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HOME: Living in the Heart of Florida
Summer 2008
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 Commercial Building
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Spring 2008
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Thursday, The Partners for a Better Alachua County hosted their County Commissioner Forum. It was great to see many in attendance. The Builders Association of North Central Florida, the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Gainesville-Alachua County Realtors Association and Preserving Rural Property Values, did a great job josting this event, and Rod Smith was the perfect choice to moderate. I am concerned however. Are we doing all that we can to make sure that the general population is aware of the issues? Commissioner Byerly was extremely consistent in his message. He went so far to say that raising impact fees and raising the gas tax were two of his biggest accomplishments in public office. Everyone in attendance was able to clearly see what we face if we don't get involved. That is why I continue to urge you to help get Rick Bryant elected. To get involved, go to http://www.voterickbryant.com. Today is the deadline to register or change your registration if you want to participate in the Primaries in Alachua County.
It was also tremendous news to see that the American Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act has passed Congress, and that the president indicated he would assign it quickly, despite some earlier veto talk. As I said last week, I see this legislation helping to put the economy back on track, save jobs and restore confidence. You will see more coverage from us in upcoming issues about what this new Stimulus Plan means. Jake's Corner
It goes without saying that bring Jake on board was a great hire. I knew how much Jake was loved, or thought I did, until I started seeing the activity on our website and reading all of the feedback about Jake. I have never seen so many positive comments in one place. I will be sure to forward all comments to Jake if you would like to let him know how happy you are that he is bringing his humor to our industry. You can also view his archived cartoons with us at www.advantagepublishinginc.com/jakescorner 
Our July issue, featuring Barry Rutenberg & Associates is online, and has been delivered. In this issue, we are spotlighting Ro-Mac's new showroom in Marion County. This issue will be the print launch for Jake's Corner, and he kicks it off with a bang.
Our August issue, featuring Schafer Construction of Gainesville Schafer Construction of Gainesville is in production. The National Feature will be on Curb Appeal. This issue should be online next week.
Our September issue will be our Fall Buyer's Guide and Directory. To learn about advertising opportunities in the guide, click here. Here is the Spring Buyer's Guide and Directory. We close this week, so call us today if you would like to participate.
October finds us back in Lake City with Isaac Construction. The National Feature will be on Weathering the Elements, and we will include the Fall Parade of Homes.
In November, we will be featuring Chris Luetgert and Luetgert Development. Chris is a third generation builder intimately involved in every project he works on. We are excited to share his story with you. The National Feature will be on Green Building.
The Spring 2008 issue of Commercial Building Edge is online here. 2007 Marion County Small Business of the Year Stentiford Construction Services, led by Paul Stentiford is our cover story. We are also in the process of developing a website for Paul and his team. Bookmark this site at www.stentifordconstruction.net.
The Summer issue of Commercial Building Edge, featuring Brian Crawford, owner of Concept Construction has printed and should start arriving next week. It will also go online next week.
The Fall issue of Commercial Building Edge, featuring Paradigm Propertiers opens this week.
The Summer issue of HOME is being distributed, and the feedback has been terrific. Our cover story is on Judy and Davis Rembert. In this issue, we cover the difference between Green Building and "Green Speak." We will showcase Alachua County's newest green development, Campo Verde. In our healthcare section, we interview Dr. Timothy Goldfarb, CEO of Shands. Also the response to us adding Jake Fuller and Jake's Corner has been great. This issue prompted us to go bi-monthly starting with the next issue.
The October/November issue of HOME is now open for sales. After reviewing the survey's and listening to feedback, we have decided to enhance the publication. We are going to keep all of the things you have come to expect and love about HOME Magazine. We are also going to add a monthly electronic brief to go with HOME, and some exciting new sections that will appear in every issue, including a chef's cook-off, fashion corner, travel news, a health and fitness section and more.
If you would like to find out about subscribing to HOME, please click here. If you would like advertising information, please click here.
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Local News  |
Alachua County Commission Candidates Speak to Business Community
Candidates running for the Alachua County Commission made their case to a full house of interested people Thursday at a forum hosted by Partners for a Better Alachua County. With about 300 people in attendance at the Best Western Gateway Grand, candidates covered topics that included transportation, economic development, growth management and county finances. Present at the forum were District 1 candidates Rick Bryant, Mike Byerly and Kevin Riordan, District 3 candidates Lloyd Bailey and Paula DeLaney and District 5 candidates Rodney Long and Ward Scott. District 1 write-in candidate Stephen Osborne did not attend. Click Here>>
City Sets Property Tax Rate The average Gainesville homeowner will see a reduction of $100 in their city November property tax bill even though city commissioners have tentatively agreed to keep last year's millage rate. Behind the drop in taxes is the voter-approved increase of the homestead tax exemption. Taxable property values decreased in Gainesville for the first time this year in at least a decade, dropping by $58.7 million or just over 1 percent. The millage rate was set at 4.2544 on a 4-3 vote Monday, which is above the rolled-back rate of 4.1393. A mill represents $1 in taxes for every $1,000 of a property's non-exempt value.
Click Here>> Chinese Join UF in Energy Research The University of Florida and one of China's top universities are teaming up to develop technology that produces clean energy. UF has signed a memorandum of understanding with Zhejiang University to establish a joint research center on clean energy. Thirteen members of the Chinese university visited UF this week to begin planning. The center will research technology involving clean-energy sources such as biomass and solar power, said Eric Wachsman, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Florida Institute for Sustainable Energy. Click Here>> Council Denies Impact Fee Suspension Attorney Terry McDavid, the Lake City Board of Realtors and the Columbia County Builders Association sought a suspension of impact fees Monday night from the Lake City City Council, according to the agenda. McDavid wanted a 12-month break from impact fees to stimulate the housing industry, he noted in a letter. "I know that the economic circumstances have placed an adverse impact on local government," stated McDavid's June 27 letter to City Manager Scott Reynolds, "however, I think that the benefits from suspending these impact fees would outweigh the loss in revenue which local government would see for the next 12 months." Click Here>> Board OKs Schools Tax Reduction in County Alachua County School Board members on Tuesday afternoon approved a property tax millage rate that is slightly less than the current rate. The board approved a 2008-2009 millage rate of 8.359 mills, just below the current rate of 8.395. The taxes are based on a millage formula where one mill equals $100 in taxes for every $100,000 of the assessed property value. So according to the millage rate approved Tuesday, a taxpayer with a home valued at $200,000 would pay about $1,672 in school taxes in 2008-2009. Florida's Truth in Millage, or TRIM, law requires local school boards to go through a process of advertising and holding public hearings on proposed taxes for the next fiscal year.
Click Here>> In Wal-Mart's WakeAsk residents of the Pine Ridge neighborhood what they think of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter now at the northern edge of their subdivision and the response might surprise you. "It's about time," said Robert Mobley, 83, as he chatted with a neighbor on NE 8th Avenue. "It's years overdue," said Effie McClellan, 71, whose house overlooks Wal-Mart's retention pond. Both residents say their part of town - northeast Gainesville - has more than its fair share of problems and less than its fair share of resources. Click Here>> Commission Candidates Address Consolidation The six candidates vying for the Dist. 3 seat on the Columbia County Board of County Commissioners spoke Tuesday morning to an audience of mostly seniors and discussed their views on consolidation, new taxes, imposed term limits for county commissioners and a number of other assorted issues. The candidates - Dwayne Aldridge, Jody DuPree, Mike Gordon, Zimmie Petty, John Pierce and David Rountree - spoke at a candidate debate hosted by Seniors United. Each candidate gave a brief speech about themselves and why they felt they were the most qualified for the elected position.
Click Here>> Council Contemplates Raising Utility FeesEvery residential property owner in Lake City will see an increase between $3 and $7 on his or her monthly utility bill starting Oct. 1, if City Council adopts the storm water utility as it has planned. The first public hearing to approve the new fee is slated for 7 p.m. Aug. 4 in City Council Chambers. Every business owner also can expect to see a higher new monthly charge if the utility fee is adopted. Although residential property owners will each see the same base rate, commercial bills will vary depending on the size of the building and parking lot. Click Here>> 5th Ave. Face-Lift Draws Praise Looking out over the street they grew up on, Gainesville City Commissioner Scherwin Henry and Alachua County School Board Member Janie Williams reminisced over the days when NW 5th Avenue was the city center for the black community. Thursday afternoon both Williams and Henry attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the revitalization of NW 5th Avenue from NW 6th Street east to NW 4th Street. The "streetscape" project, organized and paid for by the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, came complete with brick sidewalks, decorative street lamps and underground utilities. Click Here>> Homebuilder Pulls Plug on SR200 Development
Miami-based homebuilding giant Lennar Homes was going to enter Marion County with the gated JB Ranch retirement community in the State Road 200 corridor, but left the area after building a handful of model homes. The last notices of commencement for construction were issued to Lennar in January. Ironically, one was for a sales office trailer. Lennar is now embroiled in a breach of contract lawsuit with Boyd Development's JB Ranch Associates. Although Lennar pulled out, JB Ranch is moving forward with Ocala residential construction company Armstrong Homes, a frequent Boyd Development partner, as the primary builder. Click Here>> County Commission Approves All 12 Land Use Applications
Down to three members, the Marion County Commission approved all the land use cases it considered Wednesday. Twelve of the applications included additional residential development plans. That left some of the residents who spoke against development proposals near their homes questioning why more houses were getting the go-ahead when projects already approved were stalled and the residential construction market was sluggish. "I can't believe anybody's coming to Marion County to buy a house, period. Especially not retirees," said Jan Lentz, a resident of the Cherrywood Estates retirement community along the State Road 200 corridor. Click Here>> Ready to Go
Windsor Arms, a newly-completed 200-unit two-story apartment complex in Lake City, is now open for business. The energy-efficient apartment complex has several ground floor models furnished and ready for inspection, although the majority are unfurnished. "All you need is your toothbrush," General Manager Robert Griffith said, explaining that the furnished apartments even come with bedding, a 19-inch color television and cooking utensils. Fully furnished apartments rent for $950 and are also ideal for short-term stays, according to Windsor Arms developer and owner Steve Cheeseman. Click Here>> Home, Sweet Home Jessica Elliot said that a lot of hard work and a lot of blood, sweat and tears went into the new three-bedroom, two-bathroom house that she and her two daughters will now call home. Nearly 100 volunteers offered hundreds of hours of free labor, and more than 100 donors supplied cash and materials that went into creating the finished product that was on display on Thursday - the second house constructed by the Lake City chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
Click Here>> Both BANCF and MCBIA offer 14 hours of continuing education classes. To learn more, go to the following links: Continuing Education onsite at MCBIA
MCBIA Calendar of Events
BANCF Calendar of Events
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State News  |
Solar Water Heaters Part of Lakeland's Efforts to Go Green
Slowly but steadily, the City of Lakeland is going green. And the pace is about to pick up. Initial efforts, such as installing an automated, centralized climate-control system in city hall and energy-efficient lighting in all city buildings, were adopted primarily to harvest the financial savings of energy efficiency. But the move did reduce the city's carbon footprint a bit, which illustrates two points: 1) some cost efficiencies become energy efficiencies quickly, and 2) little things add up and, over time, can contribute to a significant total. Click Here>>Clay Board Approves Impact Fees
A lawsuit-challenged impact fee is on again in Clay County and will add upward of $4,000 to the cost of every new development as a way to pay for future road improvements. The County Commission approved the transportation impact fee this week. The money generated will help pay for an estimated $450 million in road improvements the county said will be needed by 2020. The decision came after the commission held two public hearings and received a recommendation from its advisory planning board - actions to which it agreed to after the Northeast Florida Builders Association filed suit over its earlier approval. Click Here>> Fed Up With Insurers, Florida Voters May Take Anger to Polls
At a time when Floridians have their pick of pocketbook concerns, from record gasoline prices to lack of health care, one issue remains a high priority: property insurance. Complaints of high premiums, policy cancellations and long delays in resolving claims surface regularly in the mailbox of Gov. Charlie Crist, who gets up to 900 letters every week from constituents on a variety of issues. The issue hits so close to home that Crist just received a letter from the owner of a condominium on the 22nd floor of Bayfront Tower, the downtown St. Petersburg high-rise where Crist is a renter. It's further evidence that high anxiety over the cost and availability of insurance is expected to be a hot-button issue in races for the Legislature all over the Tampa Bay area this summer and fall, as it was two years ago. Click Here>> Fight for Water Between Georgia, Florida Heats Up
Floridians upset by the lower flows coming down the Apalachicola River from Georgia made a clear point Monday: The tri-state battle over water isn't just a case of people vs. mussels. Over and over again, people speaking at a forum organized by U.S. Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., accused Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue of trivializing the river's importance to Florida by saying Georgia's need for drinking water outweighs the needs of mussels. "Georgia's governor is fond of saying this is a people versus mussels issue regarding Atlanta and the Apalachicola River and Bay," said Jeremy Branch, a Jackson County, Fla., commissioner. "The issue at hand is Atlanta's greed and gluttony versus Floridians' necessity and survival." Click Here>> Orange Exec Will Lead State Housing GroupW.D. Morris, a veteran low-income housing executive in Orange County, is taking the reins this week of the Florida Association of Local Housing Finance Authorities at a critical time for the statewide group. Affordable-housing advocates from across Florida who met last week in Orlando for their annual conference elected Morris president even as they braced for one the leanest years in decades. The slowing economy, falling tax revenue and a depleted state housing trust fund are just a few of the challenges Morris and other low-income housing specialists face. Click Here>> Realtors Start Tax-Swap Fight With a $1 million commitment from Realtors, supporters of a tax-swap amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot began a campaign Tuesday for what they see as a "mind-boggling" change in Florida's finance structure. John Sebree, vice president of the Florida Association of Realtors, announced the "Give Me 5 for Florida's Future" effort at a news conference with state legislators. They said Amendment 5 would put billions of dollars back in the pockets of Floridians and spur consumer spending, while making the Legislature examine $23 billion in tax loopholes and sales-tax exemptions. Click Here>> Green Events Highlight 2008 SEBC/GreenTrends The tools and techniques to tap into the green building movement are at your fingertips when you attend the 30th annual Southeast Building Conference (SEBC)/Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) GreenTrends event July 30 - August 2 in Orlando. The 1,000-exhibit exposition features a special section of GreenTrends booths - a record-setting 72 booths - displaying the products and services your "green" clients are demanding. Click Here>> |
National News  |
Paulson: Banking System Sound
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson sought to reassure an anxious public Sunday that the banking system is sound, while also bracing people for more troubled times ahead. "I think it's going to be months that we're working our way through this period - clearly months," he said. Paulson said the number of troubled banks will increase as they struggle to cope with big losses on bad mortgages. The government this month took over IndyMac after a run led it to become the largest regulated thrift to fail.
Click Here>> Senate Passes Landmark Housing BillThe Senate on Saturday overwhelmingly passed a landmark housing bill that will offer up to $300 billion in loans for troubled homeowners and establish a government rescue plan for mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The House passed the bill on Wednesday just hours after President Bush reversed his long-standing vow to veto the bill. Bush is expected to sign it soon. The legislation, one of the most far-reaching on housing in decades, marks the centerpiece of Washington's efforts to address the nation's housing meltdown. Click Here>> U.S. Construction Educators Team up to Offer Green-Building Course to U.S. Craft Professionals
The National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) has partnered with the Sustainable Facilities and Infrastructure Research Team of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech University to create green training for the U.S. construction industry. This curriculum, titled "Your Role in the Green Environment," provides fundamental instruction in the green environment, green construction practices, and green building rating systems. "The primary purpose of this module is to provide craft professionals with a fundamental knowledge of green construction principles and methodologies," said NCCER president Don Whyte. Click Here>> Solar Panels Get Aesthetic Designs
Bulky and obtrusive rack-mounted solar panels may be a thing of the past. Spurred by recent advances in technology, solar panel makers are scrambling to come up with neater and cleaner products that will overcome the aesthetic objections of home owners to traditional solar panels. They are building their technology directly into different kinds of roof tiles, hiding them in walls and lining the tops of patio awnings with them. "Bottom line, people don't want goofy looking roofs," said Julie Blunden of solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp. Click Here>> Green Innovations Revolutionize Construction
A Green Economic Revolution is under way, led by entrepreneurs with green ideas for re-engineering the home construction industry. The pace of this revolution is exceeding all expectations as consumers search for ways to reduce their costs while helping fight global warming. We're talking new ways of designing buildings and locating them. These new buildings are using new products that place less stress on the environment and that carry the type of third-party certifications just emerging from institutions like the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a nonprofit organization that provides a consumer product label certifying the business supports responsible forest management. These buildings are designed to use little or no utility-supplied energy, a benefit that's gaining tremendous traction among consumers with the seemingly daily price increases in coal, oil and natural gas. Click Here>> Green Becomes Official Color of Baseball When baseball's legendary greats came rolling up Sixth Avenue this month for the annual Hall of Fame parade, the familiar red carpet was distinctly green. That's not talking about the hue. The carpet, stretching for 20 blocks through Midtown, was made entirely of recycled fiber and manufactured using solar and wind power. "We did the Oscars. We advised the Grammies. But this is our first green red carpet!" said a clearly excited Allen Hershkowitz, senior scientist with the nonprofit environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The red carpet was just the most visible manifestation of the greening of America's pastime. Click Here>> Wind Power: A Reality Check High-profile personalities have been telling the nation to ditch that dirty fossil fuel and turn to renewable energy. T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oilman, has been hitting the airwaves, pitching a plan to use wind to replace all the natural gas that's used to produce electricity, then using that saved natural gas to fuel cars. In addition to weaning the nation from foreign oil, Pickens' plan is not entirely altruistic. He's investing hundreds of millions of dollars on a giant wind farm in the Texas panhandle, and his hedge fund, BP Capital, is said to own stakes in several companies that equip cars to run on natural gas. If his energy efforts pan out, he could get even richer in the process. Click Here>> Federal Minimum Wage Rises to $6.55
About 2 million Americans get a raise Thursday as the federal minimum wage rises 70 cents. The bad news: Higher gas and food prices are swallowing it up, and some small businesses will pass the cost of the wage hike to consumers. The increase, from $5.85 to $6.55 per hour, is the second of three annual increases required by a 2007 law. Next year's boost will bring the federal minimum to $7.25 an hour. Click Here>> New Home Sales Stronger Than Expected
New home sales fell in June, the government said Friday, but the annual rate was stronger than economists expected. The Census Bureau reported Friday that June sales of new single-family homes came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 530,000, down 0.6% from May's revised reading of 533,000. That revision was significant; the original May reading was 512,000. Click Here>> Building Safety Group Says Survivability Depends on Education Speaking in support of federal efforts to boost building safety after a devastating series of storms in 2004 and 2005, a home safety group today told a Congressional panel that getting better information to the public is critical to implementing building improvements. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, or FLASH, Inc. -- a partnership of more than 100 public, private and nonprofit organizations -- said the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) can work, and urged lawmakers to expand the program's outreach among home buyers, home owners, home builders and public policymakers. FLASH was invited to testify before the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, House Committee on Science and Technology, to review the NWIRP's activities and role in saving lives and reducing property losses from windstorms. Click Here>> The Custom McMansionBuyers wanting one-of-a-kind custom homes without the typical high prices are finding bargains in a surprising place: with mass-market home builders. A number of big home builders are now getting into the custom-home game -- an area that was once almost entirely the province of boutique builders. Companies such as John Laing Homes, Toll Brothers Inc. and K. Hovnanian Homes are all venturing into a field that takes more time, patience and hand-holding than production building. Click Here>> | |
Commercial News  |
VHS, a Classic High School, Receives Modern UpgradeIt has been two years since the early stages of a $33.5 million renovation began at Vanguard High School. And with only about three weeks left before the 2008-09 school year begins on Aug. 18, Allstate Construction workers worked feverishly last week on one last classroom building. Workers are in the final stages of the project that turned a 40-year-old aging campus into sparkling new digs for the school's 1,600 students, faculty and staff. School Board Chairwoman Judi Zanetti said Vanguard has needed a makeover and believes everyone will be pleased. http://www.ocala.com/article/20080726/NEWS/807260349/1402/NEWS&title=VHS__a_classic_high_school__receives_modern_upgrade Click Here>> Dunnellon rail line meeting on Tuesday
Progress Energy Florida will host a meeting for the public Tuesday morning regarding a rail line the company is proposing to build across U.S. 41 to aid in construction of the proposed Levy County nuclear power plant. "This is really, really early in the process," said Carla Groleau, Progress Energy's community relations manager. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the Rainbow Room of the Rainbow Springs Clubhouse off U.S. 41 in Dunnellon. Ted and Shirley Medlin are among a number of citizens who are concerned about the rail line. The corridor passes by their backyard. They have formed a Rainbow River Railroad Committee in response to Progress Energy's plans to build the industrial railroad spur. Click Here>> Funding Shortfall May Delay School Construction ProjectsMarion County Public Schools unveiled its five-year, $522 million construction plan Thursday; a plan that is only completely funded through the 2008-09 school year. After that, some projects are funded and others are subject to the School District getting projected capital funding through the 2012-13 school year. The further out in the plan, the sketchier funding becomes. In a nutshell, of the $306.4 million in projects slated for the next two years, the School District has $214.5 million or roughly 70 percent of the funding. The long-range construction document is used for planning. Click Here>> Lake County Considers Green Building MethodsLake County expects to pass an ordinance mandating green building standards for county buildings and to offer incentives to the private sector for taking part in the program voluntarily. The Green Building Standard Ordinance -- slated to go before the Lake County Board of County Commissioners for approval Aug. 5 -- sets eco-friendly standards for new residential construction, residential retrofitting and remodeling, new commercial construction, existing commercial renovations and land development. "[The ordinance] will make the county a model government for our citizens and, hopefully, the state," said Amye King, Lake County's senior director for growth management. Click Here>> House Votes Down Suspension Bill Requiring a PLA on Alaska Pipelines
The U.S. House of Representatives July 17 failed to get the two thirds majority needed to pass the "DRILL Act of 2008" (H.R. 6515), a bill that would have allowed additional access to America's resources of oil but would have also included a project labor agreement (PLA) on all production, maintenance, and construction of pipelines through the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. In a letter sent to representatives before the vote, ABC urged that the PLA language be taken out of the bill. The letter noted that ABC is in support of tapping into America's oil resources but does not support placing a limit on who can perform the necessary work. Click Here>> Upcoming Events AGCGF is now offering STP & Construction Estimating Classes online! Click here for the 2008 class schedule.
AGCGF Golf Tournament
AGC of Greater Florida Calendar of Events Click Here>> AGCGF Green Building Seminar | |
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