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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Islanders can have retaining walls on their property inspected for free -- with no risk of receiving a violation from the city if the wall is in bad shape.

"Maintaining a retaining wall can mean the difference between a summer of fun or a summer of stress for a property owner," Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri said. "That's why we're reminding property owners to have their retaining wall inspected by a professional or ask the Department for a free, no-penalty inspection under our annual program. This inspection will provide owners with the opportunity to fix any structural conditions before it's too late -- saving an enormous amount of time, money and heartache."

There was a high-profile wall collapse in Dongan Hills in 2007, which lead to five homes being ordered to evacuate. The wall was behind a home on Overlook Drive, and stretched down to Richmond Road.

No one was injured - but the collapses can be dangerous.

Building inspectors will check the walls for any bulging, displaced material, or leaning. If repairs are needed, the Department will defer issuing violations to give property owners time to correct problems. But if dangerous conditions are found, the Department will "take immediate action" to make sure the unsafe condition is fixed.

Inspections can be requested between April 17 and May 31, by calling 311.

The city's No-Penalty Retaining Wall Inspection Program was launched after a retaining wall above the Henry Hudson Parkways collapsed in 2005. In the last five years, the city has performed more than 400 inspections through the program.

Retaining walls hold back soil that would naturally slope down without the wall's support. But over time, with the rise and fall of temperatures, the walls can be undermined. Property owners are required by law to maintain the walls and inspect them every five years. --- Follow @siadvance on Twitter

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NYC Buildings Department offering free, no-penalty retaining wall inspections for Staten Island

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Appliance Repair Northern Virginia 'Best of the Best' Awarded to Home Appliance Repair for Excellence by Follow Media ...

KALAMAZOO, MI --Finally, a dinner companion that won't spend all their time staring at a smartphone. Man and woman's best friend may soon be able to dine al fresco with their owners in Michigan, under a proposed bill going before the House Tourism Committee Thursday.

The measure (House Bill 4335), brought by state Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, would allow cities and restaurants to decide whether to allow dogs in outdoor seating areas.

In recent years, more Americans have begun traveling with their pets. The measure may make Michigan more attractive to dog lovers, she said.

Michigan is a tourism state. We've become a destination state, said O'Brien. We just want to make sure Michigan has one more tool in the tool belt.

The bill would allow cities to decide whether they wanted to pass an ordinance, and then individual restaurants could decide whether they wished to allow pooches on their patios, O'Brien explained. Dogs, excepting service dogs, would not be allowed inside establishments.

"It won't be a mandate, said O'Brien, who added that the measure might not make sense for restaurants outside of tourism centers. We didn't want to step on any toes.

Over 49 percent of U.S. adult leisure travelers consider their pet to be part of the family and 18 percent of leisure travelers usually take their pets with them when they travel, according to the U.S. Travel Association.Locally, 31 hotels in the Kalamazoo area allow pets, according to Expedia.com.

There is no federal law governing pet dogs in restaurants. Service dogs are permitted under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

More than 4,000 restaurants nationwide already allow dogs in outdoor seating areas, according to USA Today. Accommodations for canine companions are concentrated in tourist-heavy states such as California and Florida. Florida passed a law in 2006 that let cities decide whether to provide exemptions allowing restaurants to permit dogs in outdoor areas. In 2012, Los Angeles County amended its health code to allow pets to sit with their owners at outdoor tables.

Other cities allowing restaurants to apply for permits or variances include New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Dallas, Knoxville, Tenn., and Kansas City, Mo.

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State Rep. Margaret O'Brien sponsors bill that would allow dogs on restaurant patios

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Fido won't be coming to dinner, if MLive commenters have their way.

A majority of commenters were against a proposal by state Rep. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, to allow restaurants to decide whether to allow dogs in outdoor seating areas. The issue will be taken up by the House Tourism Committee Thursday. Some found the idea of dining with a canine unappetizing, while others worried about liability issues and those with severe allergies.

Said dobie3790: "That is great for those of you (and me) who take responsibility for the behavior of our pets, particularly in public. However, I am imagine that the more likely scenario will involve someone's Labrador slobbering over my sandwich and sniffing my dog's butt. At the dinner table? No thanks."

Dragonzwing14 also was opposed: "What about people with allergies? So now they can't dine outside because of animals now being able to dine with their owners? And really WHY does a dog or cat need to go to the restaurant with their pet owner? REALLY? Now, a 'work dog' -- that's another story but just because we think our 4-legged pets are our 'children' doesn't mean that other people have to tolerate your pet in public eating establishments."

Dog-lovers, however, cheered the prospect, which has become more common in other states in recent years.

Said cskeels: "This is awesome news We regularly take our son (Gustavo - German Shepard) on walks around Kalamazoo and love the stores downtown that let us bring him in (Sticks & Stones was the first we found that allowed this). To be able to go downtown and sit outside with him while eating and enjoying the atmosphere - awesome is all I can say."

One commenter who favored the proposed measure thought it would help make Michigan more up to date.

Go Tigers! "I really like this proposal. It makes sense both from a tourism and quality of life perspective. The Midwest is so often seen as ho-hum and unimaginative, this type of proposal is progressive. Furthermore, the vast majority of people who would bring their dog to a restaurant know their animal can handle the situation. If the dog cannot handle the situation the owner, if they are rational, will not bring the dog next time. There are many places in the area that dogs interact and I have never heard of an incident that was out of hand."

Others said that, if restaurants were going to be allowed to decide whether to admit dogs on their patios, why not grant them self-determination on other matters?

Said decaturmethodz: "So it will be up to the owner of the establishment whether or not they allow dogs. How nice they are given a choice as to how to run their own business unlike the smoking ban. And before anyone says that the customer would know ahead of time whether or not to go there, the same token that could be said for smoking in a say a bar. If ... dog allergens are not a concern as it is the great outdoors doesn't smoke dissipate also. And how about those phobic of dogs? Why should they have to be subjected to their presence? It is up to the restaurant owner? Of course this is how it should be in all aspects of how they want to run their business. If they want to allow dogs on their patios fine. If they want to allow smoking on their patio then they should be allowed to do that as well. If the patrons then chose to spend their money there it sounds as though everything works out fine, and the government really need not tell people how to run their business."

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Dogs on restaurant patios make some MLive readers lose appetite

Design Engine, who are the architects of the Abercrombie extension and the new John Henry Brookes building at Oxford Brookes University have been shortlisted for theRoyal Institute of British Architects Regional Awards 2013.

Winchester-based practiceDesign Enginewon the contract for the development of a new entrance building at Oxford Brookes against steep competition. The company proposed that rather than building a new building here and a new building thereto devise a radical master plan, get demolishing, and go back to first principles. The original campus at Oxford Brookes was designed in 1955 by city architect EG Chandler. The original plans defined generous courtyards, but additions over the years have obscured this clarity and reduced the open space available.

Design Engines vision returns to the 1950s plan and re-energises it with new buildings and a new circulation sequence. Their plan slides new buildings alongside the old, interlocking them together. By increasing the density of the built forms, it is possible to provide generous public spaces; either new spaces, as with the entrance piazza, or reconfigured spaces, as with the central courtyard.

Key to the design is the new John Henry Brookes Building which will serve as the new main entrance to the campus. The building will contain a modern library, a 300-seat floating lecture theatre and a learning space dubbed the Forum. The open space will include informal touch down areas for the laptop working and group discussion that now form a key part of modern universities facilities. It will also become the new home of Student Services and Oxford Brookes Students Union.

Richard Rose Casemore, a Partner at Design Engine, is also a design tutor in the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University.

Click here to find out more about the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes University

Click here to find out more about Oxford Brookes University

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Oxford Brookes University Abercrombie building architects shortlisted for RIBA’s Regional Awards 2013

LONDON--(Marketwired - Apr 18, 2013) - Sefaira, a cloud-based energy analysis software company helping the building industry design and retrofit buildings for energy efficiency and sustainability, today announced that representatives from leading architecture firms, including AWW Architects, Foster and Partners, ORMS, Scott Brownriggand Studio Klaschka Architecture + Design, will participate in a free audio webinar to discuss how architects can influence the future of sustainability. "How will architects influence the future of sustainability?" will be held on 23 April from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. BST.

Robert Klaschka of Studio Klaschka Architecture + Design will lead panellists: Edward Garrod, Environmental Designer, Foster and Partners; John McRae, Equity Director, ORMS; Mario Vieira, Associate, Scott Brownrigg; and Till Scherer, Project Architect/Associate, AWW Architects -- in a discussion about how architects can have a positive influence on carbon footprint and climate change around the world by integrating sustainability into their design process. Key topics will include:

To register: http://tinyurl.com/Sefaira-Sustainability-Webinar

"When it comes to creating truly sustainable buildings, perhaps nothing is as powerful as the design process in itself. Through thoughtful and visionary design, architects and engineers have a profound impact on the sustainability of our built environment" said Sefaira CEO Mads Jensen. "These firms are true innovators when it comes to the effect their practices have on building sustainability. We are pleased to support this event, and look forward to a healthy discussion that promises to offer tremendous insight into how designers integrate emerging sustainability practices into their daily work."

About SefairaFounded in 2009, Sefaira (http://www.sefaira.com) produces cloud-based energy efficiency software to help the building industry design and retrofit buildings for energy efficiency and sustainability. Using Sefaira's platform, building designers and retrofit assessors can analyse and compare green building strategies within a fraction of the time and cost previously required. This includes defining, quantifying, and optimising the energy, water, carbon and financial benefits of relevant design strategies.

Sefaira won the "Green Building Innovation of the Year" award at London's Ecobuild 2011 and has been named to the Red Herring Top 100 Europe in 2013 and Ecobuild's Global Top 200 companies in the sustainability sector. Sefaira has offices in London and New York.

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Leading Architecture Firms to Discuss Architects' Influence on Future of Sustainability