St. Mary of the Lake – Blessing of the Pets
It’s always nice to see a past project appear in the news. The picture at the right, borrowed from The Pilot News, Thursday, October 5th, 2017 shows the North Addition to the St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Culver, which was completed in 2007.
We have completed several projects for St Mary of the Lake Catholic Church in Culver over the years. We appreciate being one of their go-to contractors and are proud of the work we have completed in partnership with them. We have completed minor and major renovations at the Church, some of which are listed on our website, working with three different priests and building committees.
The North Addition project created a handicap accessible entrance to a newly created Day Chapel behind the alter. We were extremely pleased with how the brick matched and the floating arches came together for this project. We’re also please to see it being used a the backdrop for photo ops like this. 10 years later, it has become an established fixture for the Church. The picture to the left, borrowed from the St. Mary of the Lake website shows the steel, wood and glass dividing wall that we installed between the Day Chapel and the Sanctuary.
Below is a color picture of the entrance as it was being completed in 2007.
Stellar Site Visit 2017
State Stellar Evaluation Team with the Culver sign
Yesterday was the Stellar Site Visit in Culver. Despite some stress, it went well. Everyone hit their marks, attendance from State representatives was good and distractions were limited to one plan blowing off an easel and one sea-plane doing touch-and-go’s on the Lake. Now it’s down to waiting to see what happens. For anyone interested, below is the outline of my presentation at Sand Hill Farm. (It’s an outline, so it’s not word for word) Top representatives from Culver’s three largest employers stood with me. Karen Shuman – Superintendent of Culver Community Schools, Josh Pretzer – Dean of Faculty at Culver Academies and Brian Meek – Plant Manager at Elkay Industries. They all spoke eloquently about the need for entry-level housing in Culver. One thing that seems to come up over and over is the lack of available full time rentals. Sand Hill Farm will address this as it will be all 12 month rentals. Also addressed was the declining numbers for school faculty and plant employees who live in Culver. Hopefully Sand Hill Farm will be an opportunity for people to live and work in Culver… and become part of the community…
I’ve also included some pictures from yesterday’s event. Thanks to all of those that contributed. It was great getting to know everyone better and help work towards the common cause. Now it’s down to waiting for the results. We should know in the next few week. Cross your fingers for Culver. #CulverisStellar!
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TM Jonathan’s introductory pitch at the Beach Lodge
Stellar Presentation – Sand Hill Farm
I’m standing here with Culver’s three largest employers, Brian Meek from Elkay, Karen Shuman from Culver Community Schools and Josh Pretzer from Culver Academies. Culver Academies is also the largest employer in our County.
- A Little History about the site
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Tourism Rep Becca making her presentation
The property was previously owned by a great aunt & uncle. I purchased it from their estate in 2005. I lived just to the east and used to play on the property as a kid. We used to refer to it as going to play at the “Sand Hill”. Thus the name I’ve placed on the property.
- The Sand Hill used to extend to the west past the current location of State Road 17, but was mined for fill during the relocation of State Road 17.
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- Affordable/Entry Level Housing
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MACOG’s James Turnwald speaking about the Jefferson St Corridor
The need for affordable housing has been recognized for the past decade. Culver has become a community of “second homes”. Many of these have become retirement homes for their owners.
- The need for affordable housing was prominent in our Comprehensive Plan which was completed in 2014, but prior to that, it showed up in various town surveys, and was discussed each election season by candidates for Town Council.
- In the Spring of 2014 Elkay applied for a $4.5 million tax abatement. At the meeting when it passed, the Town Council asked if there was anything else they could do to assist them. Elkay asked for help with the housing issue as it was affecting their hiring. This was the catalyst to actually start a Task Force to address this. Discussions began with the two schools, Elkay, MCEDC and representatives from the various Town commissions and boards to put together an Entry Level Housing Task Force.
- In November of 2014, I partnered with the Town to represent the Town of Culver at the Affordable Housing Conference in Chicago. That was almost too much information. I was attending the 4oo level class when I needed Affordable Housing 101, but I did make some good contacts and brought back information that was useful.
- In 2015, the Task Force began meeting in earnest, examining 6 sites throughout the town, sending RFP’s to developers and generally getting a handle on what our resources were and what was needed.
- This site, Sand Hill Farm, was selected as the best option for available infrastructure, expandability and a landowner that believed in the cause. (Me)
- Most of 2015 was spent in this assessment. It was determined that we wanted a mix of housing types to expand our appeal and expand our accessibility to various targets in our market.
- While we had made progress, we were left at an impasse. In 2015 MCEDC arranged a meeting with the OCRA director to discuss options and it was there that we were directed to consider a Stellar Community application.
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- 2016 Stellar
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Park Supe Anna presenting the Beach Lodge Renovations
When Stellar was discussed in 2016, Housing was the prominent goal on our agenda. Housing is the truly transformative need to address. It will help our employers, put children back in the school and provide the critical mass to make most of the rest of the projects flourish. The more we talked, everything came back to housing. Hopefully that was reflected in our application.
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- After 2016 Stellar
- We were disappointed that we didn’t achieve Stellar status, but we recognized that it didn’t change the housing issues that had been building for years. We continued to move forward. To this end:
- The property has been subdivided and annexed.
- A Special Use Variance was obtained through the BZA to allow multifamily apartments on the property.
- The Zoning Ordinance section on Planned Unit Developments was updated in anticipation of this project’s next step. The Planned Unit Development plans are underway.
- An allocation of $270,000 was committed through Regional Cities towards housing on this site. Our SIP (Strategic Investment Plan) from Stellar 2016 was instrumental in selling the need. It also sparked conversations throughout the County and two other communities were awarded Regional Cities money for housing projects.
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Park Supe Anna presenting the Damore Amphitheater Project
A partnership was formed with Elkay Cabinets. They will be providing cabinets, sinks and faucets at a reduced cost.
- $400k in infrastructure money has been committed by the Redevelopment Commission which has been matched with $400k in other town funds through their streets, water and sewer funds.
- An Economic Development Commission has been created and the site has been designated as an Economic Development Target Area which clears the way for a Tax Abatement. A Tax Abatement hearing is scheduled for next Tuesday.
- The Right of Way has been dedicated to the Town and as you can see, clearing is underway.
- A development agreement has been executed between the Town and Sand Hill Farm
- Plans are also nearly complete on a 24 unit apartment building. There is a set at the Beach Lodge if anyone wants to look at them at the end of the tour.
- Plans are nearly complete on the road and infrastructure construction which the town will be handling.
- Stellar 2017
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Mike Reese from Troyer Group and Dana Neer & Don Fox from Culver Academies presenting the Trail project
In our current application we’ve worked to more clearly tie the housing project to the rest of the projects. While that was the case last year we’ve strengthened those connections.
- The bike & walking trail will have a stop here and the open space provided will tie into that trail.
- The Jefferson Street Corridor improvement will enhance the connection to the Town. We want these residents to be part of the community. We are targeting Elkay employees with this development and we want them to make the after hours connection as well as the work connection.
- Long range, this the extended section of property to the north backs up to the Little League diamonds which are included on the Cavelier Park project.
- While the other projects don’t touch this one directly, they all enhance Culver’s livability and frankly, EVERYTHING in Culver is within walking distance.
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Karen Shuman from Culver Community Schools discussing the connections and benefits of Cavalier Park
We’ve talked to Elkay, the schools and some local residents about education programs that can be offered to residents here. Things like opportunities to learn about finances, nutrition and continuing education for advancement.
- We feel the PUD with the mixed use will provide the best opportunity to integrate the new residents into the community and provide some New Urbanism opportunities. There will be a mix of apartments and single family residences through duplexes and townhouses on the site.
- The development agreement includes a site for a Habitat for Humanity home, again enhancing that town connection.
- We’ve had several meetings with IHCDA representatives over the past two years. (Name Carmen, Samantha and Dani if they’re here.) We’ve explored several of their programs with them, but the only one that seems to apply at our scale is the Tax Credit Housing program. Unfortunately, we don’t have an infill site, a brownfield site or a dilapidated building to renovate, so we’re unlikely to score well for in the general competition for those funds. Stellar is our “in” to qualify. If we don’t make Stellar this year, as with last year, that just means we have to change our target and work the housing differently… as we did this past year.
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- We were disappointed that we didn’t achieve Stellar status, but we recognized that it didn’t change the housing issues that had been building for years. We continued to move forward. To this end:
Commuting Observations
I always have to assume this means the child isn’t bright, since they’re obviously running quickly in the picture…
I’m fortunate that I don’t have a particularly long commute to work, but since it’s through a mostly rural area, I have the pleasure of dealing with school buses along the way. It’s amazing that in the short few weeks since school has been in session, I’ve developed active likes and dislikes for some of the families and children along the way… all while never meeting them, but just based on how they interact with the school bus pick up. There’s quite a variety out there and I’ve named a few of the bad apples…
Spaced Cadets – This is a family with three kids. They are never out and ready, and apparently the outside door of the house has an airlock with a timed-release feature as they never come out together. They generally exit the home one at a time and as they are ambling (no rush) to the bus, there is generally a 20’+ spacing between them. Though I can’t see this, the bus driver must have to follow this protocol too and not let another child on until the previous one is seated, since the delay extends beyond just getting to the bus.
Atlas’s Daughter – This poor child stands about 4′ tall, looks to weigh about 60 lb and comes trudging out with a 3′ tall backpack, that from the way she’s carrying it, must weigh 150 lb. She appears to be carrying the weight of the world as she trudges out from the house each morning. Again, she doesn’t start her trek to the road unto the bus arrives, but I at least feel a little sorry for her. If that pack every pulls her over, she’ll be flaying on her back like Randy from A Christmas Story.
Basketball Jones – This young man must be brilliant, since as opposed to Atlas’s Daughter, he carries no books to school. On the positive side, he is generally out by the road, practicing to palm the ball. But then, when the bus arrives with its built-in audience, he has to dribble his way across the road… maybe throwing in an out-of-control spin move, nearly losing the ball several times along the way.
Dead Heads – There are a couple of houses where the bus stops… for an inordinately long period of time, only to move on. The houses are dark. In the case of one, there doesn’t even appear to be curtains in the windows which truly turn a dark-eyed stare to the street. I’m left wondering if there is ever any follow-up on this. While it’s probable that someone overslept or decided to drive the kids to school, there’s always the possibility that a serial killer paid a visit and the whole family is dead… or worse, they’re being held and tortured with their only hope being that the bus driver reports the absence of their children…
While unfortunately, the above get on my nerves and seem to be all too prevalent, there are still others that are more courteous. Some are waiting near the road, either with their parents or on their own, ready to walk briskly or even run to get to the bus as quickly as possible. There is one young man that appears to have invisible Hellhounds on his tail, because he runs headlong for the bus as if his life depends on it. I like him!!! I want to stop and give him $5 at the end of the week! Ha!
If it’s raining or later this year when the weather is frigid, I understand waiting in the house until the last minute. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to change much of the above behavior. The dawdlers continue to dawdle and the polite and respectful ones are there on time and move to the bus with purpose.
I hate to drop a rant without any constructive solutions. I realize that the children with the poor manners are the product of their parents, so the grief should go upstream… and probably would do no good. But on the houses where no children appear, can the school come up with a sign to put in the window to let the bus driver move on? Maybe a series… One for sickness. One for laziness (went back to bed). One for alternate transportation. Put them on a flip ring and supply a suction cup hook to hang them on the window.
There! Got that off my chest and provided a partial solution. Oh, and one last thing… THANK YOU to the bus drivers that wave the traffic on around when there’s a line behind them. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated. I don’t think I could do your job without ending up as the serial killer listed above!
“Slow Children” sign borrowed from www.barcoproducts.com
“Book Bag Girl” gif from www.pinterest.com
Vacant home pic from www.creonline.com
“Friendly School Bus Driver pic borrowed from www.mlaker.com
Mixed Materials Fence
I noticed this fence in Wabash, Indiana and after driving by it for a year or more, I thought it was interesting enough to stop and snap a few pictures. Since seeing it in Wabash, I noticed a similar mix of materials inside Texas Roadhouse in South Bend. There they used it as a booth back at the end of a row of booths. The mix of wood and industrial metal is an interesting contrast that I’m starting to see more and more.
The fence in Wabash is a screening fence for a back yard. No one was home, so I didn’t get permission to look inside, but it would seem to be a great application for a pool. It has the slight limitation of needing to be level, but if that fits your application, I think it’s a creative use that should prove to be durable.
I liked it well enough that I’ve incorporated it into the Sand Hill Farm project. I plan to use this as the dumpster screening wall. It should be durable enough to serve that application well. Dumpster pads are generally level by design, so that limitation won’t apply here.
Dumpsters are a necessary evil, so I thought I might as well make the screening as sexy as possible. It will still have a chain link fence gate, but I’m kind of excited to see how the rest of the surround comes out. As the saying goes, Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery, so I’ll be going for Sincere Flattery in lieu of pursuing Original Design in this case. Swing by and check it out when it’s complete.
Creative ADA Railing Solution
Illustration from www.access-board.gov 505.10.1
Often we’re asked to provide railings for ramps and stairs in public areas. We usually have to explain why the railing used for fall protection is not sufficient per code to meet “handrail” requirements. This is particularly true in a situation where you are attempting to meet ADA standards such as for a ramp. Handrails have specific diameters, heights, returns and extensions that must be met. You can read all about them here. The illustration to the right was taken from that document. Railings for fall protection have different height requirements, have requirements for spindle spacing and often due to the need for lateral strength, have a heavy, reinforced top rail. That top rail often doubles as a protective cap if the railing is wood. This makes the top rail far to wide for a proper grip, even if the other requirements are met.
Once you know the requirements, it’s pretty easy to spot the failed attempts. It’s amazing how many public buildings have these issues. There are several I’ve noticed at municipal structures around Marshall County. (Though fortunately, nothing as bad as the one to the left!) What’s particularly sad is when an obvious attempt at compliance has been made, but the execution has ended up subpar. A contractor is hired without checking references and a “plan” is created based on assumptions, resulting in partial or limited compliance. This often means expensive installations are completed that don’t meet the requirements. Many compliance officers are not as versed in the requirements as they should be.
Custom metal railings can be expensive. Ditto for some of the piece-together plastic systems found online. Because of the varying slopes, and direction changes of ramps, often the specific angles that are needed are not available. I found a creative handrail at the Round Barn in Baroda, Michigan this weekend. In general, wood railings are installed ignoring the code requirements for looped returns at the ends of the stairs or ramp. In this case, the installer mitered a wood railing together to provide a looped return.
I think they can be forgiven for not leveling the railing at the end. The ramp is pretty low slope. The only possible negative I see here is that the bottom corner could still provide a catch point for clothing and the rules would say it should either close the loop or return to the wall. Technically it does close the loop so it may meet the letter if not the spirit of the regulation.
But I want to commend them on finding a creative and cost effective solution to the railing requirements. “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” [Charles Caleb Colton] and I will keep this installation in mind in the future when I need a budget solution to the railing requirements.
If you have an ADA compliance situation that you would like us to check out for you, let us know. We are well versed in the requirements and are not too proud to refer you to an Architect or other expert in cases that are outside our expertise and experience.
