Damage to the Lucharitos location in Moriches. (Credit: Carl Corry/Greater Moriches)

One of the newest additions to the Lucharitos business empire, a taqueria and tequila bar not yet fully open in Center Moriches, caught fire Saturday night.

According to an Instagram post on the Lucharitos page, owner Marc LaMaina was alerted at 10 p.m. that night to a building fire.

Everyone is safe, the post said. We will be closed at Center Moriches indefinitely as we assess the situation and prepare to move forward.

The business had been operating a food truck on weekends at the site as it waited for permits to restore the restaurant building. The food truck will be on hold indefinitely.

LaMaina said the fire happened in the storage garage behind the main restaurant and was likely caused by an equipment malfunction.

The interior contents were all destroyed, he said. The structure is fine, so we just have to rebuild it.

LaMaina was hoping to turn the storage garage into a prep kitchen.

We had hoped to begin renovations this week. It has been a very long and emotional road for us even before this happened, his post said. Just know we worked really really hard to get the property and product to where it was and are still so excited about whats to come when the actual restaurant opens.

LaMaina said on Tuesday that he is still hoping to have the location open by summer.

The restaurant, with locations in Greenport and Aquebogue, is expected to soon open another location in Mattituck and formally announced plans for a Melville spot last week.

Image Courtesy of Greater Moriches

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Eat Lucharitos Center Moriches location caught fire this weekend One of the newest additions to the - Northforker

A healthy economy and the strengths of Upper Arlington's location and community are being credited for driving one-year local construction above $400 million for the first time in the city's history.

In April 2019, Upper Arlington Schools launched $235 million in projects to rebuild and renovate the district's high school and five elementary buildings.

In June, Crawford Hoying broke ground on a 119-room hotel at 1640 W. Lane Ave. and started construction at the end of the year on eight townhomes at 1690 W. Lane Ave., as well as 133 rental units, a 395-space public-parking garage, a 110-space public-parking lot and an additional 32,000 square feet of office, retail and restaurant space as a mixed-use project that will feature condominiums, professional offices and restaurants.

Two months after that work began, First Community Village broke ground on the largest expansion in its 56-year history.

The estimated $37 million project will yield the construction of a 4-story, 143,622-square-foot apartment complex for independent living.

Those are just three of the projects that brought more than $407 million in construction to Upper Arlington in 2019.

The investments topped the the city's previous high-water mark in one-year construction -- 2016 -- by nearly $300 million. In that year, the city had $111.6 million in building projects, which bested investments of $100.6 million in 2017 and $100.7 million in 2018.

"Year after year, construction values have been impressive -- typically just shy of the $100 million mark -- but 2019 blew away previous years away, at over $407 million," said Steve Schoeny, city manager. "This unprecedented level of investment reflects the major projects for the Upper Arlington Schools, the Lane II hotel and mixed-use project and the Fairfax at First Community Village."

Schoeny noted the record level of construction in Upper Arlington last year included $81 million in new homes and home renovations.

Those projects resulted in the city generating more than $2.24 million in building permit and registration fees.

With the continuation of the projects for Upper Arlington Schools, Crawford Hoying and FCV, as well as the expected redevelopment of the Golden Bear Shopping Center and the planned August groundbreaking of a $100 million, 11-story Arlington Gateway mixed-use development at 1325-97 W. Lane Ave. and 2376 North Star Road, Schoeny said, Upper Arlington's 2020 construction outlook also is positive.

"I am confident that we will continue to see new opportunities, if we continue to plan well and aggressively pursue revenue producing projects," he said.

According to Emma Speight, the city's community-affairs director, the ongoing activity signals the residents' support of the local school district and the appeal of the community to families and businesses.

"Upper Arlington's strong demographics, proximity to downtown and OSU, etc., the healthy economy both nationally and in the region, services, schools and safety, etc. all contribute to making Upper Arlington a viable community in which to do business," she said. "Home renovations and additions continue to comprise much of the construction value in the residential arena as residents bring their older homes up to today's standards.

"We continue to see a handful of older homes razed and replaced with new homes each year, both by professional builders who know there is a market for new builds in Upper Arlington but also by some homeowners who have concluded that starting from scratch allows them to reap the benefits of designing a new home to best meet their needs."

Speight said officials don't anticipate the city duplicating 2019 levels of construction.

"There are still two significant economic-development projects approved by (the Board of Zoning and Planning) that are yet to begin, namely the Arlington Gateway project on Lane Avenue and the Golden Bear redevelopment, and there's a potential for additional projects to emerge in the coming months," she said.

nellis@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekNate

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Upper Arlington enjoys record year of construction; project top $400M in 2019 - ThisWeek Community News

Property transfers

Lula L. Hill to Carlton T. Wingfield Jr. and Phillip M. Wingfield. Lot 14, section 1, Forest Park, Elon District, $57,000

Winthrop K. and Joann B. Holmes to Priscilla McIver. Parcel, fronting Va. 677, 0.284 acres, Elon District, $125,000

J. Mark and Pamela L. Huffins to Jared H. and Danielle R. Roeber. Parcel, Wild Rose Lane, $286,500

Blake E. Isley III to Larry Glenn Sexton Jr. Va. 739, 1.652 acres, Temperance District, $10,000

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development of Washington D.C. to Four Fifty-Five LLC. 2464 Richmond Highway, $62,000

Lucille Nuckles to David G. and Angelina B. Austin. Parcel, 12.145 acres, fronting Kentmore Road, Courthouse District, $72,500

AZ Homes LLC to Annett N. Hughes. Lot 30, section 2, Foreston Manor, Elon District, $175,000

Blue Sky-Coffey Partnership to Robert A. and Penelope S. Jurick. Lot 7, Blue Sky Court, Naola Springs, Pedlar District, $31,900

Branch Banking and Trust Company to Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Lot 24, section II, Pine Ridge, Elon District, $71,199

Samuel and Virginia Higuchi to Ella J. and Frank P. Deane III. Lot 1, block 1, phase V, unit 101, Royal Gardens, Elon District, $132,500

Sharon K. Bryant and Sheila M. Roper to Joshua Gunn and Kayleigh Alexis Mast. Lots 2 and 3, Babcock Farm Road, $212,000

D & D Land Holdings LLC to Wilfredo and Maureen Bobe. Lot 3, Columbus Road, $232,900

Myrna Doss to Michael Stephen and Krystal Dawn Binder. Lot 3, Town of Appomattox, Confederate Blvd., $189,000

Delbert Beasely to County Waste Southwest Virginia LLC. Lot 23, Bryant Concord Subdivision, Stonewall District, $141,900

BDI Properties LLC to County Waste Southwest Virginia LLC. U.S. 460, near Stage Road, 5.98 acres, Stonewall District, $288,100

Thomas L. Wiley II and Kimberly S. Wiley to Tammy Britt Rental Properties. Lot 4, Coveside Circle, Lakes District, $375,000

Bruce A. Owens and Patty M. Owens to Jason Brent Ream and Kimberly Ann Ream. 2 parcels, Fescue Circle, Lakes District, $279,000

Mark A. Bird and Kimberly C. Bird to David J. and Sheila C. Tindall. Unit 31, phase 3, Mariners Village Condominium, Lakes District, $219,000

Countryside Land Company LC to Robert D. and Kara L. Dickinson. Parcel, Trails End Road, 20.363 acres, Lakes District, $121,800

Naomi B. Johnson to Douglas E. Wyatt and Joyce L. Wyatt. Parcel, Spradlin Road, Blue Ridge District, $108,577

Lowell P. and Annie B. Stovall to Gregory M. Hess and Betty S. Noell. Parcel, Va. 699 on Bore Auger Creek, Blue Ridge District, $102,000

Nathan J. Meadows and Rachel M.W. Cook to Sandy K. Bolt. Parcel, Glove Creek Road, Blue Ridge District, $90,000

Helen L. Bramlett to Roberto A. Machado Lemus. Lot 16, Harvey Creek Acres, Lakes District, $40,000

Matthew E. Kimberly Townley to Thomas E. and Jacquelyn S. Newll. Parcel, Mountain View Acres, Blue Ridge District, $7,235

Thomas E. and Jacquelyn S. Newell to Matthew E. and Kimberly Townley. Lot 14, Mountain View Acres, Blue Ridge District, $7,235

Koren Delpoplol and Gail J. Rysinski to Kaleb E. Bailey. Parcel, Quarles Road, Peaks District, $127,000

Clarence James and Paula McCarthy Cyrus to Joseph Q. and Samantha C. Dwyer. Amended lot 214, section VI, Terrance View, Jefferson District, $499,900

Darlene E. Gardner to William M. Kirn. Lot 27, Dogwood Haven, Jefferson District, $435,530

Bank of the James to Robert L. and Jann M. Sloper. 3 parcels, Big Island Highway, Peaks District, $160,000

Great Oaks Partners LLC to Pragmatic Infrastructure USA LLC Lot 11, section 3, Great Oaks Subdivision, Jefferson District, $55,000

Stephen P. Nelms to James S. and Kellie C. Woyner. Parcel, Forest Oaks, lot 10A, Jefferson District, $467,000

Scott M. Hawkins and Gregory S. Hudson to Leslie and Caesar Gonzales II. Elk Valley Road, Jefferson District, $65,000

Jedi Construction LLC to William G. and Gloria A. Pulkowski. Lot 43, section II, Governors Hills, $212,000

Eleanor Overstreet to Rebecca C. Clay. Remainder of 2.5 acres and 39.39 acres, 27 Three C Place and additional parcel, $215,000

Boxwood Investments LLC to Steven M. and Annemarie G. Hovis. Lot 9, Robertson Village, $67,000

Richard W. and Patricia S. Lewis to 4D Construction Inc. Lot 11, section L, Powhatan Cox Tract, $30,000

Joyce L. Adkins to Tyler L. Adkins. Lot 29, section 1, Sunny Meade Acres, $125,000

Airy Mont Farm LLC to Havenwoods Farm LLC. Parcels near Brookneal Highway, 198.80 acres, portion of 1429 Covered Bridge Road, and additional parcels, Havenwoods Farm, $1,285,000

Altavista Area/Campbell County Habitat for Humanity Inc. to Gloria Jean Moon. Lot 2, Riverview Dr., Altatvista, $110,000

Altavista Area/Campbell County Habitat for Humanity Inc. to Karen Irene Dalton. Lot 1, Riverview Dr., Altatvista, $110,000

Phoenix1Investment LLC to American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities Inc. Lot 1, section 1, Trents Landing, $49,900

ECP LLC to Dawn A. Arthur. Lot 6, phase 1, section 2, Lighthouse Townhouses, $107,900

RJS Holdings LLC, Central VA Flooring LLC and Premier Investments Group LLC to Mark Andrew and Cammie Lynn Atwater. 660 Bethany Road, $399,900

Catherine M. Ayers to Glenn W. and Frances M. Gilliam. Parcel, Pilot View Road, $48,000

Mark Leafty to Appalachian Management LLC. Parcel, Florida Ave., $2,650

Alicia Antoneete Atkins to Henry Garcia and Olga Beleno. 1713 Fillmore St., $19,000

WBG 1 LLC to Thomas Less Atkins and Carrie Lynn Grabowski. Part of lot 638, Daniels Hills Subdivision, $152,500

John M. and Ashley A. Scholer to Brian N. and Jessica M. Butala. 4620 Locksview Road, $302,000

Thornsbury Properties LLC to Daniel J. and Denise R. Castagna. Part of lots 23-24, block E, Fairmont Addition, $96,900

Concept Design and Development (International) LLC to Ian H. Smith. Parcel, Sedgewick Dr., $18,300

Riverviews to Cynthia Naff Walraven. Unit G5, Riverviews Artspace Condominium, $16,000

Ann A. Hatfield to Nina Davenport. Part of lots 7 and 8, Battery Park Subdivision, $38,000

Carmen R. Pino to HG Properties OI LLC. Lot 4, block 6A, Georgetown Forest Townhouses, $62,000

Siegfried Anthony Schoffer, Siegfried Schoffer and Blanca Schoffer to Thomas W. Seaman and Louise P. Gregory. Lot 40, Heritage at Wyndhurst Subdivision, $221,000

Jeremy L. and Kalee S. Gustafson to PG Investments2 LLC. Lot 44, section III, Willow Bend Subdivision, $209,000

H.T. Guthrie Jr. to Stehen S. and Theresa T. Wilson. 2597 and 2599 Fort Ave., $156,900

Michael L. Mason to Stephen A. and Jessica Joy Zarriello. Lot 2, block 3, section 5, Sandusky Hills Subdivision, $236,000

Storage Equipment Company LLC to Mayflower Oz Fund. LLC. 3301 Mayflower Dr., $1,025,000

Sharon Ruth Oglesby to WBW Investments LLC. 1196 Wards Ferry Road, $86,000

Ashkor Real Estate LLC to Cierra Fowler. 1108 Buchanan St., $70,000

MDJJ LLC to 2210 12th ST. LLC. Lots 10-13, section F, Park Avenue Addition, 2208 and 2212 12th St., $300,000

Gerard and Adeline Auguste to Malcolm L. Thomas. Lot 52, block N, phase II, Cornerstone Subdivision, $255,000

Ceasor and Rosie Johnson to Victoria E. Bartholomew. 1302 Madison St., $119,500

Bradley/Thornhill LLC to English Construction Company, Incorporated. Lot 7B, First Lynchburg Industrial Park Subdivision, $445,000

Fred Lloyd and Dolores Diggs Fauber to Vanessa E. Yuille. Lots 30-31, block A, Westhaven Subdivision, $169,000

Jeffrey Summerville and Katelyn Sandy to Natalie Moyer and Joseph Gross. Lot 2 and part of lot 1, block K, section 6, Blue Ridge Farms Subdivision, $149,000

Building Permits

Kenneth Bean Jr., 2232 Toll Gate Road, addition for bedroom, $30,000

Larry Roach, 483 Bedford Highway, additions/alterations $70,000

Henry Rowland, 297 Old Pocket Road, accessory building, $60,000

American Lebanese Syrian Associated, 25 Arbor Place, new dwelling, $425,000

Lynchburg Partners LLC, 3412 Waterlick Road, signs, $2,850

Kevin Moorman, 45 Wood Duck Court, additions/alterations, $25,000

Roanoke Valley Holdings LLC, lot 42, Traverse Dr., new dwelling, $168,429

Dale Campbell, lot 6, Holiday Lane, new dwelling, $130,000

Fralin Company of Central Virginia, Carriage Parkway, new dwelling, $169,282

City of Lynchburg, 982 Airport Road, aviation fueling tanks and dispensers, $220,911

Fralin Company of Central Virginia, lot 25, Carriage Parkway, new dwelling, $179,004

Roanoke Valley Holdings LLC, 29 Crystal Lane, new dwelling, $167,244

Dianne Saucedo, 247 Mountain Peak Dr., solar Panels, $12,780

21934 Timberlake LLC, 43 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 37 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 33 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 28 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 25 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 21 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 17 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 26 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

Charles Nausbaum Jr., 184 Arrowhead Dr., renovation, $30,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 30 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 36 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 40 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

21934 Timberlake LLC, 44 Zags Lane, new dwelling/townhouse, $190,000

H & S Holding Properties LLC, 1152 Wheeler Road, new dwelling, $240,000

Daniel Cunningham, 5856 Dearborn Road, pole barn $40,000

William Hall Jr., 6254 Dearborn Road, pole barn, $32,000

David Halfill, 1119 Eighth St., roof solar, $17,000

Moose Lodge #1433, 3463 Lynch Mill Road, ramp/deck, $15,000

Town of Altavista, 1311 Third St., chemical storage building, $289,000

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Your right to know: Latest property transfers and building permits - Lynchburg News and Advance

Whether you have a large or small home, room and house additions are invaluable investments. Along with expanding your available storage and living space, adding rooms withfeatures that are desirable to home buyerscan increase the value of your home. But before you start adding an addition to your home, here are a few things to keep in mind:

The first part of planning a home addition is finding inspiration. Below are some home addition ideas that can help inspire your next home improvement project!

One of the biggest home addition projects is adding a second story. While this major addition can cost anywhere between$90,000-$200,000, it does add significant square footage and resale value to your home. Work with a builder or architect to make sure your homes structure and foundation can handle the additional weight!

Creating abonus roomor apartment over a garage is a great way to add extra square footage without turning your home into a mess. With the foundation of the garage already in place, all you need are walls and a roof. Once its finished, you can rent it out or use it as a guest bedroom. Keep in mind that certain additions like a new roof, Type X fireproof drywall, and vapor barriers will be more expensive than other home addition projects. Costs typically average around$35per square foot when building a bonus over-the-garage room.

A modular addition is a pre-fabricated room that can be added onto the exterior of the house to create a second story, and theyre popular home expansion projects for single-story buildings like ranch homes. These additions run10-20%cheaper than conventional additions and can be made off-site, saving you from living in a constant construction zone. Costs vary between$80-$200per square foot, depending on the size of the addition and where it goes.

Dormers not only expand your attic and provide much needed light, but they also add major curb appeal and make your home look larger. Some homeowners choose to installDIY dormersto increase their attic ceiling space. A DIY project will run about$1,800, while professional installation can cost anywhere between$2,500-$20,000.

Finishing your basementincreases the livable square footage in your home, and it gives you an additional space you can use for a small apartment, a home theater, or an entertainment room. The average cost to finish a basement is between$6,500-$18,500with a return on investment around69%. Just be sure you include emergency windows or a backyard walkout if you plan to use a basement space for bedrooms.

Remodeling your kitcheneven on a minor scalecan provide a great return on investment. Expand your kitchens square footage by turning a flex space or bump-out addition into a walk-in pantry or breakfast nook. Kitchen remodel projects can cost between$12,000-$21,000and recoup almost93%of the cost at resale. Check out thesekitchen remodeling ideasfor more inspiration!

Increasing bathroom square footage can greatly increase the value of your home. Similar to a kitchen addition,bathroom projectshave an ROI of up to62%. Costs start around$3,000for a bathroom upgrade or expansion and can go up to$25,000for a full-on addition. Looking for bathroom addition ideas? Try extending your master bathroom to include space for a soaking tub or dual sinks. Or add a half-bath in an underutilized small space like under the stairs, a closet, an attic bonus room, or a basement.

While many homes have entryways, an entire mudroom addition is a handy way to keep shoes, coats, and backpacks all organized in one space. Installing wall hooks, built-in cabinets, lockers, or cubbies during the remodel adds both additional storage and visual appeal. Mudroom additions can cost anywhere from$400for a minor project in an existing room to$25,000for a total addition.

If you love spending time on your front porch, enclose it and turn it into a sunroom! In order for your porch to be considered livable square footage, it needs to have heating and be accessible from the house. Make your sunroom addition feel like a second living room with lamps, comfortable furniture, and plenty of seating. If you live in a state with extreme winters, you may need to consult an architect or builder to make sure the roof and walls are strong enough to support heavy snow. The cost to add a sunroom varies from$15,000-$22,000with a50%return on investment.

Enclosing a back patio can create a cozyoutdoor living room! This home addition project can be quite extensiveespecially if you extend your roofso make sure you enlist the help of builders or contractors. Like a sunroom, a patio must be enclosed and accessible from the house in order to count toward livable square footage. Back patio enclosures typically run between$8,375-$24,305.

Cantileveredhouse bump outsare small extensions (or micro-additions) of rooms that can be considered extra square footage. Bump-out additions can be as small as two feet and as large as 10-15 feet. Because bump outs do not require a roof or foundation work, the cost of bump-out additions can be15-30%less than a conventional addition. Some bump-out ideas for small rooms include creating a window nook in a living room, building a walk-in closet, adding a space for a bathtub in a bathroom, or increasing the space of a kitchen to allow for counter space.

As far as home addition projects go, an attic has unlimited potential! The only square footage stipulations that must be followed are at least half of the ceiling must reach seven feet, and the attic must connect to a stairway. Once these requirements are met, you can take advantage of that extra square footage and turn it into a bedroom, home gym, art studio, or office. Converting an attic into livable space can recover as much as53%of the value!

If youre looking for a creative home addition idea, consider the garage! An attached garage can only be considered additional square footage if you dont use it as a garage. Instead, consider turning your garage into a gym, art studio, guest bedroom, or craft room! The average cost of making a garage into a room addition project is around$11,065with up to an80%return on investment.

Is your current laundry area small? Expand it and get more square footage! Second-floor laundry rooms are ahighly desired unique home feature, so moving your laundry room from a basement or first level to an upstairs addition can be a worthwhile investment. If youre feeling ambitious, tackle the project yourself using thisDIY tutorialfrom The Family Handyman.

Knowing which home additions increase home resale value and square footage can help you make good investments in your home that will last for years. Looking for other creative ways to improve your home? Check out thesehome remodeling ideasfor more inspiration!

***

Need to store furniture while youre remodeling your home? Extra Space Storage has easily accessible storage locations throughout the U.S.Find a storage unit near you!

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Last year, homeowners spent nearly $19 billion on home improvements, reports Scarborough, a consumer trend research group. If you're thinking about joining this club by building a garage addition to your home, there are a few important things to consider. These tips will get you started in the right direction before you start hammering nails or calling contractors.

Before you do anything else, find out what the zoning laws are in your area. They will state such things as where a garage can be located on your property and the size limitations. They will also specify any special requirements such as roofing materials and drainage considerations. Based on the zoning information, you'll know whether you can even build a garage on your lot and what types are allowable.

The Housing Forum recommends an attached garage if you just need something in which to park your cars. This is a less expensive option because one wall will already be in place. A detached garage would be the choice in which to have a workshop where you want to shield the house from the noise of power tools.

If you're planning on a single-car garage, House Logic says to start with a 14 feet by 20 feet addition. For a two-car garage, go 20 feet by 24 feet. This will just let you get your cars in and open the doors. If you want additional space for storage or a workbench, you'll want to add 6 or 8 feet.

If you already have a carport and are planning on an attached garage, your existing driveway may be sufficient. If not, for a single car garage, you'll need to plan on a 10 feet wide driveway from the garage door to the street. If there are obstacles, such as trees or a wall on either side, you may want a 14 feet wide driveway to make sure the car doors clear the obstacles when opened.

For a two-car garage, you'll want a 20 feet to 24 feet wide driveway. If you need space to turn the car around so you can pull forward out into a busy street, you'll need to plan on a 10 feet wide by 12 feet deep space right in front of the garage.

You'll want to make the garage look like a part of the house and not detract from it. An attached garage placed with the doors opening to the side with some windows in the front looks like just another room addition. This will likely increase your driveway expense since it may not be a direct line into the garage.

If the doors must face front, consider using two one-car doors for better eye appeal. Blend the roof overhang into your house's roof, too, for continuity.

The prices can vary greatly based on the location in the U.S., the materials and extras you add such as a floor drain, extra electrical outlets or built-in shelves. For planning purposes, the Housing Forum suggests using $40 to $50 per square foot for a basic construction. This makes an average one-car garage run $9,600 to $12,000 and a two-car garage $15,200 to $19,000.

To build a garage yourself, you'll need to know the zoning laws and codes inside and out. You can check with a commercial construction equipment company such as Neff Rental to see what the costs are for trenchers and backhoes. You'll have to work with the concrete companies to poor the footings just right. But unless you're a licensed plumber and electrician, you'll need someone to come in and do that work, or inspect it, to make sure it meets the city's codes. There are many pieces to stay on top of.

People with a contracting background may choose the DIY route, but the next best thing is to be an educated consumer. Do your homework first, says the Garage Plan Shop, and you can oversee the contractor's work and make sure that the costs are staying in line with your own budget.

Take a moment to stop and think about your garage addition and if you will have any living spaces above the garage which is very common. Maybe this will become a new rec room, tv room or playroom.Will you need to invest in additional construction steps,hardwood flooringany other architectural details to make this room complete? The good news is, once your garage is complete, if you aren't quite ready to tackle another living space, install a nice interior door and get to it when your schedule, and budget allows.

Creative Commons image by sheilaq6931

Originally posted here:
Things to Consider Before Planning a Garage Addition

Even in mild climates like Texas, there's nothing more frigid than trying to handle metal tools in your chilly, drafty garage. As it turns out, you can easily heat this space with a range of fixesfrom quick additions to permanent installations. Here's how to properly heat your garage this winter.

Types of Garage Heaters

You have the tiny space heater tucked under your desk at work, but there are many mobileor more permanentoptions that can heat your whole garage. The most popular are electric, but you might want to consider one of these lesser-known mediums as well.

Should You Insulate Your Garage?

If you want a more permanent, efficient solution, you might consider insulating your workspace. Most garages aren't sufficiently insulated, which is why they feel so cold in the winter months. If you are a dedicated craftsperson or spend a lot of time working in your garage, enlist a professional contractor to insulate your walls and ceilings.

Like your home, you'll want to prevent heat from going straight out the garage window or door. You might want to replace your garage door with a better insulated model. It might seem like a big expense at first, but this will pay dividends in heating costsand comfortonce you're done.

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During the early months of 2020, construction is scheduled to start in Irvine, Calif., on BANC, a 250-key luxury hotel with 16 condos and 150,000 sf of office space. Sitting atop that buildings parking garage will be a 40,000-sf roof deck with two swimming pools, a 6,500-sf nightclub, and $1.4 million in landscaping.

The landscaping will contribute to providing a level of intimacy for an amenity that accommodates 1,200 people. Another element meant to create a kind of Las Vegas experience will be 40 rentable cabanas, including six that fit up to 20 people each, says Rob Budetti, NCARB, CDP, LEED GA, Partner with AO Architects, this projects designer.

BANC accentuates how roof deck entertainment spaces have become prevalent, even essential, in new construction and as additions to existing buildings. The amenity has become a prominent feature for office buildings, offering an accessible, secure extension of the occupants workplace, explains John Crump, Vice President and Workplace Studio Leader for SmithGroups Washington, D.C., office, whose recent projects include the District Center at 555 12th Street NW, with a 10,000-sf outdoor terrace.

When considering a roof entertainment space, project teams must address several factors: weight loads, moisture control and rainwater management, wind uplift, and occupant safety. The BANC project, for example, must account for the pools depth (3 to 4 feet) and planters with six feet of planting depth, says Diego Alessi, ASLA, Principal and Director of AO Architects landscape studio.

There are four types of loadssnow, rain, live, and deadthat any roof deck design manages, says Blair Hildahl, PE, LEED AP, CMO and Founding Partner with Base4, an AE firm based in LaCrosse, Wis. He adds that if shear walls dont extend above the roof level, the rooftop structure must be able to withstand lateral loads from seismic and wind activity.

Planning for a roof deck needs to happen at the concept stage, says Hildahl. The challenge is to make egress, accessibility, insulation requirements, and waterproofing/drainage work together efficiently.

That gets complicated when the amenity is being dropped onto an older building whose original structural design only figured on snow and dead loads on the roof.

Chicago-based architecture and construction firm Epstein designed the conversion of the Conrad Chicago from an office building to a hotel. The owner, Lawrence Geller, insisted on adding a dynamic roof, so Epstein had to make sure the buildings columns could handle the extra load. The columns were reinforced with a carbon-fiber spray, and beams were installed under the roof slab, says David Scott, AIA, Epsteins Director of Hospitality.

Roof deck amenities are typically built in layers, and the lower layers are probably not going to be touched again for a very long time, says Craig Hargrove, AIA, LEED AP, CDT, RRC, Senior Vice President and Director of Architecture with Hoffmann Architects. So how those layers get built is important because they can be fabulously expensive.

Hargrove notes that a deck must deal with the pitch that funnels rainwater from the roof to drains. But a -inch incline in the walking surface can be noticeable and disturbing psychologically to people standing on it.

Water can be moved to drains at two levels: at the structural deck where the waterproofing membrane is often installed, and above the deck at the walking surface. If these two surfaces drain independently, each can have two different pitches, allowing the walking surface to have a slope that is more conducive to the use of the space. In other cases, such as with loose laid pavers on a pedestal system over the structural deck, the walking surface can be level with no pitch, because water that might collect at the walking surface will drain to the structural deck between the pavers. The pitch of the roof then moves the water by gravity to the drains.

Another approachand one that is typically less expensiveis to stack high-density plastic adjustable shims, known as screw jacks, under the corners of the deck to level the panels.

In any reconstruction that involves a roof deck, its important to consider insulation placement, advises Carl Baldassarra, Principal and Unit Manager with Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE). Improper installation below the roof deck can lead to problems such as increased freeze-thaw damage, efflorescence, and condensation.

To control moisture, WJE uses a separate waterproofing membrane, such as hot applied rubberized asphalt, which functions as an air barrier and vapor retarder on the surface of the deck, say WJE Principals Norbert Krogstad and Rich Koziol. (The choice of insulation, says Koziol, is currently confined to extruded polystyrene board because of its water-resistant properties.)

Hargrove of Hoffmann Architects notes that the trick is to keep the roofs membrane as far away from the asset as possible to protect the membrane, which is a key component in moisture control. Penetration points therefore should be flashed and detailed carefully.

The roof deck amenity atop the Conrad by Hilton hotel in Chicagoan adaptive reuse of an office buildingrequired that the buildings structural columns be reinforced to hold the extra weight. Roof deck amenities must also handle wind lift when installing flooring and furniture. Photo:Neal Burger/courtesy Epstein.

Getting the entertainment space to intersect seamlessly with the roofs rainwater drainage system is a design imperative. But, Scott cautions, People dont want to see what youre doing to remove water.

To manage rainwater, BANCs roof deck amenity will be built on paving materials atop a pedestal-like system that, at different areas, will be between six and 18 inches above the roof. Irrigation and drainage will go through the underdeck space. Planters will have their own drainage system thats filtered through a biofiltration swale (a requirement in California).

Wind can play havoc on outdoor entertainment spaces. WJEs Krogstad says that, depending on the space and the height of the building, it might be necessary to anchor the deck or terrace finishes to the structure below. Hargrove points out that manufacturers offer paver-locking systems, in wood or precast concrete, so that the roof itself acts as a large unit of ballast.

See Also:Passive House picks up steam

Base4s Hildahl notes that the deck height can affect the elevator landing heights. And if theres a kitchen or any covered spaces, they need to be raised, too; otherwise you may need a ramp for such spaces.

The number of exit doors, stairs, sprinklers, standpipes, and elevators that a roof deck entertainment space must have is spelled out in codes that, for an existing building, sometimes lead to reconstruction. Its sort of the reverse from the way most buildings are designed because people are moving back and forth from the top of the building, says Epsteins Scott. For the Conrad Chicago project, the Building Team had to deconstruct a section of the building to make way for a second stairwell.

In the interest of occupant safety, rooftop spaces used by the public need to be reviewed for guardrail height, says WJEs Baldassarra. Roof decks on tall buildings might also limit the use of combustible materials such as wood decking.

Excerpt from:
Rising to the occasion - Building Design + Construction

If you are in the market to sell your home, you will find that it is not an easy task. Buying a home is a lot easier than selling it. If you can sell your home quickly, you should thank your stars because you are fortunate. For those who find it challenging to sell a home, there is an option that increases the chances of selling your home quickly, and that option is known as staging your home.

Staging a home means you make your house look excellent and appealing to the prospective buyer. Most real estate agents who were assisting buyers felt that staging a home helped the buyers to make a decision. Most buyers even mentioned to the agents that they were able to picture themselves living in the house.

And similarly, agents who were assisting sellers informed the website that they were able to get a reasonable sales price for the seller. Staged homes also sold faster than homes that are not, according to 100commissionrealestate. Lets now get down to the right way of staging a home:

A cluttered house will never sell. People do not like to see a cluttered house as it makes the house look smaller than it is. Also, the prospective buyer is not interested in all yourknick-knacks. An item that may seem very important for you will have no value for the buyer. You should remove all your details, and you can even rent a storage unit for this purpose.

If you think that you can keep your things in a closet, well, you are not alone, but most buyers will open and check cabinets, and a cluttered closet will not help you in any way. Once you have removed the clutter, you should ideally get your house deep cleaned.

Many deep cleaning service providers will make sure that the home sparkles. Make sure that special care is shown for your kitchen and bathroom. Keep the windows open and let in the fresh air. An additional tip is to keep a lid of the toilet closed when you are showing around a buyer.

Everyone likes a house that is bright and neat. So make sure that the curtains are opened and fresh light filters through.

Also, make sure that all the light fixtures are colorful and attractive. If your lighting fixtures need to be changed, make sure to replace it.

It is common knowledge that white light looks better than yellow light, so make sure that the lights are white and bright.

The first room that a person is going to see is the living room, so make sure that the living room is beautiful. If needed, remove all your furniture, and you can even rent the right furniture to improve the overall look and feel of the living room.

Also, space matters a lot. The buyer needs to see that there is a lot of space for movement, so make sure that the furniture is sparse and not too much. Some buyers do not like to see furniture at all. They want the house devoid of any things.

The next room that most buyers like to see in the bedroom. Most of us spend one-third of our lives in a bedroom, and hence it matters a lot to many people. Make sure the bedroom is painted in soothing colors, and the buyer should feel a sense of relaxation when he or she enters it.

The kitchen is also essential for most buyers. Ensure that it is deep cleaned and also make sure that the appliances in the kitchen are serviced and in good working order. A good tip is to bake cookies or bread before the arrival of the buyer because the fragrance will be an excellent mood enhancer and a great ice breaker.

The bathroom should be deep cleaned, and the fittings should be in good working order.

One place that most people forget to clean in the garage. Many people love to have a neat and organized garage, so make sure that the parking is neat and clean. The tools are kept neatly etc.

As we all know that the first impression a buyer has almost always decided the sale. The first thing that a wannabe buyer will see is the curb or the outside of your house, and this needs to be impressive, it needs to create a lasting impression on the mind of the buyer, and if this is accomplished, the sale of the house is more or less complete.

To improve the value of your curb, as the exteriors are often referred to by realtors, you need to wash the walkway and also the house, there are many power wash service providers you can avail their services and get it done. The windows of the house will also be visible from the outside, and it should be neat and clean, and it should not be coated with dust and grime, you need to get it cleaned too.

If you have a lawn, make sure that the grass is not overgrown. If it is, then mowed it. Keep potted plants along the walkways, ideally with flowering plants. Different colored flowers add a lot of beauty to the sidewalks. If required, get the main door painted so that it looks good. The mailbox is often overlooked, the buyer will not like a house that has a broken mailbox or a dirty one, so make sure that the inbox is cleaned and neat.

Small additions add a lot of value to the house. Keep nice vases in the rooms; make sure that fresh flowers kept in them, it is a small addition, but it adds to the beauty of the place. Buy fresh fruits and keep them in a bowl on the dining table, fold towels and hang them in the bathroom, etc. These small additions will make the wannabe buyer think about buying your house positively.

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The Right Way Of Staging Your Home in 2020 - ChartAttack

Members of the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals, complaining that Andrew Goldstein was needlessly argumentative in representing his client, voted to adjourn the hearing on Friday.

An acrimonious exchange on Friday between the East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals and an attorney ended in the boards abruptly adjourning a hearing. Members complained to the lawyer, Andrew Goldstein, that his remarks sounded more like an inquisition than a presentation of his clients application.

The contentious back-and-forth came shortly after the board found itself forced to defend a decision to reject one application while minutes later signaling approval of another. Each one, members emphasized, involves unique circumstances that had to be considered in the context of multiple criteria.

The applicant, James Danella of 49 La Forest Lane, was seeking a 654-square-foot variance in order to enlarge a closet in the master bedroom and add a bay window, a stair landing, a home office, a laundry room, and a shower. His house, built before the zoning code took effect, is 6,417 square feet, where the maximum now permitted is 5,679 square feet. Approval of the application would result in a 7,071-square-foot house.

Mr. Danella also needs variances to make alterations that would not comply with required front and side-yard setbacks.

From the street, the house is visible only from the driveway, Mr. Goldstein said; a thick hedge obscures it otherwise. All the requested floor area additions are to the rear of the house, he said, so the additional mass would not be visible from the street. The board has on many occasions said that under those conditions the variance for the gross floor area will not cause undesirable change in the character of the neighborhood or detriment to any nearby property, said Mr. Goldstein, who is a former chairman of the Z.B.A. He displayed a stack of papers that he said was a partial list of prior determinations demonstrating this.

The property is well under its allowable coverage, Mr. Goldstein noted, and has no accessory structures. The house itself has long existed at its excessive size without adverse comment, he said, and the additions, being invisible to neighbors, would not affect them.

I dont agree with that logic, that if you cant see it, its okay, said Lys Marigold, the boards chairwoman. Our code doesnt follow that, either. The difference between the allowable and proposed floor area is 24.5 percent, she said. Under our criteria, thats called substantial.

I would ask you, Mr. Goldstein answered, to tell me how this application is different from the many other applications in which you have said if you cant see it, it doesnt affect neighborhood character. . . . You voted on these applications yourself.

But, said Larry Hillel, a board member, whether or not alterations are visible is only one factor in the boards deliberations. Ms. Marigold repeated the 24.5-percent increase in floor area, suggesting that the additions sought could be made within the houses existing space. Mr. Goldstein countered that part of the 24.5 percent is legally pre-existing and not subject to code, citing another prior determination.

Voices grew louder, and Mr. Goldstein and board members began talking over one another. The attorney was about to cite more prior determinations when the chairwoman cut him off. I dont want to hear it! Ms. Marigold said. Each one . . . has its own set of circumstances. . . . So it doesnt help to quote these things.

Mr. Goldstein referred to one anyway.

Theres also a shift in the feeling of the village, Ms. Marigold said. The feeling in the village is that houses are getting bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger.

Youre deciding this application based on a feeling in the village? Mr. Goldstein, sounding incredulous, asked. No, was the answer, but you can quote determinations from five years ago,10 years ago. Things have definitely changed.

The applicant is a taxpaying resident, Mr. Goldstein protested. The code provides for variances. So Im asking you, in order to depart from these precedents, what fact is different in this case?

Board members reiterated the houses already substantial floor area, reminding Mr. Goldstein that among the criteria by which they judge applications is whether the relief sought can be achieved without a variance.

Youre saying that where theres no effect on the neighborhood, and he has the ability somehow to turn a bedroom into a closet, thats grounds to deny the variance? Mr. Goldstein asked.

This shouldnt be so argumentative, Ms. Marigold finally said, John McGuirk voicing agreement.

Im flabbergasted that youre so willing to depart from your precedents without giving us a fact as to why, Mr. Goldstein objected. I want to understand, how does this affect the character of the neighborhood or any neighbor?

Beth Baldwin, the villages attorney, spoke up. I think the point of this right now is a public hearing, not an inquisition of the zoning board.

And its horrible, Mr. McGuirk said. It really is horrible. . . . Were not on trial. Ms. Marigold suggested adjourning the hearing, and Mr. McGuirk agreed, but Mr. Goldstein continued to press for an explanation.

Youre doing yourself a disservice right now, Ms. Marigold said.

No, Mr. Goldstein answered. I think, frankly, that you have done the village a disservice.

The hearing was adjourned and is to resume at the boards next meeting, on Feb. 14.

Earlier in the meeting, the board looked unfavorably on Robert and Rosalind Woolcotts application to build a detached garage in the front yard at 55 Toilsome Lane. In the continuation of their hearing, the applicants stressed that the parcel they are redeveloping is just 80 feet wide, rendering an attached garage, which is permitted, or a garage in the rear of the property, impractical.

Based on the boards feedback at a prior meeting, the applicants had reduced the proposed garage from 704 to 598 square feet. The plan mirrors every immediate neighbors garage on Toilsome Lane and in no way harms the look and feel of the village, Mr. Woolcott said.

But Ms. Marigold, referring to a memo from Billy Hajek, the village planner, said the garages on neighboring properties either comply with code or are legally pre-existing. Every time we grant one of these garages in the front of the house we regret it, Mr. McGuirk said. A garage belongs in the back or attached. The hearing was closed.

The circumstances are different at 43 Terbell Lane, the board concluded, where Joseph and Amy Perella want to construct a detached garage in the front yard of their 4.4-acre property. Their house is 152 feet from the street and the proposed garage 97.7 feet away, said Mary Jane Asato, an attorney representing the applicants.

The proposed garage is not in front of the house per se, Ms. Asato said. Its in the definitional front, in the sense that the distance between the house and the street, it is within that area. Frankly, its really a side-yard situation, for visual impact.

A tennis court sits across the street from the Perellas driveway, and the rear of the property, which abuts Hook Pond, is affected by wetlands setbacks.

I believe it is substantially different from the case you had previously, Ms. Asato said, and the board agreed.

See more here:
It's a Zoning Board Hearing, 'Not an Inquisition' - East Hampton Star

WICHITA, Kan. (KAKE) -

Save Century II volunteers are still working on their petition to save the building after plans for the new Riverfront showed that it would be demolished.

The petition Facebook pagehas been up for months and the petition itself followed behind. Now that the plans have been revealed, and don't include the five decade old building, supporters of the petition said they are trying to achieve their goal of giving Wichitans a say in if it stays or goes.

"The Kansas constitution guarantees all citizens that all political power is inherent in the people," said Karl Peterjohn, a Save Century II volunteer."And this petition is a way for them to fully express that power. We're askingin the petition that we have a vote."

Under the proposed plan, Century II would be demolished along with the old Hyatt garage and old library. In it's place would be a new performing arts center, Hyatt garage, convention center, public plaza and five mixed-use additions. You can find more details in the plan in the press release here.

Now, after the plan has been revealed, Save Century II supporters like Peterjohn said it could change the Wichita skyline forever.

"This is a representation of Wichita, of what we are as a community and people want to save those symbols," he said. "This building is a symbol of what is valuable and what is cherished in Wichita."

Something else to be aware of are scammers. People said they have received calls about online petitions and sites asking for money to fund the movement for Save Century II. Remember, the only petition that can be presented to the city is the one that organizers are collecting signatures on, at locations in person. Also, any money donated to the historic preservation alliance, is not done online. Only in-person or by mail.

To be put on the November ballot and go to a public vote, the petition needs about 12,500 votes. Right now, Save Century II advocate John Todd said they have around 800 notarized signatures. You can sign the petition at 435 N. Broadway.

See the article here:
Century II supporters still working on petition to save building - KAKE