Tag:Quotes
Dance With The One That Brought You
This falls squarely in the Rant column here, so scroll on if that doesn’t interest you.
The other day I posted about the the READI grants we submitted. (here) The Water Street Townhomes project in Plymouth was part of an application that went in with the original READI call for projects in July of 2021. When I found out that Culver only had one small park project to submit, I asked if they would support a small housing project. I suggested 12 townhomes similar to those suggested for Water Street project. I was told a straw poll had 3 council members in favor and, “You be the lead if you don’t mind. I fully trust you.” This all came about last minute and I ended up spending a Saturday putting together a proforma and submitting an application. Spirit Townhomes in Culver was listed as part of the South Bend Elkhart Regional Partnership (SBERP) READI application submitted to IEDC.
I grew up in Culver and even though I live outside of Culver now, I still consider it my home town, since my business is here and my parents still live here. Most of you know my track record for participation and dedication to helping move Culver forward. (I started to make a list, but it seemed self-serving.) That’s why I participated in Stellar and partnered with the Town on Sand Hill Farm Apartments and The Paddocks, when no outside developers would. Both of those projects met or exceeded the goals the Town set for them. In the months leading up to the application deadline, I was told Culver wouldn’t be participating in READI. Then in the last couple weeks before the deadline, I was surprised by the Town of Culver’s decision to pursue a project with a different, out-of-town developer. I suggested submitting a version of the Spirit Townhomes too and was told there wasn’t time…
Dance With The One That Brought You…
This seems to be a pattern that is repeating. I don’t know if this is a conscious decision or just a careless oversight. In any case, it’s a noticeable departure from the stated goals of supporting local businesses. A couple other examples of which I’m aware:
There are two banks in town. The First National Bank of Monterey and First Farmers Bank & Trust have sponsored Town events, participated on committees, supported the Town by purchasing their bonds, cashing their checks and covered all the minor things such as providing change. The Town shopped their services, as they should, but in lieu of keeping the competition local, they went outside the town and ended up moving their money to Plymouth for minor advantages. Was it really worth it? Dance With The One That Brought You…
Good-To-Go brought in plans to the Culver TRC to demolish their existing building and put in a whole new service station which would have brought additional money to the TIF and improved the downtown. During that same time, an outside developer approached the Town about a new service station at the edge of town (outside the Town’s Comprehensive Plans stated goals), which would have damaged Good-To-Go’s business as well as that of the other convenience store in town. Their concerns were met with derision, including one council member chastising them about prices and telling them that they bought their gas in Plymouth. This was while Good-To-Go had a “Cavalier” pump set up with a portion of all sales from that pump going to the Culver Community Schools. Good-To-Go scaled their project back by half. The other developer’s project never came to fruition. Dance With The One That Brought You…
I’m sure some will read this as just “sour grapes” and maybe deservedly so. But with all three examples here, it’s a question of supporting those that support the Town, not with handouts, but yes, maybe with a little favoritism, in recognition of what local businesses do for the town on a day-to-day basis… As the saying goes, Amazon does not sponsor your little league team or have employees coaching it.
Trump’s Twitter
Image of Martin Lomasney from Wikipedia
One of yesterday’s Sunday morning talking heads referenced a Martin Lomasney quote. It was interesting enough that it prompted me to look it up. Mr. Lomasney was what would now be called a political operative in Boston around the turn of the 20th century. He apparently once told a young follower, “Don’t write when you can talk; don’t talk when you can nod your head.” Sage advice! In the age of Hillary Clinton and Elliot Spitzer, “write” could have been updated to “email” and now in the era of President Trump, maybe “write” should be updated to “Tweet”…
Quote referenced through Wikipedia and Pioneer Institute
Kimberly Strassel Quote on Free Speech
Kimberly Strassel
“The Framers of the Constitution envisioned a multiplicity of interests that would argue their way to a common good. We succeed with more voices, not fewer, and we should have enough confidence in our arguments to hear out our opponents.”
Kimberly Strassel in Imprimis – April 2017, Volume 46, Number 4
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.
Why it’s Important to Hire a Professional Construction Company
Guest Writer, Sam Socorro submitted this article. Thanks Sam! – Kevin
Whether you’re planning to build your home, a shop, garage, business or if you’re planning on renovating, you might be tempted to save yourself some money by doing the work on your own or with helpful friends and family. If you’re a skilled tradesperson, this idea can actually benefit your savings account in the end, but if your expertise lies outside of construction, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. When building or handling a renovation, there will undoubtedly be interruptions, issues and unforeseen complications that the average person isn’t equipped to handle efficiently. Skilled tradespeople are worth their weight in gold when it comes to having a project done properly, up to code, and within a set budget and time frame. Here are some reasons why researching and hiring a local construction company can be your best bet.
- You can see examples of their work
Most construction companies can show you examples of projects that they’ve completed in a book or online, but if your company is local, you have an even better way of determining that their work is up to your standards. Ask them what projects they’re either working on or have completed that you might be able to take a gander at. You can ask them for references as well, and talk to their customers who can give you advice on what they wish they’d known before starting, or about what they loved about their chosen construction company. Doing some background digging can reassure you that hiring a professional is the way to go for your building project.
- Communication is key
With a professional construction company, you’re more likely to have information before or when you need it, and you’ll be kept in the loop throughout the project. A good crew will be able to answer your questions or direct you to someone who can, and that person should be regularly available to you. They’re going to be busy, but you should anticipate having your messages returned within 24 hours.
- Your project can be completed on time
Hiring out your job means that your time can be spent at your regular job and your vacation time can be just that; vacation. A construction company will have the knowledge and experience to complete projects in a timely manner and that will ultimately save you money in the end. Hiring professionals means that your project will be completed far faster than if you attempt to tackle it yourself.
- Your crew will have the expertise to deal with problems
If you haven’t had the experience working in this trade, running into even a common problem will in all likelihood completely derail you. A professional, by comparison, will have run into similar problems during his or her years of employment and will quickly and efficiently come up with a plan to correct any issues and get the job done in spite of setbacks.
- A professional will understand building codes
Even if you do understand the ins and outs of your project fairly well, do you understand the local bylaws and building codes? Doing a project that doesn’t fall within the guidelines of your county can cause you to spend a lot more time and money on the project than you originally budgeted for. A professional construction company will have a good grasp of what falls within the county guidelines and can help correct your plans so that there are no future issues with your neighbours, town, or MD.
- Professional expertise is at hand when its needed
You may be a jack of all trades and fairly handy, but hiring a professional construction company means that you gain the expertise of a variety of trades. The construction company will have access to electricians, plumbers, dry wallers, painters, carpenters, and any other industry tradesperson who is required for the job. Even if they don’t retain people in every trade on their payroll, they will have far easier access to retaining these people for the job when the time comes for their particular skills.
It makes good sense to hire a professional construction company for all of your building needs to save you time, stress and money in the end.
This article was written by Sam Socorro from Steam Shower Store. Sam has been writing articles for over 10 years and is a commanding voice in the health and fitness community with her articles high in demand.
