet tones and whispers flowing through North Beach, Telegraph Hill and across to Treasure Island. Any spot will work to take a listen, so long as there is a direct a line of sight with the eastern top of the tower.

On a clear day, in good weather, the sound can travel up to 5 miles, said Martinez. You go out on Chestnut Street or Powell Street and you will hear it.

One place it cannot be heard is from the top of the Millennium Tower.

Were not trying to broadcast back to the Millennium Tower, says Twist. Were trying to broadcast back out to the taxpayers who are footing the bill for this thing.

The piece was commissioned by the art institute under a Harker Fund grant and took two years to build, during a campus residency. The sound is transmitted through Long Range Acoustic Devices, which are designed for military use.

Were using sonic weapons to deliver whispering relaxation, said Twist. Those things cost $30,000 each.

The military devices make a statement and so does the use of sounds employed, which are a nod to the popular trend known ASMR, autonomous sensory meridian response.

The relaxation and self-care field is a billion-dollar industry, largely unregulated, Twist said, and it has evolved to mitigate the complexities caused by late capitalism, which is driving our present social crises of anxiety and depression.

One irony Twist pointed out is that prices at the Millennium Tower have stabilized and even risen after the announcement of the legal settlement.

That is a sinking ship that is accruing value as it sinks, said Twist. That could describe the state of late capitalism.

Postcommodity describes itself an indigenous art collective. Martinez is mestizo, from New Mexico; Twist is Cherokee from Bakersfield. They have exhibited at the Whitney Biennial in New York and the Biennale of Sydney. Just a day before their San Francisco debut during their first automated test, Martinez admitted to being nervous.

One minute later, as soon as the neighborhood church bells stopped, The Point of Final Collapse began with an almost imperceptible whisper of the word happiness that built during the four-minute performance. Among those hearing it for the first time during this test run was art institute President Gordon Knox.

Its a haiku, a collage and assembly of sounds and intentions generated by the actions of the developers of the Millennium Tower, said Knox.

It sounds complex and difficult, but its not. Its a chance through your ears and through your recognition of the distribution of the sound to think about how were connected as a people and how we are suspended in complex systems, many of which tear us apart.

The Point of Final Collapse: Sound art installation. 5:01 p.m. daily. San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut St. 415-749-4563. sfai.edu

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What does the Millennium Tower sound like as it sinks? These artists have an idea - San Francisco Chronicle

Austin City Council members are requiring any new restaurants, theaters, stores and similar establishments to ensure they provide enough diaper-changing stations.

Council Member Paige Ellis, who represents Southwest Austin, brought the measure forward. Her office told KUT several fathers had emailed requesting the change, saying sometimes theyd had to change their kids on the restroom floor or go to their car to do it.

Oftentimes we think of diaper-changing stations as easily accessible in only the ladies room, Ellis said at the councils regular meeting on Thursday. And as we know, Austin is a community that doesnt stick to those types of old-fashioned norms. We have many people in our community that participate in child-rearing.

Under the ordinance, owners building gender-specific restrooms in a new or renovated store or restaurant must provide one diaper-changing station in the women's restroom and one in the men's room on each floor. If there is a gender-neutral bathroom, there needs to be only one diaper-changing station.

Staff found thatit would be too burdensome to require existing businessesto do this and so nixed this from the item althoughthe city will retrofit several of its own buildings, including City Hall, the Montopolis Neighborhood Center and two Austin Police Department substations. The city estimated it would finish the work next month. It'll cost $15,000.

The measure will not apply topublic restrooms the city will be installingin parts of downtown.

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After Tales Of Men Changing Babies On Bathroom Floors, Austin Mandates More Diaper-Changing Stations - KUT

HORNER A vastly improved property awaits new homeowners at 896 Snyder Run Road in Horner.

The house and surrounding 1.7 acres of mostly open property is available for $418,000, according to KLM Properties Inc. listing agent Pam Myers.

Theres been a tremendous amount of upgrades, Myers said. (Owners Jacques and Joanna Blondeau) finished the basement, put in a mudroom, a standalone pantry and completely redid the master bathroom and added a separate room for storage.

The ranch-style house includes three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a half bathroom, a living room, and a dining room and kitchen, all of which are located on the main floor.

Built in 1990, the house includes 3,152 square feet of finished space above grade and an additional 980 square feet of finished space below grade.

Joanna Blondeau said renovations were completed in 2018.

Each bedroom contains its own full bathroom with heated tile floors. While two bathrooms have a tub and shower, the master bedroom stands out with a whirlpool and separate shower.

The bedrooms also have nice features like walk-in closets and ceiling fans.

Another half bathroom is available on the main floor, too.

A huge laundry room with its own hot water tank is located on the main floor as well, Myers said.

Hardwood floors grace the main level of the home. Also, new windows and a $40,000 gas fireplace were installed in the living room.

It has an authentic barn beam from West Virginia as the mantle, Blondeau said. We have free gas access, so all you have to do is press a button and it turns on. Theres a fan that blows out into the living room, too, so it keeps the whole front really nice. Its beautiful.

Free gas would continue for the next owner upon the propertys transfer, as would a gas generator.

The gourmet-style, unbelievable kitchen includes newer stainless steel Viking appliances, such as a range and refrigerator, and a large walk-in pantry, Myers said.

The newly finished basement contains an office and workout space, as well as a recreational area. A storage closet was even built under the stairs.

The entire home has been repainted in neutral and cream colors, Blondeau said.

Outside the home, there is a garage, and additional parking is available in the driveway. A fully furnished apartment with kitchen and bathroom is located on the garages second floor, but its not currently occupied.

The garage can actually house as many as five vehicles if needed, Myers said.

Porches are located off the second floor of the garage, off the master bedroom and at the front and back of the home.

There are very nice views from all of the porches. Were surrounded by forest, Blondeau said.

Both the front and back yards are on level ground and theres a newly paved road from U.S. Route 33 for family-friendly activity. A deck and heated sidewalks are other impressive features that add to the value of the property.

Theres plenty of room for whatever you want to do outdoors, Blondeau said. We lived at the end of the dead-end road.

Central heating and air conditioning are other key features of the house. A new heating unit was installed just last year.

Families with children would attend Lewis County Schools, including Peterson-Central Elementary, and Robert L. Bland Middle and Lewis County High schools.

The home is very private, but only five miles from (U.S. 33), Blondeau said.

Interested buyers can contact Myers at 304-933-3002.

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Extensive renovations completed in Horner, WV, house for sale - WV News