Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

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Ryan Smith, director of Washington State University's School of Design and Construction, is an an expert on prefab construction.

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Smith, also an architecture professor, moved to Pullman with his family three years ago from Salt Lake City, where he taught and worked for 14 years at the University of Utah. It was a bit of an adjustment moving to the much smaller city at first, he says, noting that "the kids at first were like, 'Where's Forever 21?'"

There was also that whole pandemic thing this last year, which moved teaching to a virtual setting. But the good news is faculty and staff will be able to return to campus come July.

In addition to his tenure teaching architecture, Smith has also literally written the book well, six of them actually on prefabrication, a.k.a. prefab construction.

In a nutshell, prefab refers to projects where instead of doing something like framing a house bit by bit on site, different elements are constructed in a factory to a fairly finished state before being brought to the building's ultimate location.

There, cranes can lift full walls, rooms or even full living units into place to be quickly sealed together.

The process isn't novel, Smith explains, with the idea really taking root a century or so ago.

"It's been toyed with by architects and builders since the Industrial Revolution," Smith says. "Taking advantage of machines to build our houses isn't necessarily new."

But since that time, the technique has had fits and starts in popularity, he says. First, there was a boost in prefabrication's popularity just after WWII when soldiers returned and started settling down and starting families.

Then in the late 1960s and early '70s, Mitt Romney's father, George Romney, took charge of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, Smith says. Romney came from the auto industry, known for its assembly lines.

"George was an industrialist, and he had this idea: 'Can we meet the pent-up demand for housing by using WWII factories that lay dormant across the country?'" Smith says.

So the federal government invested in several factories across the country, including one in Seattle, to explore prefabrication techniques for housing. But Smith says when Ronald Reagan took office, funding for the program dropped off.

While HUD had come up with high quality designs to meet the need for single-family housing, Smith says the most well-known idea that came out of the program was a lower quality product: the mobile home.

"That is the legacy from our country's last major investment in prefabrication," he says.

Unfortunately, mobile homes built to federal standards often leaked, were inefficient and became associated with lower quality of life, even as they helped meet the overall need for housing, Smith says.

Fast forward to 2002, he says, and people were asking why the U.S. wasn't using prefab construction with the same success as other countries such as Sweden and Japan. So Dwell magazine ran a contest telling architects to partner with mobile home/prefab factories to design high quality, affordable homes.

Tyler Schmetterer/MOD X photo

Prefab homes are constructed in sections at a factory and then assembled on site, reducing construction labor costs and saving time.

The creative ideas entered for that contest spurred some companies that still exist today, Smith says, and helped put prefabrication back in the spotlight.

Currently, labor shortages in the construction industry are causing a bit of a prefab resurgence, Smith says.

"Labor has increased in cost, and the availability of labor to build homes is not there. It's a real problem right now," he says. "Because of that, now people are saying, 'Wow, this idea of prefabrication could really fly economically. It makes so much more sense: It's more productive, and frankly we don't have the labor. This could be something we look to.'"

In the Spokane area, Katerra, a cross-laminated timber manufacturer, has big plans to expand production of prefabricated walls and building elements.

Another company, Washington-based Blokable, has designed full modular affordable housing units that can be stacked next to and on top of one another. They're completely finished in the company's factory, making it much faster and more affordable to finish a multifamily apartment project.

So far, while prefab techniques definitely save time on projects of different sizes, Smith says it's really in that multifamily or hotel size where the speed translates to cost savings.

"The advantage that has been realized has been speed. We've seen 30 to 50 percent time savings," Smith says. "That may not benefit you all that much financially on a single-family home. But on a big, multifamily project or a hotel where you've gotta open to get revenue? Yes."

EMERGING TECH

If you'd like to help reduce the impact of your new home, you could build it to the voluntary international building standard known as a "passive house." These homes require very little to no energy to heat and cool.

Smith says he's also a fan of something called ICF or insulated concrete forms, in which semi-hollow foam blocks are put next to one another to create the form for concrete pours for, say, a basement. The blocks help insulate the room better and reduce the time that would've been spent building steel or plywood forms, he says.

Another recent innovation Smith says he's seen is something called "BamCore," which is a framing alternative to wood.

"So you're building walls not out of two-by-fours, out of lumber, but out of bamboo that is rapidly renewable and sustainably harvested," Smith says. "I think there's a lot of potential for this, though it still needs to go through a lot of testing."

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Prefab construction could be having a renaissance, and WSU's Ryan Smith is at the forefront - Pacific Northwest Inlander

FRESNO The officers arrived on East Princeton Avenue in the early morning, pointing theirguns down at the yellow lawn. In her bedroom, the walls scribbledwithcrayon drawings, Bre-Anna Valenzuela woke to the pounding of a fist on the steel front gate.

Fresno County Sheriffs Office! a deputyyelled. Eviction!

Bre-Anna, who goes by Bre, came to the door, standing behind her grandmother, hugging a baby doll to her chest. She listened as the manexplained that theyhad just a few minutes toleave. Shebegan to pack her things: her school-issued laptop, her favorite Barbie.

Shewas only 10, but she knew her family had nowhere else to go.

All over the state and country, millions of people like the Valenzuelas are in danger of losing their homes as the worst of the pandemic ends. In Fresno County, more than 650 families have been forced out of their homes since the coronavirus took hold last year, despite a federal eviction moratorium and local measures that aimed to provide relief.

Here, in a sprawling Central Valley county, evictions occurred at a rate nearly four times higher than in Los Angeles and eight times higher than in San Francisco.

Fresno County Sheriffs officers serve eviction notices in Fresno in late March 2021.

Nearly half of families in Fresno, where the typical household income is 30% below the state average, dont own their own homes. And even as rents have dropped elsewhere since March 2020, they have risen 17.1%in Fresno, the fifth largest city in California. Since 2017, median rent has soared 41%, the second-largest increase in the nation, behind only Boise, Idaho.

The Valenzuelas were already living check to check near Lafayette Park when eviction notices started appearing on their door. Their only stable income was the $942 in social security that Bres mother received monthly, plus her fathers $1,800 in unemployment.

He said he stopped working full-time last year when he broke his neck in a car accident; now he repaired bicycles in their yard and sold them online, sometimes bringing in $150, sometimes nothing at all.

The same deputies who came to Bres door on March 23 would continue across Fresno County, arriving at a new address every 20 minutes. Some families heeding whitenotices taped to their doors had already vacated their homes. Manyleft possessions behind: a drivers license, memorabilia from a military tour in Iraq, a single ruffled babysock.

As the early morning sky turned pink and purple, Bre stood outside with the deputies and a tub of four sleeping kittens, the latest litter of her cat, Bella. She watched as her mother, Danetta, came outside in an electric wheelchair, a portable oxygen tank between her white sneakers.

Bres father cursed as he tossed his guitar and toolbox into the travel-trailer parked in their driveway, which he had hoped to fix up and sell. A locksmith drilled the knob off the front gate, replacing it with a new lock, the house still full of their belongings.

Bre understood her familys fragility how they had been teetering on the edge of crisis for years and how the loss of their home could upend them.

She decided she needed to fix this, before it was too late. Standing on the sidewalk, the girl began to form her secret plan.

Bre-Anna Valenzuela, her mother, Danetta, and older brother, P.J., walk in their neighborhood.

The Valenzuelas came to California from Guntersville, Ala. Theyd been happy there or at least thats what Bres parents told her.

She was 6 when they moved back to Fresno, where her father had grown up and she had been born, and into the house on East Princeton Avenue. She couldnt remember much about living in the south, though Danetta, now 44, liked to tease her daughter by saying her accent came out when she was angry.

Bre as a baby. Courtesy Valenzuelas

If theyd been happy in Alabama, Bre thought, it was because they had money, and money had made their life seem normal. Her father, Brian, worked at a chicken plant. Her mother stayed home with Bre, her older brother, P.J., and their oldbrown dog, Henry, who greeted Bre at the school bus stop every afternoon.

They took a road trip to Key West, swimming in the Atlantic and eating key lime pie. In the summer, they drove around Guntersville Lake, or vacationed over the state line in Chattanooga, Tenn. Wednesday evenings meant bible study; Sunday mornings brought mass.

But Danetta was sick. Terminally illwith kidney disease and congestive heart failure, she had been in hospicemore times than Bre could remember. In truth, Bre had never known what it was like to have a healthy mother.

Danetta had developed preeclampsia while pregnant with her. She had chosen to keep Bre, despite doctors suggestion that she consider an abortion. Soon after her daughter was born, Danetta was in a wheelchair.

Danettas condition has led to multiple hospitalizations.

In the fall of 2016, after Brian saved enough money to buy his wife a diamond ring, they renewed their vows at a Baptist church in Guntersville; Danettas stomach was so bloated that she couldnt zip up any of the four dresses she bought for the occasion.

But they made the most of it, walking down the aisle to Stevie Nicks and Don Henleys Leather and Lace. Bre wore a flouncy white dress, which she hated, as the flower girl.

The following spring,Bres parentssigned a lease for the house on East Princeton Avenue. They told the owner, Louise Lolly Traxler, that they were moving back to California for the state-subsidized health and dental insurance, which they thought would cover more of Danettas bills.

Traxler, 74, who had workedas a financial counselor for patients at a nearby hospital, said she felt sorry for the Valenzuelas. Danettareminded Traxler of the dyingpeople she had helped over the years at work.

Danetta and Brian renewed their vows in Alabama in 2016 before moving to California. Courtesy Valenzuelas

Her own mother had bought the 800-square-foot house in 1949, when it was pastel pink, with hope it would provide her two daughters the stability she had lacked growing up. Purchasing the house had been her mothers greatest accomplishment, Traxler said, and before she died in 2002, her final wish had been that her daughters never sell it.

Traxler hadnt considered becoming a landlord, but she decided to honor her mothers wishes and rent the house out. The lease she signed with Danetta, Traxler later said, was as good as tissue paper, because theValenzuelas rarely paid the $900 rent on time, if at all.

After moving back to Fresno, Brian, 47, enrolled in a refrigeration training program at a local vocational school, hoping to make more money than he had at the chicken plant. But with their budget increasingly stretched raising two small children in a city with a rising cost of living Brian dropped out of the program and took a job in a warehouse.

Then, last year, Brian said, he was riding in his sisters truck when another driver hit them. Unable to do heavy labor with a broken neck, he lost the job, and has been repairing bikes ever since.

The unemployment and disability checks went to purchasing used bikes and bike parts, bus fares and groceries. As Danettas health continued to fail, they filled their shopping carts with nutrition drinks.

Danetta kept the invoices for her medical bills in a plastic bag in the kitchen, intent on paying them. But sometimes, instead, she would spend the money on gifts for the children at Walmart and splurge on special occasions.

She didnt think she would be around for holidays and birthdays in future years, so Danetta tried to make each milestone special even if it meant not paying rent. Sometimes, she said, she and Brian withheld money to make repairs.

Brian bikes with the family dog, Little Mama.

To be closer to her sister, Traxler had moved to a mobile home park for seniors more than 130 miles away in Morro Bay (San Luis Obispo County). In her absence, the house on East Princeton Avenue deteriorated: black mold, a mice infestation, broken plumbing.

Traxler, who said she receives $1,300 a month in social security, paid for what she could with credit cards. She replaced the refrigerator and oven with new appliances and hired a handyman to inspect the piping.

But the problems persisted and multiplied: A splotchy leak that Bre thought looked like a manta ray formedon the ceiling above Danettas bed. Bre found cockroaches in her Barbie Dreamhouse. She carried them outside, rather than smoosh them, because she thought they were only trying to live, like us.

Still, the Valenzuelas loved their home.It was cramped and cheap, but it was theirs.

They inflated a bounce house in the backyard for Bres unicorn-themed ninth birthday and propped an artificial pinein the living room window atChristmastime, so everyone could see it from the street. Danetta hung curtains and painted the kitchen green and white.Sometimes, Bre thought the house was the only thing keeping them together.

Brians mother, Sharon, often stayed with them, helping with the children while Danetta was on dialysis or at medical appointments. She lived with her husband in a small duplex 2 miles away. Their family was just about complete when they adopted Bella to catch the mice and roaches. Soon, she had her litter of kittens.

Then, in October 2020, her credit card debt mounting, Traxler sold the home to Capitol Real Estate Group of Visalia, just south of Fresno.

Sharon Valenzuela and granddaughter Bre have a close relationship. Sharon often stayed with her sons family to help when Danetta was ill.

Traxler said she wasnt trying to be a cruel landlady. She hadnt wanted to sell the home at all but with her age and disability, she saw no choice. She accepted $85,000. Less than a mile away, homes being flipped listed for more than $260,000.

Andres Andrew Banuelosbecame the Valenzuelas new landlord. Banuelos, who lives in San Luis Obispo, states on his companys website that he has helped manage over 150 property transactions for multiple investors.

Within three months of purchasing the home,the real estate group hadhired a lawyer based in Bakersfield she declined to comment for this story and filed for eviction against Traxler, although she no longer owned the home nor lived in it.

The notices started arriving in January. Danetta and Brian said they ignored the paperwork because their names werent on the envelopes;they assumed it was a misunderstanding. They said theycontinued paying partial rent to Traxler a claim Traxler disputes.

The Valenzuelas said they didnt realize Banuelos was their landlord. And with Danetta spending more and more time in the emergency room, they did not look into the legal notices. After all, Danetta said, they thought they were protected by the eviction moratorium a common misbelief that advocates and policymakers have seen across the region.

Theres this assumption that evictions are banned and arent happening right now, said Dr. Amber Crowell, a sociology professor at Fresno State University who studies housing inequality. It sounds more comprehensive than what it actually is.

The moratorium, she said, mostly only covers people who would be evicted for unpaid rent. And even with that, there are a lot of hoops they have to jump through. That leaves a lot of room for other types of evictions to happen. Your average person cannot explain what their rights are.

Danetta struggles to catch her breath while sorting through mail at the home the family was forced to vacate.

Had they read the notices closely, the Valenzuelas would have understood the eviction order included all occupants, named or not. Banuelos would later saythey had voidedtheir lease by allowing Sharon to stay with them and by not properly taking care of the home both evictable offenses.

He said they had also failed to pay rent since October, though the paperwork filed in court didnt ask for the payment of back rent, only a $40 processing fee. Under the moratorium, eviction because of non-payment is illegal if a family has been impacted by COVID-19.

Banuelos said he plans to flip the house, reselling at a profit.

They violated the terms, Banuelos said. Thats a them situation, not an us situation.

Bres family spent the first night after the eviction at Motel 6, listening to the commotion of traffic and the thundering of planes from the nearby Fresno Air Attack Base. Unable to afford a second nights stay, they checked out at 11 a.m. and rode abusback to East Princeton Avenue.

Bre stared out the window. She wore the same black Star Wars T-shirt from the day before, and chipped pink polish on her toenails.

Halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on Highway 99, Fresno is an agricultural powerhousewithin range ofYosemite National Park. Housing in the city, though, has not kept pace with demand, particularly as the pandemic trend toward remote work has made the Central Valley more desirable.

A shortfall of 41,000 housing units has often left low-income and minority families like the Valenzuelas, who are Native American and Hispanicunable to pay rent, according tothe National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Though Fresno has tried to help out through its Emergency Rental Assistance Program, the city offered just $5,952.09 to 284 applicants in April an average of $20 per household.

The amount of documentation required by the federal and state government has resulted in us providing relief at an extremely low pace, said Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias. The program also requires that we have landlord participation and agreement. Its almost like filling out a mortgage application.

As relief trickles out, evictions have continued because of legal loopholes and varying interpretations of what the federal moratoriummeans. Even if tenants prove they cannot pay rent due to COVID-19, they can be evicted for other reasons, such as having too many people living on the property or failing to maintain the yard.

With the moratorium set to expire at the end of this month, one large property management company in Fresnohas filed paperwork in court seeking at least 300 evictions, according to sheriffs deputies.

The Valenzuelasreached their stop and walked the few final minutes to their house. They no longer had keys, but had to find a way back inside Danetta needed to plug in her oxygen machine.So she slid open the living room window, parted the flowered curtains and motioned to her daughter. Bre shimmied through the window, then unlocked the front door.

Danetta and Bre eat cereal on the porch of the house they were evicted from. Bre climbed through the window to unlock the door. Danetta looked up legal advice and called Governor Gavin Newsoms office on her cell phone.

On the kitchen counter, a pan of brownies theyd baked the night before the eviction had gone stale. Sharon poured Lucky Charms into glasscontainersfor Danetta and Bre, then emptied the last of the cereal into a dish for Little Mama, the pit bull.

Brian busied himself in the side yard painting a tandembike bright teal. He hoped to sell it by days end to pay for another night at the motel.As he worked, Bre, Danetta and Sharon sat on the shaded front porch and searched for answers.

Siri, tell me about squatters rights, Danetta said, rasping into her cell phone. Her oxygen machine whirred.

She had already missed a dialysis session because of the eviction. The extra fluid in her abdomen made her belly balloon outward. She had to wear extra-large T-shirts, despite her petite frame. On days like these, Bre thought her mom looked pregnant.

Bre played with her Barbies, one with brown dreads, the other with crimped blonde hair that shed streaked with colored markers. She liked to think they were twins, because if they were twins, they would have each other, unlike her and her 14-year-oldbrother, who was always at his girlfriends house.

Bre took a soggy bite of cereal. Danetta read aloud from a website that offered legal help for $5, as Sharon cautioned there would be more money to pay after that.

They learned that,to prevent their eviction, they would have had to provide proof to their new landlord that they couldnt pay rent within 10 days of the original eviction notice. Even if they had done that, they learned, they would have owed at least 25% of their monthly rent, or $225.

Swept up by personal crises, they hadnt realized that cobbling together the money could have helped prevent their eviction. They hadnt attempted to get aid of any kind.

On Danettas phone, they watched a news conference from January,when Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the states eviction moratorium would extend through at least June 30. He vowed that $2.6 billion in aid to renters $1.4 billion of it from the state and $1.2 billion from counties and cities would be administered quickly.

These families need protection and relief now, Newsom said to applause.

Much of that aid would go unspent in the next few months, the distribution of cash backlogged by bureaucracy and an online application process that confused tenants. By May, less than 10% of available funds, or $102 million, had been distributed by the state, despite the application portal opening two months earlier, on March 15.

Bre collects some of her belongings the day after being evicted from the familys home.

Danetta couldnt find answers to most of their questions: Did they really only have 15 days to retrieve their belongings? Were they trespassing now by being at their own house? Could they still apply for coronavirus rent relief fundsfrom the state, though they didnt have the paperwork to prove their income had dropped, that Brian had flipped fewer bikes over the past year? Or that she was disabled and on social security?

OK, Google, call Governor Newsom, Danetta said.

An automated recording listed the options. Danetta pressed 1 for English, then 6 to talk with a representative. Her call transferred and disconnected. She called back, navigating the phone tree again. She waited on hold.

Sharon smoked a cigarette from a pack of Marlboros tucked in her bra strap. Tapping on her phone, she sent an email to Bres school, letting them know the fourth-grader wouldnt be logged into class that day. They were in transition, she wrote. Bre twirled an orange fidget spinner.

Twelve minutes later, the line clicked. Is this is this somebody for Mr. Newsom? Danetta asked.

Yes, I work for the governor, said a legislative aide who introduced himself as Cole. Whats on your mind?

Danetta explained that theyd recently lost their home, that shed already called California Rural Legal Assistance and Central California Legal Services, that the nonprofits weretoo overwhelmed to help and could only offer other phone numbers to try.

Shed called the clerks office at Fresno County Superior Court, the United States Housing Authority, Catholic Charities and Cherokee Nation, which sometimes offers money to Native families in distress.

Shed received no help. The aide offered her a link to a website, which he said would be the best resource available. He said that Danetta was right, that the governor had signed a moratorium into law, but that there were different ways that people can be affected by it and he couldnt say what that meant for her.

So theres no other advice you can give me? Danetta asked.

Unfortunately not.

Ending the call, Danetta sent Bre back into the house for their Blu-ray player. They still had the receipt and could return it to Walmart for cash, affording them another $89 night at Motel 6.

Bre rides on the front of Danettas wheelchair as they leave the Motel 6 with Sharon to get breakfast.

As they rode the bus to the store and then on to Motel 6, Bre played Minecraft on her phone. In this world, she could build her family a home, with a separate room for her kittens. The garden overlooked the ocean. Daisies blanketed the lawn, where Sharon lived in a hollowed-out birch tree, the stairs made of leaves.

By the time theyreached the motel, her phone had died. Bre returned to her secret plan, mulling it over. It could work, she thought. But she wasnt ready to reveal it to her mother, not yet.

In the room, shepicked upone of her Barbies and pressed the button on her back. The doll was meditation-themed. Take a deep breath, it soothed.Breathein Breathe out Bre fell backward onto the queen-size bed and closed her eyes.

Nine days after the eviction, Bre and her mother were still at the Motel 6.

Her fatherand Little Mama kept watch over the house on East Princeton Avenue,fending off potential burglarsfrom stealing the possessions still locked inside and sleeping in a travel-trailerin Sharons backyard during the day. Sometimes, Brian would bike to the motel Little Mama cradled in one arm to watch a movie and snuggle in bed with his wife and daughter.

At the Motel 6, Bre stuck to her moms advice to always wash her feet before bed, and played with Barbies she brought from the familys former home.

On the last day of March, the Valenzuelas ran out of money for the motel. Danetta and Bre left to be with P.J., who was staying at his girlfriends familys two-bedroom apartment in northeastFresno, near the airport. The mother and daughter slept together on the brocade couch in the living room, Bre often waking at night to the wail of sirens.

She wished they could all stay with Sharon. Bre loved her grandmothers house, with wind chimes and bells on the porch and an avocado tree dropping fruit on the lawn. But the duplex was too cramped for all of them, and too narrow for Bres mother to navigate in her wheelchair.

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Evicted at age 10: Her family was forced out of their home. She just wanted to keep them together - San Francisco Chronicle

Plans to massively increase jobs and housing in Mountain View's North Bayshore tech park are contingent on a car-light future, in which thousands of employees walk, bike and take transit to work. But so far, too few workers have been willing to ditch driving.

As it stands, 56% of employees in North Bayshore drive to work solo, well above the area's target of 45%, with little sign of improvement over the last five years. Reaching that target is a critical factor in allowing job and housing growth, which was rezoned to allow up to 9,850 new homes, without causing miserable gridlock in the area.

In seeking to meet that goal and keep traffic at a tolerable level, Mountain View City Council members voted this week on a revised plan that tacks on several new projects aimed at getting people off the road. Among them is a proposal to roll out "congestion pricing," which would charge people a premium for traveling into the tech park.

The idea has been floated seven years ago, meeting with a mixed reaction and seen as a last resort, but council members on June 8 agreed to make it a short-term priority to launch within the next five years. Council members favored congestion pricing -- along with a suite of transit, bike and pedestrian improvements -- over expensive projects that would increase roadway capacity and encourage more driving.

"I don't want to just build more and more freeway entrances to North Bayshore," said Councilwoman Alison Hicks. "I think that goes against what we've been working for."

Travel into North Bayshore, home to the city's major employers including Google, Intuit and Microsoft, is limited to three major roadways. And two of those of those so-called "gateway" roads -- Shoreline Boulevard and Rengstorff Avenue -- are already approaching capacity during peak commute hours. Upcoming office growth in North Bayshore is expected to add over 6,000 more jobs, raising serious concerns about traffic bottlenecks into North Bayshore.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent work-from-home policies by tech companies have done little to assuage the concerns of the city. In a report, city staff wrote that traffic congestion is expected to return to previous levels, and that employers will want to make "productive use" of their full building spaces. Employees will likely be required to show up on certain days to maximize workplace collaboration, and those employees may be reluctant to take transit due to public health concerns.

The blueprint for North Bayshore's future development seeks to solve those problems with a "car-lite" vision for the area, in which those who live and work in the area would take transit, walk or bike to their destination rather than use a car. The plans include a walkable street network, bike infrastructure and "internalized" trips to work, meaning people live and work in North Bayshore and won't have to in and out via Shoreline and Rengstorff.

But a recent study found that it will take more to solve future traffic woes, with a menu of recommended options that includes minimal parking availability and a complete revamp of the Highway 101 and Rengstorff Avenue intersection to boost roadway capacity by 800 vehicles during peak commute hours.

Several council members said they were uneasy with spending tens of millions of dollars just to help more people drive into North Bayshore. Councilwoman Lisa Matichak said the whole point of the redevelopment plans was to encourage workers to get out of cars, and she was concerned that the city was taking action in ways that would increase vehicle traffic.

"I'm not sure I want to do things that increase the ability for more cars to go into and out of North Bayshore," she said.

More palatable was the idea of congestion pricing, which has been used in Europe and Asia for years and is currently being studied by San Francisco and Los Angeles. Congestion pricing comes in many forms, and could charge drivers a toll for crossing into North Bayshore or be based on how many miles are traveled within the area. Creating such a program would require a network of cameras and technology to read license plates and transponders, collecting drivers' personal information that would need to be safeguarded, city officials said.

The idea also raises equity concerns, and whether all drivers should be charged the same fee for coming into or driving within North Bayshore. Existing North Bayshore residents living in the Santiago Villa mobile home park would have difficulty paying a surcharge just for driving around their own neighborhood, said Santiago Villa resident Alex Brown.

"I think there are a lot of people who could not afford to continue driving if congestion pricing did not exempt them, given how much we have have to cross into and out of this district," he said.

Jim Lightbody, a consultant for the city, said there have been a number of proposals about who would be charged and who would be exempted under congestion pricing, but that those details have yet to be determined. He stressed that the city has only done a cursory look at congestion pricing through a feasibility study to determine whether it makes sense to pursue it.

Though city officials suggested that congestion pricing ought to be rolled out within the next 10 years, Councilman Lucas Ramirez proposed that the city bump it up as a five-year priority, ahead of costly roadway projects. Assuming it works, Ramirez said the city could reduce vehicle trips into North Bayshore and would no longer need massive infrastructure upgrades that could incentivize driving.

"What I'm hoping will happen is that that tool proves effective and it will render some of the additional projects that are proposed further out unnecessary," Ramirez said.

The other major concern hanging over the council was who would pay for expensive transportation upgrades. By tacking on more projects, the city is now facing costs of $487 million, most of which still does not have a funding source. Of the $140 million that has been accounted for, about 80% is being paid for by taxpayers through the city's Shoreline Regional Park Community funds. A much smaller 17% is being paid for by the developments themselves through impact fees.

Councilwoman Margaret Abe-Koga said she was under the assumption that redevelopment in North Bayshore would largely pay for the transportation improvements, and that she was not expecting the city to foot most of the bill.

"I was very disappointed to see what the split is right now, with 80% falling on the city," Abe-Koga said.

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Mountain View looks to congestion pricing to get tech workers out of cars - Mountain View Voice

RAMALLAH, West Bank Muhammad Hamayel, a 15-year-oldfrom the town of Beita,southeast of Nablus in the northern West Bank, was shot dead by the Israeli army during the clashes that took place in the town June 11, in protest against the outpost established on the lands of Jabal Sbeih in the town.

The town of Beitahas turned into a heated confrontation point between the Palestinian residents and the Israeli army and settlers, in light of the latters attempt to establish a settlement outpost called Avitaratop Jabal Sbeih (Mount Sbeih).

Since the beginning of settlement activity at the top of themountain May 3, the people of Beita have been engaged in daily confrontations that seem to escalate everyFriday, with the participation of the residents of the two nearby towns of Yatma and Qablan, to counter the settlers takeover of the mountain. The confrontations have resulted in the death of fouryoung menMuhammad Hamayel;Issa Barham, a doctor from Beita who was killed May 14; Tariq Sanubar, a young man from Yatma killedMay 16; andZakaria Hamayel, a teacher from Beita killedMay 28 while hundreds of others were injured.

The settlers latest attempt to seize Jabal Sbeih came after a settler was killed at the Zaatara checkpoint in ashooting attack carried out by Mutassim al-Shalabi May 2.

Moussa Hamayel, deputy mayor of Beita, told Al-Monitor that the settlers had targeted Jabal Sbeih several times, but their recent attempt was the most dangerous, as within a few days they installed more than 40 mobile housing units on an area of 5dunams (1 acre) out of a total area of 840 dunams (207 acres). They alsopaved the road on the top of the mountain, in a first step that allows them to later expand and control it.

He noted that Jabal Sbeih is a vital strategic location, as it overlooks the main road between the cities of Nablus and Ramallah, and runs adjacent to the road leading to Jericho and the Jordan Valley. In addition, it is only 1kilometer (0.6 miles) from the Zaatara checkpoint, which is the most important military checkpoint for the Israeli army in the West Bank.

Hamayel explained that by taking over Jabal Sbeih, the checkpoint and the mountain will be connected to the eastern region of the West Bank (the Jordan Valley), thus turning the checkpoint into a large and only gateway to the northern West Bank, separating it completely from the central and southern West Bank.

Due to its location, Jabal Sbeih was subjected in past years to several attempts to seize it and establish a settlement outpost on its top, but the residents confronted these attempts every time and forced the settlers to leave. The first try was in 2013 after a stabbing attackat the Zaatara checkpoint in which a settler, named Avitar, was killed. Settlers established the outpost bearing the same name. However, after residents stood their ground and organized popular marches, the army had to dismantle the outpost.

In 2018, the settlers tried once again to establish an outpost after the killing of a rabbi near the settlement of Ariel north of Salfit. They installed mobile homes and supplied them with electricity and water, but the residents confronted them, which prompted the army todismantle the outpost again.

The third attempt was in 2020 when settlers tried to establish three outposts on Jabal Sbeih, Jabal al-Armaand Jabal al-Najma in the town of Beita, but failed. The most recent attempt was in May and the residents seem to have succeeded this time as well in confronting the settlers.

On June 7, the Israeli army issued a military order prohibiting the continuation of construction in the outpost on Jabal Sbeih, declaring it a military zone where no presence is allowed, and preventing the entry of building materials to it, provided that the property is evacuated within eight days.

However, Hamayel noted, As long as the decision is not implemented on the ground, it remains mere ink on paper. We fear that the decision will be a maneuver to gain time to circumvent the popular uprising. We have not yet received any official decision.

Speaking about the municipalitys role in supporting the people who own land in Jabal Sbeih in light of the settlement threat, he said that the municipal council can exempt citizens from the financial fees for supplying electricity and water to the area, but it cannot do more than that due to its limited financial capabilities. This is why we called on all official and civil institutions to back the residents, support their steadfastnessand encourage them to stay in the area, Hamayel stressed.

Hudhayfa Badir, a resident of Beita who owns 5dunams in Jabal Sbeih, told Al-Monitor that the settlement outpost failed due to the resistance and steadfastness of the residents who refuse to sell an inch of the mountain to settlers.

He pointed out that the settlers took advantage of the local and international interest in what is happening in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and the war on the Gaza Strip, to set up tents and mobile housing units on Jabal Sbeih in an attempt to seize it.

Badir notedthat the residents will take all the necessary measures to thwart any future settlement attempts onthe mountain, the most important of which is taking legal action to establish ownership of the land, maintaining popular preparednessand organizing more nationwideactivities.

He noted that according to what the residents learned from Palestinian sources, the settlers tried to circumvent the armys military order to evacuate and dismantle the settlement outpost in Jabal Sbeih, twice, but the army refused to withdraw the decision, pointing out that the residents are anxiously waiting for the military order to be implemented.

Badir stressed the need for the local community and civil and official institutions to help the residents of Beita to stop the Zionist ambitions, whether by providing basic services, such as supplying electricity and water or paving streets, to encourage people to stay in the area or by establishing projects there, in addition to the reclamation of uncultivated lands and the construction of roads.

Regardless of the military order, the residents of Beita and Jabal Sbeih, in particular, remain on high alert, awaiting the decisions implementation. The young men in the town continue to organize various activities, including what is known as night confusion, similar to what was happening near the fence on the borders of Gazain 2019.

Read more here:
How these Palestinians thwarted settlers in northern West Bank - Al-Monitor

Jackson Township has adopted the lateral inspection ordinance for any sold or transferred properties.In observance of the upcoming holiday, next week we are on a compressed schedule next week for trash and recycling pickup. Monday and Tuesday routes will both be picked up on Tuesday and the rest of the week will be picked up on the normal scheduled day!

Mark your calendars! Our Electronics Recycling Event is Saturday, June 26, 2021. Check back for more details!!

Solid waste collection is a critical and essential job as part of the response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. You can help protect the health of the men and women who collect your trash and recycling during this vital time. The virus may survive for up to 24 hours on cardboard and two to three days on plastic*. With a few simple steps, you can protect sanitation workers by reducing the possibility they will come into contact with potentially contaminated items.

VISITING FACILITIES If your community still allows members of the public to drop-off waste or recyclables at a facility, please follow all safety policies and procedures required by that facility. These might include not paying with cash, keeping at least 6 feet of distance between you, other customers, and any employees, and unloading in the correct area to avoid requiring staff to handle discarded materials more than necessary. And of course, always follow all safety rules regarding speed limits, cell phone usage, and remaining near/in your vehicle.

Since 1967 Dallas Area Municipal Authority has been a natural resource for those who live and work in Dallas, Shavertown, Trucksville, and adjoining areas of our community.We provide vital services to residents and businesses, including on-lot and public septic, solid waste and recycling, as well as yard waste and composting.

Today, we serve more customers than ever before as the Back Mountain has grown in population and we have kept pace with our customers needs through enhanced services, state-of-the-art processes, and the highest level of customer service.

The Dallas Area Municipal Authority (DAMA) constructed, operates, and maintains the collection, conveyance, equalization and primary pumping station facilities that serve the charter member municipalities of Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, and Kingston Township.

Since the inception of DAMAs Solid waste and recycling program, As a community we have been able to divert almost fifty percent (50%) from the landfill and send it to Northeast Recycling Solutions to be recycled. Thank you for your support and keep up the great work.

Dallas Area Municipal Authority collects residents Recycling for Dallas Borough, Dallas Township, and Kingston Township. Dallas Area Municipal Authority also works together with Luzerne County and PADEP to continue growth and education for the Back Mountain.

Link:
Dallas Area Municipal Authority

The first thing any of us want to do when we encounter unpleasant household odors that wont go away with regular cleaning is to discover how to get rid of bad smells in the house. If your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room continue to stink no matter how much you clean them, and youre asking yourself why does my house smell like sewage, you may be suffering from sewer odors!

Sewer odors can occur anyplace in your home with a drain or water line; sinks, showers, bathtubs, and yes, toilets, can all lead to a musty smell in the house or a sewer smell in the house.

Youll need to learn how to get rid of bad odors in the house if you ever hope to breathe with ease when you walk into the stinky room.

Instead of turning to chemical-laden air fresheners to mask the odors, look for ways to identify and repair the causes of sewer odors. Read on to discover how to get rid of bad smells in the house and leave your whole home smelling clean once again.

Strong sewage smells in the house may originate from several locations and then spread throughout your home, leaving it smelling like a septic system.

There are several common causes of these smells. Here are four areas in your home that sewer smells may be coming from and the reasons for the smells.

Sewer odors do more than just make you turn up your nose, however. They can be hazardous to your health. Depending on the type and severity of the sewer gas odors, they can cause illness and other problems.

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Home Sewer Odor Problems

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Although sewer smells in basements can be strong, you can easily miss these smells if you dont frequently use that part of the home. If you have a sewer smell in your basement, check these three areas first:

While it may seem surprising, sewer smells from shower drains are more common than those from toilets! There are two main culprits for sewer odors in shower drains, and only one is plumbing related.

tb1234

Simple Dirty Drain Cleaning Recipe

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Luckily, to eliminate biofilm, you just need to clean out your pipes. Using soap, hot water, and a brush, clean drains to the p-trap before rinsing with cold water, which should eliminate future odors.

Infrequently used shower drains most commonly cause sewer odors. Without frequent use, the water in the p-trap can evaporate; without water in the trap, there is nothing to keep sewer gasses from getting in.

Therefore make sure you keep your shower clean disinfected to prevent any smell or odors. This kind of odor typically improves after running the water for several minutes.

If your plumbing is not the problem, a dirty drain may be. Over time, biofilm builds up in our drains and pipes; this buildup can cause a sewer like odor, which worsens when you run water.

Instead of pushing the sewer gasses back down, the water flow disrupts the surface of the biofilm and causes even stronger smells to be released.

tb1234

Powerful DIY Drain Cleaner Recipe

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Pour a large pot of water (boiling) down the drain and then pour the baking soda into the water-filled drain. Let it sit awhile. End with two cups of white vinegar mixed with one cup of boiling hot water and let it sit for at least 20 minutes.

Flush the drain or toilet with more water. Find more powerful vinegar and baking soda based drain cleaner recipes and how to unclog a drain tips here.

Sidenote: The base ingredients for this natural drain cleaner are similar to homemade carpet cleaner recipes. Make sure you keep white vinegar and baking soda in mind when thinking about powerful home remedies for cleaning.

Sewer smells from toilets are often the worst in the house because they connect directly to a septic system. There are two main reasons why your toilet may be producing sewer odors.

The wax ring seal between the base of the toilet and the flange can become damaged over time. Furthermore, toilets that were installed imbalanced and rock are the most common cause.

A broken wax ring seal can let sewer gas up from the bottom of the toilet. Removing the toilet and replacing the wax ring should eliminate the odor; likewise, using shims can help level the toilet to prevent rocking from breaking the ring again.

Then, use caulk to protect the joint. Make sure you clean and disinfect the area with a strong homemade toilet cleaner.

While less likely, water in the toilet trap may also have evaporated, allowing sewer gas to seep up and into the room.

Infrequently used toilets, such as those in guest bedrooms or basements, are usually the culprit, but a long absence from the house, such as an extended vacation, may also be the problem. If you get home from a trip to discover a sewer odor in your bathroom, check levels in the water trap before calling a plumber.

Kitchen sinks and bathroom sinks alike can cause stinky sewer odors. Similar to both showers and toilets, a lack of water in the trap can cause sewer odors to come up through the sink drains.

Infrequently used sinks, such as those in basements, outbuildings, or wash basins, are most likely to develop these odors. If biofilm build up is the culprit of your sink sewer smell, removing and thoroughly cleaning the pieces may help eliminate unpleasant odors.

You can remove the pivot rod, pop up stopper, p-trap, and gooseneck from the sink and soak them in a mixture of warm water and bleach. After reassembling the parts, pour boiling water down the sink to completely remove any remaining biofilm residue.

>> Related: How to clean and seal kitchen countertops

If sewer odors have taken over your home, think twice before calling local plumbers. Heres how to get rid of bad smells in the house all by yourself. These DIY solutions can help eliminate sewer odors, without the expensive plumbing bill.

Vent openings are often above the main bathroom in the home. Clogged or blocked vents from leaves, debris, or dead animals can prevent sewer gasses from properly venting.

To keep sewer odors from coming back, consider adding preventative drain maintenance to your house cleaning checklist. Regularly cleaning out your drains can prevent biofilm from building up in the pipes. To avoid the use of harsh chemicals or disassembling pipes, use household items.

tb1234

Preventative Drain Cleaning Recipe

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Pour the vinegar, followed baking soda down a drain, allowing it to sit for two hours. When finished, flush the drain with hot water to wash away the loosened biofilm.

A vinegar, water, and baking soda solution can also be effective as a DIY air freshener spray. Adding a pleasant aroma from an essential oil like lemon or lavender makes it even better.

While its not likely youll have a sewer smell in your vehicle, for unpleasant odors you can also use this solution as a homemade car air freshener.

We hope youve now learned how to get rid of bad smells in the house. Identify and fix the source of the smell toget rid of pesky sewer gas smells for good!

In this article, you learned the answer to the question why does my house smell like sewage. You learned what can lead to a musty smell in the house and what can lead to a sewer smell in the house. Did I leave anything out? Let me know in the comments and use the buttons below to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

Read more from the original source:
How To Get Rid Of Sewer Smell In Your House - From ...

Greater Noida: A 21-year old working as a sanitation employee, working under a private contractor of the Greater Noida authority, was killed Thursday after stepping into a sewer to clean it.

According to officials, the victim, Krishna (identified by a single name), who lived in Gharbara village of Greater Noida, was sent inside a sewage line in Surajpur area allegedly without any gear or safety equipment.

When Krishna didnt respond for some time, a fire brigade was called to rescue him. A firefighter went down the sewer wearing breathing apparatus to retrieve the victim tied to a rope in a 40 minute-long operation. The victim was soon rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared brought dead, the police said.

The sewer was very narrow and about 30 to 40 feet deep and it took around 40 minutes for our personnel to rescue the unconscious man, who seemed to have some life in him at that time. The victim was wearing no gear or safety equipment; he was wearing only shorts and a vest. He was rushed to the nearest hospital. There are poisonous gases in the sewer that make it very unsafe to work without any gear; even our personnel had to wear breathing apparatus before going in, said Jitendra Kumar, fire station officer, Greater Noida.

The police later registered an FIR under Section 304 of the IPC against Neeraj Bhati, the authoritys contractor and Jai Prakash, the site incharge.

The victim was soon rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead. He must have suffocated as they are poisonous gases, especially in summers, down the gutter. He was sent down to clean their line manually to reinstate the flow without any safety equipment. We have registered an FIR against the private contractor and the site in charge, and are waiting for the post-mortem report, said Ajay Kumar, SHO, Surajpur.

Manual scavenging - that accounts for manually cleaning sewers, septic tanks and others - is banned under the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Officials at the authority, meanwhile, said that they have ordered an enquiry into the matter.

We had earlier made it very clear that no worker would be sent down the pit without safety gear. We had also provided all protective gear and oxygen masks however, in this case, it seems the directions were violated. We have ordered an enquiry and it seems that a private contractor with the Greater Noida authority is responsible. The concerned official has filed an FIR. However, the act does not amount to manual scavenging, said Narendra Bhooshan, CEO, Greater Noida authority.

However, activists differed. This is a clear case of manual scavenging. An act that accounts to anyone manually cleaning sewer or septic tank that has human excreta in it accounts for manual scavenging and is prohibited, but unfortunately there is very less awareness on it and it continues across India, including in the national capital, said Bezwada Wilson, the national convener of Safai Karamchari Aandolan a human rights organisation campaigning for eradication of manual scavenging.

A total of 340 people had died due to cleaning sewers in the past five years till December 31, 2020 of which Uttar Pradesh, at 52, accounts for the highest number of deaths, Ramdas Athawale, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment, had informed the parliament in February 2021.

Originally posted here:
21-year-old sanitation worker dies while cleaning sewer in Greater Noida - Hindustan Times

Clean drinking water for Airway Heights, where the groundwater is contaminated with toxic chemicals: $21 million.

A sewer system for Malden, whose residents septic systems were destroyed along with their homes in last years devastating wildfire: $6 million.

Relocating Walla Walla Countys 911 dispatch and emergency operations center, which sits on a location vulnerable to both earthquakes and flooding: $2.75 million.

The return of congressional earmarks, a practice lawmakers banned a decade ago amid allegations of corruption and wasteful spending, could direct billions to local needs across the country.

But a split among Republicans means North Idaho wont see any of that money.

Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, whose districts cover Eastern and Central Washington, are among just over half of House Republicans who have submitted requests to direct federal funds to projects in their districts.

Proponents, including every House Democrat but one, say reforms will make the revamped process more transparent and prevent the wasteful spending on lawmakers pet projects that drove Congress to abandon the process.

Supporters say the process also gives individual lawmakers a say in how federal money is spent, helping to foster bipartisanship in an era of intense political division, and puts decision-making power in the hands of representatives who know their communities needs better than the White House and federal agencies.

Thats our fundamental responsibility as legislators, McMorris Rodgers said. I believe that as the representative for the 5th district, I should be able to submit projects for consideration that, in many cases, otherwise would not get consideration.

Critics like Rep. Russ Fulcher, a Republican who represents North Idaho, warn the return of earmarks could pave the way for frivolous federal spending, although the process lets lawmakers direct existing funds and does not increase federal spending.

These funds might be pre-approved on the first go-round, but the policy of earmarks will remain, Fulcher said. The bigger issue for me is the debt. Every single appropriation, every single bill that we sign off on, is an invoice to our grandkids.

The debt will come back and bite us. Its a matter of time. And I think the earmark program, overall, hurts more than it helps.

The new House earmark process, officially called community project funding in the Appropriations Committee and member designated projects in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, lets each lawmaker request a portion of funds that would already be spent.

Were not talking about new dollars, Newhouse said. This is money that is appropriated, and we have a say in where it goes versus that faceless bureaucrat in some office that has likely never even heard of Yakima, Washington. Why should they be making those choices instead of us?

Not every request will be approved, and House Democrats have said the money available through the process will be capped at 1% of discretionary spending, the money Congress appropriates each year, separate from mandatory spending on programs like Social Security.

President Joe Biden requested $1.5 trillion in discretionary spending for fiscal year 2022. While Congress doesnt appropriate exactly what presidents ask for, Bidens request suggests about $15 billion could be allocated through earmarks.

Earmarks have been part of the federal budget process since the first Congress in 1789, but they gained notoriety after a string of scandals in the early 2000s, including a California Republican who famously drew up a bribe menu showing what it would cost to secure government contracts.

Earmarks went away because a small number of members of Congress abused them, said Kevin Kosar, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, in the course of doing that, they kind of threw out the baby with the bathwater.

Wary of repeating those mistakes, House lawmakers made several changes to the process, including banning earmarks to for-profit companies and requiring members to certify they and their immediate families have no financial interest in the projects they request funding for.

There were some huge issues with how earmarks used to be run, said Newhouse, who serves on the Appropriations Committee and strongly objects to applying the baggage-laden term to the new process.

We tried to learn from the past and not put into place a system that would lend itself to some of the things that happened before.

Both committees also require lawmakers to post the details of all their requests on their websites, and all of the requests are listed in publicly available spreadsheets.

Kosar said the return of earmarks could especially benefit rural areas, which often lack the resources cities have to seek out other sources of federal funding.

Through the years I found that there were projects in communities, especially in the small towns and cities that I represent, (where) it was extremely difficult for them to get funding, McMorris Rodgers said.

Larger cities and counties, you would see that they were hiring the people that could help them, the grant writers or others that would advocate with the agencies on their behalf, she said. Versus a small town and Malden is a great example where they dont have the resources to be hiring those kinds of people.

Between the two committees, McMorris Rodgers requested a total of roughly $196 million and Newhouse requested $44 million.

In the Senate, which has to sign off on appropriations proposed by the House, Democrats have supported the return of earmarks, while Republicans are also divided.

In a statement, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said she is excited about the direction were heading in.

My job as senator is to fight for Washington state in the other Washington, Murray said, so I have always been supportive of making sure members of Congress have an opportunity to put funding for specific projects into appropriations bills that meet the needs of communities in their state.

Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, said in an interview he is open to the process, provided it is done appropriately, while his fellow Idaho Republican, Sen. Jim Risch, has said he opposes the return of earmarks.

See the rest here:
Don't call them 'earmarks,' but return of lawmaker-directed spending could send millions to Eastern Washington while North Idaho's Fulcher opts out -...

A rundown on how each state representative voted on the zoning reform bill.

Myth: The Planning and Development Committees proposed bills would end our local decision making on zoning and land-use.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):This legislation empowers local communities to plan for the future.Nothing in any proposed Planning and Development Committee bill eliminates local decision making on zoning and land-use. Instead, these changes add clarity, transparency and consistency to local zoning regulations.

a. Connecticut law (8-2) gives the authority to regulate land use to the 169 towns and cities in our state.b. These bills move Connecticuts law, written almost 100 years ago, into the 21st century, providing tools and frameworks for municipalities to create their own goals, plans and processes.

The reality:

HB 6107 passed in the house and the language changed significantly (through a strike all amendment) to this one bill, which has been cobbled together with pieces from 13+ different bills raised in four-plus different committees. Some of the original bills most definitely would have ended local decision making on zoning and land use this session.

While CTs law, 8-2 may have been written almost 100 years ago, individual towns have been granted zoning powers and routinely review and update their own zoning regulations, so they are already in the 21st Century. Towns already create their own goals, plans of conservation and development and processes. Towns are already mandated to create an affordable housing plan. They are best suited to write the regs most applicable to their own unique town.

HB6107 MANDATES towns to accept ADUs as of right everywhere in the municipality and limits maximum parking requirements to two parking spaces for all units with two or more bedrooms. It does permit towns to opt out should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of both the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town.

If towns do not opt out by set date or add any additional ADU restrictions, like allowing ADUs only in certain zones within a town, the local zoning policy is made NULL AND VOID. This is a loss of local decision making.

The bill also MANDATES any developer fees must be returned to the builder and cannot charge any fee that is calculated in a different way for a developer from any other project. This may prevent the ability of towns to collect fees for seed capital to create affordable housing projects.

The bill deletes from 8-2 provisions which state: prevent overcrowding of land, avoid undue concentration of population, conserving value of buildings

The bill deletes character and replaces it with physical site characteristics and cannot deny a project unless such character is expressly articulated in regs by clear and explicit physical standards for site work and structures.

The bill allows cottage food industry & mobile manufactured homes in residential areas.

The bill requires towns to consider the impact of building on neighboring municipalities and the planning region, to address disparities in housing needs and access to educational, occupational and other opportunities and promote efficient review of proposals but does not state how, this will likely be expanded in future sessions.

The bill prohibits a maximum cap on the number of multifamily over four units, mixed use or middle housing and local towns cannot set a minimum floor area requirement.

Myth: HB 6107 would eliminate local control over accessory dwelling units (ADUs).

Fact (Spin from Democrats):These bills would streamline and clarify local control over ADUs.

The current language in these bills would allow whats called as-of-right development of an ADU anywhere there is a single-family dwelling. As-of-right means that through public input to local zoning boards, regulations would be created and a local administrative review would assure compliance. Though public hearings will no longer be needed for an ADU that meets regulations (reducing the burden on a local homeowners time and cost), local boards and commissions remain in control. Towns may opt out by a two-thirds vote.

The reality:

Section 6 of the bill requires towns and cities to allow accessory apartments (also known as accessory dwelling units ADUs), as of right meaning that any home owner can build accessory apartment separate from the main home on any property by going to town hall and just getting the project signed off as written in the zoning regulations (similar to the process for a single-family home).

This bill MANDATES towns to accept ADUs as of right everywhere in the municipality. The ADUs can be attached or detached but local property coverage requirements will remain in place, with the provision that the accessory units cannot have any more restrictive provisions i.e. height, setbacks, etc. than on the main unit on the property.

With as of right, there is no longer a special permit or public hearing requirement, so any concerns or input from neighbors and the public is no longer part of the process.

It does permit towns to opt out should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of BOTH the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town. This was intentional, and may be a high bar for some towns to reach rather than a simple majority given the overwhelming two-thirds majority control Democrats hold at the state level.

If towns do not opt out by set date or add any additional ADU restrictions, like allowing ADUs only in certain zones within a town, the local zoning policy is made NULL AND VOID. This cannot be seen as anything else but a loss of local decision making.

Myth:HB 6107 would impose new, potentially costly, unfunded mandates for training and assimilating local regulations.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):These bills will result in long term savings for our communities. Towns will not be responsible for training or code development costs.

Training All communities benefit when commissions and boards are well trained on complex land use issues. State and regional groups are willing to provide training, which can be conducted online. Some groups are already offering training to commissioners, and many planning and zoning commissioners already volunteer for these trainings. Municipalities would not bear the burden of these costs.

Saving Tax-Payer Dollars A state level working group would create model codes that municipalities could CHOOSE to adopt, SAVING towns the cost and the time of creating these codes themselves. These model codes will allow for design and architectural standards that will help to address concerns residents and zoning boards sometimes have with new development.

The reality:

The amended bill changed the requirements of hours needed and in which different categories of zoning and will be provided at no additional cost to towns.

The amended bill changed the working group membership to be appointed by elected state leadership and also includes bureaucrats in the group from different commissions.

The working group membership will be critical in order to create workable form-based codes that are specifically nuanced to meet the unique needs of 169 cities, suburbs and rural communities.

Per the current language in the bill, towns may adopt any or all of the codes that will be created by the working group. Later legislative sessions may mandate the regulations.

Leaders in planning, zoning, etc from different size towns from across the state from different size townsnot expresslyincluded in the working group. They have real experience in what works and what does not work with zoning, 8-30g and the nuance needed to create sound planning and zoning policy locally.

The working group is not explicitly tasked with addressing the shortcomings of 8-30g or to make recommendations that would help create more affordability.

Other experts in soils, sanitation, conservation and environmental issues must also be appointed to the group to ensure policy will work for all sizes of towns, there is only one environmental specialist being appointed.

Myth: This bill would hurt the environment by overriding the local voice of municipalities who host waterways, open space.

Fact(Spin from Democrats):This bill offers methods for towns to help protect the environment.

The bill recognizes the need to be proactive and provide the tools for planning so we can address changes like rising sea level that will destroy parts of our community if we dont act. Specifically, there is language to protect the Long Island Sound and its main tributaries and encourage towns to promote clean energy options, including freestanding solar and wind energy, as part of development projects.

The reality:

The original bills also provided for clean energy and protected Long Island Sound. We do not recall any criticism of that part of the bill. This is a false myth.

The original zoning bills did push for significant high-density development (15+units per acre) in downtowns and main streets. This leads to greater water runoff and concerns with adequate sewer capacity.

Provisions from other previous bills to increases to the alternative sewer capacity from 5,000 gallons per day to 7,500 or 10,000 that were removed from HB6107 bill. Those provisions would have had potential environmental impacts.

In addition, the original bills included significant increases in as of right development beyond just ADUs to multi-family and mixed use, which would have removed public hearings on individual projects, where hyperlocal environmental impacts to neighboring properties would have no longer been allowed.

Myth: This bill will take away our control over traffic flow and parking.

Fact(Spin from Democrats):This bill enhances our ability to plan accurately and efficiently.

The reality:

In evaluating traffic studies required for projects, the original versions of bills replaced level of service calculation of traffic for the substandard vehicle miles travelled in order to all for much higher density development.

HB6107 allows for vehicle miles traveled as well as level of service method.Local zoning officials may decide which method they prefer to use.

This allowance for either method of traffic study can be taken away in the future through recommendations by the appointed working group for the one that allows greater density development.

This bill MANDATES the maximum parking allowed to two parking spaces for all units with two or more bedrooms everywhere in a town.

It does permit towns to opt out of the parking requirement should they not want to follow these mandates by a two-thirds vote of both the local zoning board as well as the local voting body of the town. This may be a high bar for some towns to overcome given the dominance of Democrats at the state level may also exist in many municipalities as well.

While parking is a significant cost to development, it must be appropriately considered on a local basis as there as towns with local roads that may not be wide enough to accommodate on street parking that would come with higher density development in downtowns and transit areas.

Many towns lack jobs, goods and services residents might need, which would necessitate owning a vehicle(s) to access those items and their employment. Many towns also lack adequate public transportation to neighboring towns. There are issues with frequency of service and cost as well.

If developers do not have to build adequate parking, that burden falls on municipalities and the private sector to create parking lots to accommodate excess vehicles needing parking, which will end up being an additional cost burden to those residents and the towns.

Myth: This bill will drive up residency at a rate which outpaces the local resources and services such as police and fire, and schools.

Fact (Spin from Democrats): This bill will help Connecticut plan how we grow. The latest census numbers show that Connecticut had the fourth smallest gain in population in the US over the past decade. This slow growth is hurting our economy. The pandemic has reversed that trend giving us a new opportunity. The influx of new homeowners and residents is good for our economy. At the same time this influx threatens to drive longtime residents, our parents and our children, out of our town. This bill will help local leaders plan how our town grows, so we can meet the needs of people already here and the new residents we hope will continue to choose Connecticut as their home. Requirements for as-of-right multi-family housing around transit stations and main street / commercial corridors were removed from the bills.

The reality:

The as of right TOD/Main Streets/Commercial corridor was indeed removed from the bills the exponential market value overdevelopment in those bills (SB1024 & Fair Share bill) would have in fact overwhelmed local infrastructure, resources and services.

Towns already have a process to create their own Plan of Conservation and Development to help strategically plan for growth.

The reason Connecticut had the smallest population gain is due to the poor economic public policy of the Democrats that have an almost 2/3 majority in both the State House and Senate that is driving businesses and their good paying jobs out of our state. (The Democrats allow few if any bills by the minority party to be raised for a public hearing.)

The new jobs that were created in the state are paying less than the jobs that are being lost. When high paying jobs leave the state and replacement new jobs coming in pay less, living in Connecticut becomes less affordable for all. That is real reason the economy has lagged the rest of the country.

There has not been significant new housing development in most of the state by builders due to the lagging economy. If there was significant demand and a vibrant economy, there would have been more development in the last decade.

In general, for every homeowner buying in the state, one is selling, and this trend may not be sustainable long term as the pandemic recedes and taxes are increased.

The original zoning bills focused on flooding the state with market value housing supply, to deflate property values, which would not depress values enough to create true affordability. NOTE: HB 6107 deletes the provision: conserving the value of buildings.

The only sustainable way to improve affordability is through better public policy to create a more vibrant economy that brings new businesses with better jobs and more opportunity into Connecticut.

Southwestern Connecticut, with its proximity to the economic engine that is the NY Metro area, has helped to sustain Connecticut. The significant revenues the state garners from these residents that commute 2.5 hours+ daily to NYC to their highly technical jobs which command higher salaries that has helped to sustain the state. In contrast, Connecticuts business base has contracted and the rest of the state has been slower to recover.

The majority party focuses on inventing new taxes, user fees as the States revenue source which burdens corporations, local businesses and residents. This is not a sustainable model for a vibrant economy in Connecticut.

The majority partys focus on increasing tax burden on the higher income earners and keeping the inheritance and estate taxes has shown that those higher earners are most able to leave the state and have done so for other states with more favorable tax policy.

Myth: This bill will overburden the public water and sewer infrastructure.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):This bill will help us grow our infrastructure responsibly.

This legislation will give towns tools and guidance to plan strategically for the future, so communities can decide where they allow development and what type. A vital part of planning is infrastructure. If we dont address septic and sewer capacity in our state, the only places that will be able to grow are where there is existing infrastructure. The Committee will work with DEEP, DPH, environmental advocates and others to assure health, safety and environmental concerns are taken into account before making any changes to regulations.

The reality:

The original zoning bills as SB 1024 and SB961 would have changed procedure for alternative sewer systems without first having careful and deliberate study of the expansion, adequate staffing with the proper technical experience to create the regulations and for proper enforcement of such alternative sewer treatment systems.

The original zoning bills would have encouraged exponential development, which easily could have overburdened existing infrastructure, including town water and sewer. For example, the required Fair Share units would have required significant expansion of sewers and town water for virtually every town as most towns would have had to double their current number of units to meet the threshold mandated fair shares.

We welcome a new working group that will properly evaluate alternative sewer systems prior to expanding the daily gallons of waste permitted.

The new Working Group detailed in HB6017 still lacks adequate representation of soils, sanitation, wetlands and conservation experts/specialists to create sound planning and zoning policy.

The allowance of ADUs as of right in entire towns can potentially have an impact on the capacity of public water and sewer, should the towns not opt out of permitting them throughout the town.

Areas in lower Fairfield County already lack adequate water capacity, which will need to be pulled from further into central Connecticut to meet the existing need. Considering most plans were looking to double the size of towns, water capacity will continue to become an issue.

Myth:This bill strengthens the hands of developers who have been exploiting the states affordable housing statute, 8-30g, to override local zoning laws.

Fact (Spin from Democrats):Zoning reform will clarify and make more equitable the process by which the state sets its housing goals, and give towns guidance and tools to achieve those goals.

The affordable housing appeals process within 8-30g is not being amended within these proposals. Zoning and housing are definitely intertwined, and these bills actually give towns greater control over how we grow.They do not eliminate the 8-30g requirements. This bill gives towns additional tools and support in reaching an 8-30g moratorium if they have not achieved 10% affordable housing in their communities.

The reality:

Many, if not most, accessory apartments, could be rented at a market value rate that would be considered affordable throughout most of the state, yet this units will not be counted as part of the 10% affordable housing as per 8-30g requirements unless they are registered as Deed Restricted.

The reality is that few, if any homeowners would want to impact the value of their homes by adding a permanent or 30-year deed restriction to their personal property.

Yet again, towns will not be given credit for any existing naturally affordable housing that is already available (and the new units that will be available through the allowance of accessory apartments) since they will not be counted (in the numerator) towards the 10% 8-30g affordable threshold.

On a positive note, the additional accessory apartments will not count against towns as total housing units either (not in the denominator in the 10% calculation.)

Mandating as of right accessory apartments and two or less parking spaces per housing unit may lead to additional density development at lower costs and this is a clear benefit to developers. There is no guarantee that those units will actually be considered affordable. While towns may opt out, meeting the 2/3 majority in both the local P&Z and the voting body of many towns could be challenging threshold to reach.

The Working group is not specifically tasked with addressing the shortcomings of 8-30g, why not?

Why are affordable housing chairs from towns of different sizes not included on the working group to discuss why 8-30g is not achieving the intended goals of affordability and overriding local zoning regulations while not creating needed affordability.

Towns may reserve sewer capacity allocations for multifamily would also be a benefit to developers who would create higher density developments. The may could change to must in future legislative sessions.

The working group is specifically tasked with looking into expanding alternative sewer systems capacity, which would also be a benefit to developers, allowing higher density development.

Limiting the fees that may be charged to developers for larger projects and having to return excess fees may prevent municipalities from collecting seed funds for affordable housing development. This is a benefit to developers.

Builders can use vehicle miles traveled if a town chooses to use that method in a traffic study, which would lead to higher density development.

Alexis Harrison represents CT 169 Strong

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Excerpt from:
The HB 6107 zoning bill myths vs 'facts' vs the reality - The CT Mirror

Neil Coppinger and Colleen OHara

Signify, a world leader in lighting technology, has expanded its horticulture team in North America to support business development efforts in the region. Neil Coppinger and Colleen OHara have joined the U.S. team as Key Account Managers and will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and driving sales growth of Philips LED horticulture grow lights across all customer segments.

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Brian Sparks is senior editor of Greenhouse Grower and editor of Greenhouse Grower Technology. See all author stories here.

Read more here:
Signify Adds Expertise to Its Horticulture Lighting Team - Greenhouse Grower