EXCLUSIVE MAGAZINE OF THE MARYLAND-NATIONAL CAPITAL BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
2011 Custom Builder awards Home is Where the Art is
Sales in Marketing: Changing your Strategy
JULY/AUG 2011
Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association 1738 Elton Road, Suite 200 Silver Spring, MD 20903 Phone (301) 445-5400 Fax (301) 445-5499 E-mail: communications@mncbia.org Website: www.mncbia.org 2011 Executive Committee Martin J. Mitchell President
Frank Bossong, IV P.E., Associate Vice President
Rick Bailey Vice President/Calvert Co.
Steve Nardella Treasurer
Doug Meeker Vice President/Charles Co.
Dave Lunden Vice President, State Legislative/Secretary
Robert J. Spalding Vice President/Montgomery Co.
BUILDING
IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC Representing Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s counties in Maryland and Washington, DC
FEATURES
William Shipp Life Director
Hillary Colt Vice President/ Prince George’s Co.
Edward R. Curley III Immediate Past President
John B. Norris, III Vice President/St. Mary’s Co.
Stephen P. Elmendorf Legal Counsel
Brian “A.J.” Jackson Vice President/Washington, DC
Diane K. Swenson Executive Vice President
2011 Board of Directors
Mark Macfarland Tom Marshall Pete Mellits Stephen Paul Jim Plazak Steve Robins Marc Rose Gary Rubino Michael Schueler Charlene Thayer Clark Wagner Peggy White Carter Willson
Brian Afnan Hugh Carroll Chuck Covell Mike Conley Tony Crane Timothy Dugan Ken Dunn Lynn Elahi Mary Giles Tom Hyde Robert A. Jacobs Howard Katz David Little
MNCBIA Staff Executive Vice President - Diane K. Swenson, JD, CAE Communications Manager - Kelly H. Grudziecki Financial Services Manager - Linda Groft Director of Government Affairs - F. Hamer Campbell, Jr. Associate Director/Government Affairs Robert Kaufman Associate Director/Regulatory Affairs Annette T. Rosenblum Membership/Events Director Jean Mathis BDGG Manager Lisa Goheen Program Manager - Home Builders Care Foundation Patricia B. Kane
JULY/AUG 2011
5 2011 Custom Builder Awards Home is Where the Art is
5
8 Sales & Marketing You Have to Change Everything
DEPARTMENTS 4 A Message from the President
6
11 The Legal Pad 12 The Engineer’s Angle 13 MNCBIA Membership News MNCBIA’s Most Wanted List STARS Club
New Members
14 Events Calendar
8 Published for: Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association 1738 Elton Road, Suite 200 Silver Spring, Maryland 20903 301 445-5400 Fax: 301 445-5499 E-mail: building@mncbia.org Website: www.mncbia.org
Published by:
E&M Consulting, Inc. 80 West 78th Street, Suite #230 Chanhassen, MN 55317 800-572-0011 Fax: 952-294-9944 Website: www.emconsultinginc.com Published April 2011 MNC-S0210/9844
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
3
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Local Zoning
S
Martin J. Mitchell
4
JULY/AUG 2011 |
ince I have been involved in the building industry, advocating for local zoning and planning control has been a constant job. Even at the State and Federal levels the message was to leave flexibility for the Counties, Municipalities and Townships. In America, we are independent and most of the time we know what is best for ourselves and we have more faith in our familiar local politicians than those in far off places. That includes our customers who would like to have a variety of housing choices when looking for a home. We hold to this belief, even as some of our local jurisdictions implement regulations that not only impact our ability to make a profit, but today threaten to put us out of business. In the very near future, we may find that the words local zoning and local planning will be oxymorons. We will still have Master Plans for our local areas and we will have zoning, but the reality is that the state and federal governments will dictate how those plans are carried out. Over the past several years EPA has steadily increased its involvement in our business. It is requiring all states to increase stormwater management controls. In Maryland and Washington, DC, that means going at least one step beyond the federal mandates. We are now seeing the greatest involvement by EPA through the Chesapeake Bay cleanup program. EPA has created a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Bay that could cut off our ability to build, even with permits. EPA is requiring that the states refine the TMDL into Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs). This will give detailed directions on how to achieve the goals. Once again, EPA mandated a certain level of clean by 2025 and Maryland agreed that could be accomplished by 2020. MNCBIA and MSBA, along with Katie Maloney, Steve Seawright, Tom Farasy, Dusty Rood, Dave Lunden, Hamer Campbell and many others have been tracking these EPA issues closely and have commented on behalf of the industry. Most recently, MSBA commissioned a study by the Sage Policy Group about the projected costs of cleaning up the Bay. MSBA used Maryland’s estimate of $11B, even though we believe that number is low. Sage Group determined that if you divert $11B to the Bay clean up instead of to other activities, it will actually cost our economy $20B and make the State even less business friendly. This report was given to a Deputy Administrator at EPA who is to distribute the report “down” to the people working on the Chesapeake Bay. A MAJOR VICTORY FOR MNCBIA and MSBA. The biggest State issue that requires watching is PlanMaryland. Initially, it appears as a guidance document to help the State in making plans to accommodate the inevitable population growth coming to Maryland. The plan could be helpful to us in that it will show that the growth will require more than 30,000 housing units per year for the next 10 years if you assume the old numbers of, for every 1.6 jobs you need BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
a housing unit. As the number of people in houses decreases, the number of housing units needed goes up per year for the next 10 years. I don’t know of one local government that is providing its fair share of those homes, as determined by job growth. On the other hand, if you attended one of the PlanMaryland sessions, or have read the Executive Summary, you have seen that the results of PlanMaryland could completely change planning and zoning in the State. The Executive Summary even discusses “New Governance to Guide Smart Growth.” MNCBIA’s advocacy team attended the open houses and provided comments on PlanMaryland and will continue to follow this on your behalf to create the best possible outcome. We thank those of you who have contributed to the Advocacy Fund that Tom Farasy created a few years ago and we thank those of you who have paid the 2011 MSBA Assessment. These monies give us a seat at the table on these, and other, critical issues. If you have not made your contribution, please join the team and consider paying the fee. Contact Diane Swenson at 301-445-5401 or email dswenson@mncbia.org. We are having victories in areas such as pushing the septic ban to summer study, obtaining a visibility bill we can live with and fertilizer regulations that will spread the burden of cleaning up the Bay to all the citizens of Maryland. In addition, we are having the Sage Policy Report widely distributed and requested by a variety of groups. Ending on a positive note, we held a great Custom Builders Awards event on May 26th. If you missed it, you have the opportunity to see some amazing houses and remodeling projects in this issue. Congratulations to all of the winners of Custom Builders Awards. Keep up the great work! Please have a safe and enjoyable summer. While you are relaxing, your advocacy team will still be at work on local, state and federal regulations… they never sleep. Having said all of this, I strongly encourage my fellow builders to redouble their support of MNCBIA by attending the many upcoming networking events. We have made it easier and less expensive to attend, so join your friends and colleagues at an MNCBIA event coming to a location near you soon! m
2011 Custom Builder Awards Home is Where the Art is SANDY SPRING BUILDERS, LLC • ARCHITECT: STUDIO Z DESIGN CONCEPTS, LLC
C
ustom homebuilders, architects and remodelers throughout the greater
architects, builders, land planners and marketing consultants. The judges
Washington region were awarded top honors for their fine design and
viewed both the interior and exterior of the homes in addition to detailed written
quality workmanship in the annual MNCBIA Custom Builder Awards on May 26th at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel.
information, photographs and plans. In this competitive custom housing market, all of these winners are shining
Judging was done over a three-day period utilizing the expertise of
examples of the talent and expertise that our area has to offer.
Traditional Custom Home
Transitional Custom Home
Gold • Chuck Sullivan Homes • Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Gold • Sandy Spring Builders, LLC • Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Silver • Paramount Construction, Inc. • Architect: Paramount Construction, Inc.
Silver • Three Brothers Land Company, Inc. • Architect: Claude C. Lapp
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
5
Custom Home 3,500 - 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Speculative Traditional Home
Gold • Douglas Construction Group, LLC • Architect: Claude C. Lapp
Gold • Three Brothers Land Company, Inc. • Architect: Claude C. Lapp
Custom Home 5,000 - 7,500 Sq. Ft.
Speculative Home 3,500 - 5,000 Sq. Ft.
Gold • R & R Custom Homes •
Gold • Bethesda Bungalows • Architect: Rill Architects
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC & Ray Sobrino
Silver • Douglas Construction Group, LLC • Silver • Bethesda Bungalows • Architect: Christian Gladu Design
Bronze • Chuck Sullivan Homes • Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Architect: Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC
Speculative Home 5,000- 7,500 Sq. Ft. Gold • Sandy Spring Builders, LLC • Architect: GTM Architects
Custom Home 7,500 – 12,500 Sq. Ft. Gold • Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC • Builder: Associated Custom Builders
6
JULY/AUG 2011 |
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
Silver • Washington Metropolitan Homes • Architect: Hendri Tirtanadi
New Or Remodeled Kitchen
Silver • Chrisler Homes, LLC • Architect: Bohl Architects
Gold • Paramount Construction, Inc. • Architect: Paramount Construction, Inc.
BEFORE BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
Whole House Renovation Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Custom Addition Under 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Gold • Bell Builders, Inc. (Tracy’s Landing, MD) •
Gold • Bethesda Builders Ltd. • Architect: Tom Kamm Architects, PC
Architect: Mangan Group Architects
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
Silver • Paramount Construction, Inc. • Architect: Paramount Construction, Inc.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
Silver • Studio Z Design Concepts, LLC • Builder: Chase Builders, LLC
BEFORE
Bronze • Franklin Renovations, LLC • Architect: Robert Nehrebecky
AFTER
AFTER
Bronze • BOWA • Architect: Custom Design Concepts
AFTER
BEFORE
Custom Addition Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
AFTER
Bronze • Bell Builders, Inc. (Potomac, MD)
Gold • Laurence Cafritz Builders • Architect: Wnuk Spurlock Architecture
BEFORE BEFORE
AFTER
AFTER
Congratulations to all the winners whose work creates both homes and masterpieces. And finally, a special thank you to Dennis Hockman, publisher of Chesapeake Home + Living magazine, and our official partner in these awards, as well as our Bar Sponsor, Standard Solar. m BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
7
You Have to Change Everything The recession changed homebuilding markets, marketing, advertising and selling. You have to change too. By Michael Fickes
W
hat can you do? The trend in annual permits for single-family homes is heading down to levels not seen since 1960. The newspaper, the television, the radio, online publications — the entire media world says the housing market is abysmal. It will never come back. It’s over. Get over it, says Myers Barnes, president of Kitty Hawk, NC-based Myers Barnes Associates, a sales training and consulting company specializing in homebuilding. “This is a historical time for homebuyers to invest,” Barnes says. “Home prices are low and interest rates are the lowest they’ve been in 46 years.” He’s right. It’s not a bad market; it’s just a different market. In fact, you should feel pretty good about the market in the National Capital region. At the end of May, Builder Magazine published an Inman news report that ranked the DC-VA.-MD.-W. VA. housing market as the fourth strongest in the country. The recession changed the homebuilding industry across the country and in the National Capital region. If you haven’t recognized the changes and changed the way you market and sell homes, the market may look terrible to you. How has the market changed? What does that change about the way you market? How does it change the way you sell?
marketing, advertising and selling has changed. Thanks to the recession, marketing budgets are dramatically lower. Fulton estimates budgets have fallen from 3 percent of sales revenue to 1.5 percent or less. To accommodate the declining budgets, a lot of advertising has moved online to social networking sites, Google and to builder websites — where it is possible for marketers to do more with less. The New Marketing and Advertising “Before the recession, we worked with annual marketing plans,” says Jodi Katzker, executive vice president with Bethesda-based GKA Advertising, Inc., which specializes in marketing programs for homebuilders. “We don’t do that anymore. Today, marketing changes day-to-day with conditions.” GKA has put its clients into online social networks, which make it possible to target habits, hobbies, spending patterns and other personal characteristics that go far beyond what traditional demographic analyses provided.
The New Housing Market “While consumer demand hasn’t come all the way back in the region, it has recovered,” says Dan Fulton, president of Fulton Research, Inc. in Fairfax. “As a result, the housing market has rebounded in pockets. Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia and in DC have seen a housing market recovery. To a lesser extent, Montgomery County is also seeing a rebound.” But no rebound can bring it back to what it used to be. The recession has had what will likely be a long-lasting financial impact, continues Fulton. Baby-boomers, a generation of 80 million people, saw their net worth and purchasing power plummet, and the Millennials, or Generation Y, which is even larger than the baby boom generation, is experiencing young adulthood quite differently than its boomer parents. “Most Millennials are 18 to 23 years old today, college age,” Fulton says. “Their job prospects coming out of college are slim. They aren’t ready to commit to a mortgage. They are going to live with their parents and in groups to try to save money. They will likely put off forming new households until they are financially secure.” Because so many Millennials believe they don’t have the resources to buy a home, pitching the idea that it is better to own than rent probably won’t work. The message has to change. What will work? “I think you have to sell lifestyle,” Fulton says. “For a couple, the message is: do this for your family. For singles, the pitch is the fulfillment of putting down roots. “Seniors today have lifestyle aspirations, too. They will pay a premium to live in the right kind of house in the right place.” Senior lifestyle aspirations might include 55-plus housing, a golf course community, an existing home renovated to age-in-place, a green or sustainable home, a home near family and friends.” To nurture these new housing markets, the work of
8
JULY/AUG 2011 |
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
How do you do that? “We study past traffic into model homes and past buyers,” Katzker says. “Where do they work? Do they commute or take metro? What are the commuting corridors? Where do they shop?” GKA researches the lifestyles of its target audience and advertises online with lifestyle messages. Marketing programs for homebuilders have always aimed to herd prospects into model homes where the salespeople take over. That hasn’t changed. “My job is to generate traffic to model homes,” says Tom Nelson, president of NDG Communications, Inc. in La Plata. His tools include direct mail — direct email, today —traditional print and radio advertising and social media such as Facebook. “Print advertising isn’t what it used to be, but it still works well in certain markets,” Nelson says. He allocates about 25 percent of his budget to print. Nelson uses radio for promotions. “We do onsite broadcasts from communities,” he says. “Local radio personalities talk about the community and ask listeners to come and see.” How do you use Facebook? “Social media is about branding and generating referrals,” Nelson continues. “When you get a Facebook account, the system asks for your age and interests and other personal information. Advertisers use filters that you can use to find their target audience.” For one homebuilding client, NDG looked for employees of a certain Maryland-based school district, who had never owned a home. At the time, the state of Maryland was offering $5,000 to help first time homebuyers with the down payment, and the Board of Education had decided to match that for district employees — faculty as well as staff. The program targeted a couple hundred people on Facebook who fit the criteria. “This is how you do more with less,” Nelson says. “Start with small campaigns that don’t cost much. When you find an angle that works, put more money behind the idea.” Again, the goal is to drive prospects to the builder’s website, which profiles and advertises the homes available from the builder. A successful website will in turn drive prospects to model homes.
“Today’s buyer’s market is different; it is a skills-based
You might ask where the prospects in a CRM database live by zip code. If one or two zip codes produce more prospects than the others, you might have a lead for a Facebook campaign. “As builders wrestling with evolution of online marketing and technology that supports marketing and selling, CRM is becoming a core tool,” says Dave Clements, CEO of Lasso Data Systems, Inc. in Richmond, British Columbia, a CRM provider specializing in homebuilding. Smaller builders that can’t afford an advertising agency to manage their marketing and advertising efforts, do their own marketing, again with the goal of driving traffic — leads — into model homes. They work the phones, talk to past buyers, coordinate with realtors, and if they are familiar with it, use social media. The New Sales Pitch “Surveys show that 90 percent of the people who buy a home today shop online before walking into a model home,” says Barnes. “That means prospects who show up at your model home have studied prices and floor plans at your website, mentally gotten past the media, which is telling them not to buy, chosen to visit your model instead of another builder’s, and spent money on gasoline to make the trip. Prospects that visit model homes today are ready to buy. Are you ready to sell? It is a buyer’s market today, Barnes continues, and buyers markets require different sales skills than sellers markets such as the pre-recession bubble. In that market, you showed a house and the prospect bought it. You facilitated the sale. “Today’s buyer’s market is different; it is a skills-based market,” says Barnes. “Your sales skills must differentiate the houses in this community from others that the prospect has looked at. You must follow up five to 12 times, and you must have a good reason for following up. You can’t just call and say I’m wondering where you are on this decision. You follow up until you make the sale. Do you have the courage for that?” If you identify how your market has changed and alter your marketing and advertising approaches appropriately, you will generate traffic to your model homes. If you also retrain your salespeople with the skills necessary to sell in a buyer’s market, you will find yourself beginning to succeed in today’s post-recession new home market. It can be done, but you have to change to do it. m
market.” - Myers Barnes “One of the mistakes builders make is refusing to spend money on a good website,” says sales trainer Myers Barnes. “Builders will spend a quarter million dollars on a model house. Today, the website is the model house. At your website, a prospect sees your floor plans and prices. If your website is good enough, it will drive prospects to your brick and mortar model.” Well-designed websites use customer relationship management (CRM) software. When you go to a website that requires registration, a form asks for your name, address and other information such as favorite sports, hobbies and interests. A CRM software application presents those questions. As this kind of information collects in a CRM database, it becomes possible to query the data to fuel new marketing and advertising campaigns.
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
9
With Office Depot速 and your membership in the National Association of Home Builders, you can take advantage of an
exclusive
10
%
discount
on qualifying delivery orders of office supplies (excluding technology). Register today and get instant savings on everything from paper to ink, office furniture to breakroom supplies every time you shop.
To register, simply visit www.officedepot.com/nahb or call 800-274-2753 and start saving today. Other restrictions apply. See www.officedepot.com/nahb for full terms and conditions.
10
JULY/AUG 2011 |
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
The Legal Pad Settling Community Association Warranty Claims By Shelah Lynn, Ballar Spahr, LLP
T
he July/August 2010 issue of BUILDING magazine included an article about the transition of control from developers to the homeowners in condominiums and community associations. One of the first items on the association’s agenda after the transition of control is the review and pursuit of warranty and construction claims. Many condominiums and community associations developed and sold during the height of the real estate industry in our area are now approaching the end of their warranty period or the end of their limitations period for asserting and enforcing warranty and other construction claims. Almost every condominium association and many community associations assert some type of warranty or construction claim during this period of time and most developers work toward achieving amicable resolutions of those claims without the need for arbitration or litigation. As most association warranty and construction claims are settled in some manner without an adversary proceeding or are ultimately settled as a result of such a proceeding, it is important to consider the type of settlement structure that should be pursued as part of this process. There are many different types of settlements that are used to resolve claims, but most fall within certain categories. The following summarizes the types of settlements typically used to achieve a resolution without litigation or arbitration and some of the benefits and drawbacks of each. While the summary below discusses the various settlement structures that may be used, each requires a detailed legal agreement to carry out the intent of the parties and to protect developers from future obligations once the settlement is achieved.
Cash Settlements To the extent feasible, cash settlements are the most desirable. Such a settlement results in a fairly simple agreement, the payment of money or other assets in exchange for a full release as to future claims of any nature and the end of the relationship. The downside to this type of settlement is the cost. Many associations are not focused on receiving cash but rather are focused on correcting particular problems in the community. As a result, they often feel that the developer can implement corrective action more cost effectively through the use of their original contractors and subcontractors and thus, the association will receive greater financial benefit if the developer performs the work. Therefore, the cost of a cash settlement may be higher for the developer than actually performing work. Notwithstanding, the upside is that the matter is permanently resolved and the developer has no further obligation to the community. Performance Settlement This type of settlement agreement is more complex and prolongs the relationship between the developer and the association. Essentially the developer performs certain agreed upon remedial work in exchange for a release of all claims. While this may be more cost effective for the developer, the continued relationship and the complexity can often make this approach less desirable. It is very difficult to achieve a performance settlement agreement without a review and approval process by the association, which can result in additional adversity. Some particular components necessary for this type of settlement are as follows: • It is necessary to have a fairly detailed objective scope of work to incorporate into the settlement agreement. Sufficient detail will help to avoid dispute over expectations. Subjective standards of performance are undesirable
• • • • •
since they leave too much room for potential dispute as to whether such standards have been achieved. It is typically necessary to have a review and approval process by the association once the work is performed. An association will rarely agree to the performance of work as a component of settlement without a review and approval process. There should be various notice requirements and time frames applicable to the completion of work, inspection and rejection. Without these requirements, the process could be unending. There should be a dispute resolution procedure in the event there are disputes regarding whether the work complies with the specifications and standards outlined in the agreement. This procedure should have short time frames and a definitive resolution without litigation. Often there is a pre-selected arbiter to avoid delays and disputes on the selection process. There must be a release that becomes effective upon completion of the work and no timely rejection. It is preferable that the developer have no further obligations after the satisfactory completion of work. To the extent that this cannot be achieved through negotiation, any continued obligations or warranty must be specific and narrowly defined.
Combination Cash Payment/Performance Often the settlement agreement includes some combination of the two options discussed above. In such case, all of the terms applicable to performance agreements must still be included. Structured Settlements Sometimes the particular facts of the matter may be conducive to other structured settlement arrangements. These types of arrangements may include the conveyance of property in lieu of making a cash payment or other performance. This is fairly common and sometimes includes the conveyance of a unit or units, including a unit to be used as a management office or other service location in the community, conveyance of amenities, and conveyance of parking spaces. For future communities, consideration should be given in document drafting to the potential future use of such assets as a means of settling warranty and construction claims. The designation of such property in the governing documents of the community as common areas or in condominiums as units or common or limited common elements may provide different possible settlement options. There are many other factors that should be considered when negotiating settlement agreements, however, the above provides an outline of the most common settlement structures used in resolving warranty and construction disputes with condominiums and community associations. Of course, a solid legal agreement implementing the intent and protecting against further exposure is an essential element of the resolution. m Shelah F. Lynn is of counsel in the Real Estate Department and a member of the Construction, Real Estate Development, and Planned Committees and Condominiums Groups. She concentrates her practice in representing developers of common interest projects, including residential, mixed-use and commercial projects. Ms. Lynn also represents developer clients in warranty and construction defect disputes through negotiation, litigation and arbitration. She can be reached at lynns@ballardspahr.com.
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
11
The Engineer’s Angle Environmental Site Design (ESD) – The Year of Infancy By Ravi Malviya, P.E., Geo-Technology Associates, Inc.
E
nvironmental Site Design to the Maximum Extent Practicable (ESD to MEP) is the mantra of the time for designing and permitting residential and commercial development in Maryland. ESD is defined as “…using small-scale stormwater management practices, non-structural techniques, and better site planning to mimic natural hydrologic, runoff characteristics and minimize the impact of land development on water resources.” Planned developments in Maryland have been in the throws of ESD for about a year. The state regulations require individual counties and municipalities to adopt regulations and procedures customized for the jurisdiction. As of now, not all of the counties and cities have completed this process. The jury is still out on how the era of ESD will pan out and how much growing pains the development community will have to endure to gain a mature understanding of rules, expectations, costs, and performance. Early impressions from the projects, which have gone through various stages of design and permitting, are summarized in the following paragraphs. The regulations dictate selection of the ESD facility based on the Hydrologic Soil Groups (HSG). The HSG can be obtained for a site from the county Soil Survey maps originally prepared for agricultural usage. The HSG is based on a large-scale survey and mapping of the surficial (3 to 5 feet) soil layer. Depending upon the depth of the facility and the extent of site grading, the ESD facility may be partially or fully constructed in a different soil type present below 3 to 5 feet depth. Such changes require modifying facility design or changing facility type as a project moves from Concept Plan to Site Development and Final Engineering and approval. ESD practices include an emphasis to infiltrate/introduce stormwater in the ground. Designers are under pressure from county reviewers and regulations to introduce water in the ground, even on sites with moisture-sensitive clay soils. This is contrary to one of the basic axioms of geotechnical practices that seeks to minimize moisture changes in clayey soils near or below building foundations. Water that is introduced may migrate along unpredictable and unanticipated pathways underground. The potential problems and drawbacks of ESD infiltration practices on sites with sensitive soils will take several years to “sink in.” Regulations appear to make it easier to comply with and satisfy ESD goals on sites with natural resource areas (e.g., wetlands, flood plains, and stream buffers) by allowing generous credits for sheet flowing stormwater toward the resource area. The development community should take note of this fact. Sites with or near wetland and streams may not be as undesirable as previously considered. Potential cost and practicality of maintenance seems to be unclear and may be the thing that gives the development community a headache down the road. On one hand the regulators are nudging the designers and developers to incorporate certain ESD facilities on their site (e.g.,
12
JULY/AUG 2011 |
permeable pavement) while not allowing the same facilities within the public portion of the development. One of the key goals of ESD planning is to mimic predevelopment run-off and groundwater recharge after the development of a site by minimizing impervious surface and increasing infiltration. This requires incorporating multiple, small ESD facilities located throughout the site. The location, selection, and type of the ESD facility is informed and significantly dictated by the site soil and groundwater conditions. Several ESD facilities, such as micro bio-retention and landscape irrigation, require significant quantities of planting soil. The planting soil needs to be rich in nutrients and meet certain textural specifications to support plant growth. Purchasing and importing planting soils will add significant cost to the site development budget. Textural and chemical/nutrient testing of onsite soils during the geotechnical investigations may allow use of onsite soils, with amendments, as planting soils for a fraction of the cost of imported soils. The nature and design of the ESD facilities have increased the number of geotechnical explorations (borings or test pits) necessary to support and permit stormwater management plans for a development. It is important to get adequate soil and groundwater data for a site prior to getting too far into the site development concept. The picture is muddy for now with respect to several aspects of the ESD philosophy, practicality, costs, and long-term performance and maintenance. This concept is in its infancy and is likely to incur growing pains for all concerned for some time to come. m Ravi Malviya is a Vice President and Principal of Geo-Technology Associates, Inc. and has more than 20 years of geotechnical and site engineering consulting experience throughout the mid-Atlantic and New England. GTA provides geotechnical, environmental, drilling, and construction observation and testing services. Ravi can be reached at rmalviya@mragta.com
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
MNCBIA Membership New Members & Reinstatements (4/1/11 to 5/31/11) BUILDERS
Green Home LLC Builder/Developer Brian Higgins 4651 Tanglewood Dr., Suite 2 Edmonston, MD 20712 Ph: 301-277-9660 brian@greenhomellc.biz Sponsor: Marty Mitchell KB Home Builder/Renovation Nicole Matthyssen 2077 Laura Mews Pl Alexandria, VA 22303 Ph: 703-682-7666 nmatthyssen@kbhome.gmail Sponsor: Jean Mathis Rumialdy Development, LLC Single Family Custom Building Rudolph Knott 1815 Monroe Street NW Washington, DC 20018 Ph: 202-498-8972 rudyknott@rumialdydevelopment.com Sponsor: Marty Mitchell
Woodfield Investments Builder/Developer Greg Bonifield 19583 Sarataga Spring Pl Ashburn, VA 20147 Ph: 703-728-8394 gbonifield@wfinvest.net Sponsor: Miles Hebert
Patuxent Environmental Group Environmental Consultants Joseph Kitchen 11130 Fairfax Blvd, Suite 206 Fairfax, VA 22030 Ph: 703-934-2777 jkitchen@pegenv.com Sponsor: Marty Mitchell
Sport Automotive Automotive Dealer Lee Shirley 3101 Automobile Blvd Silver Spring, MD 20904 Ph: 301-890-6000 lshirley@sportautomotive.com Sponsor: Marty Mitchell
ASSOCIATES
Creative Landscapes by Gregory Landscape/Consultants Steven Kennel 6126 Jefferson Pike Frederick, MD 20713 Ph: 301-624-5525 stevek@creative-scapes.com Sponsor: Michael Schueler
MNCBIA’s Most Wanted List
Listed here are firms whose membership in MNCBIA has lapsed in recent months. WE WANT THEM BACK! Please encourage these companies to reinstate their membership. Areoteck • Capital Bank • Dan Ryan Builders • Dow Solutions • Georgetown Bank • InSight Marketing • JBG • King Electric Inc. • Metro Study • Patriot Land & Wildlife Management Services • Richmond America • Tower Companies • The Washington Examiner • The Washington Post
STARS Club
The special members of MNCBIA’s STARs Club allow the Association to provide better services for your benefit, to function effectively, to continue special events dedicated to excellent networking and to strengthen our Advocacy program.
GOLD
DGG-MC Elm Street Development Hanley Wood Market Intelligence Linowes and Blocher NVR, Inc. Pleasants Development
SILVER
Acacia Federal Savings Bank BB &T Bank Georgetown Insurance Services, Inc. Loiederman Soltesz Associates, Inc. McMillan Metro, P.C. Miles & Stockbridge
Rodgers Consulting Winchester Homes
BRONZE
Baker Tilly Ballard Spahr Bank of America Burgess & Niple EYA Gutschick Little & Weber, P.A. Holland & Knight Lerch Early & & Brewer CHTD. Mid-Atlantic Builders, Inc. Reznick Group Sandy Spring Bank
Shulman Rogers St. Charles Community Steuart-Kret Homes, Inc.
FRIEND
Bowman Consulting Bozzuto Group Charles P. Johnson & Associates christopher consultants ltd Columbia Bank Craftmark Homes Dewberry DICO Furey Doolan & Abell LLP Geo-Technology Associates, Inc.
Kettler Brothers K Hovnanian Homes Liberty Home Builder, Inc. M&T Bank Macris, Hendricks & Glascock, P.A. McLaren Engineering Group Michael Harris Homes Mitchell & Best Homebuilders, LLC. Miller & Smith O’Malley, Miles, Nylen & Gilmore Ward & Klein Washington Gas
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
|
JULY/AUG 2011
13
Events Calendar JULY 2011
AUGUST 2011
MNCBIA Closed for Independence Day
Environmental Committee meeting
6
5
Environmental Commitee Meeting
Prince George’s County Liaison Committee meeting
8
10
Prince George’s County Liaison Committee meeting
Green Building Committee meeting Codes & Standards Committee meeting
4
3
13 Green Building Committee meeting Codes & Standards Committee meeting
11
14
17
MNCBIA’s Executive Committee meeting
20 Montgomery County Liaison Committee meeting Calvert/St. Mary’s County Joint Liaison Committee meeting Charles Liaison & Chamber PGM Committee meeting
MNCBIA’s Executive Committe meeting
Montgomery County Liaison Committee meeting Calvert/St. Mary’s County Joint Liaison Committee meeting Charles County Liaison Committee meeting
31 Membership Committee meeting
21 Home Builders Care Foundation Board meeting
27 Membership Committee meeting Prince George’s Development Process Subcommittee
14
JULY/AUG 2011 |
BUILDING IN MARYLAND AND WASHINGTON, DC
INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Appliance Distributors Unlimited, Inc......... Back Cover Bowman Consulting................................... Page 14 General Electric......................................... Page 15 JG Landscaping........................................ Page 13 Lighthouse Property Management, Ltd............ Page 9 Linowes and Blocher LLP........................... Page 14 Monument Bank....................................... Page 10 Norton Land Design................................... Page 12 Office Depot............................................. Page 10 Shulman Rogers....................................... Page 10 Vintage Security.......................................... Page 2
1738 Elton Road, Suite 200 Silver Spring, MD 20903