Published: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 5:22 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, February 3, 2015 at 5:22 p.m.

The Lexington City Council met at the Lexington Police Training Center on Tuesday for its annual retreat. City Manager, Alan Carson said the two-day meeting will serve to look back on the past year's accomplishments and to look forward to new challenges. He emphasized that the retreat is for informational purposes only and there are no votes or final decisions made concerning the upcoming budget.

"There are a lot of positive things to discuss," Carson said. "It is amazing everything that gets accomplished when everyone is working together. The purpose of this retreat is to give detailed reports on complex issues. It is an opportunity to get together and share ideas as we move forward."

Director of Public Utilities for the City of Lexington, Chris Smith, outlined the upcoming projects, past accomplishments and goals for the natural gas and electric department during the retreat. According to a report from the city manager's office, Lexington utilities services make up $79 million out of the annual budget, which is 76 percent of the overall budget.

Smith said upcoming priorities for the natural gas department are adding new customers, extension of natural gas lines in Welcome, Linwood and Southmont, the Winston Road bridge replacement and the GIS mapping projects.

"We had a lot of activity in natural gas and we are still expanding," Smith said. "We are building as people are coming to us. We are seeing more extensions are because of the popularity of natural gas."

Smith said the natural gas department added 2,012 new services from 2003 and large additions came from the Welcome/Arcadia main-line extension, which was completed last year.

He said the replacement of the Winston Road Business I-85 overpass will require reconfiguration of some of the existing natural gas pipeline. Smith said a majority of the project, in relation to the natural gas lines, is estimated at $240,000 but $160,000 should be reimbursed by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Smith said the gas department want continue research into private and public fleets of natural gas vehicles; continued implementation of the federal distribution integrity management plan (DIMO) using a GIS system as an analytical tool to maintain compliance and to identify threats to the integrity of the pipeline and discussion on line extension to the proposed I-85 industrial park project adjacent to Belmont Road.

During the presentation on the electric department, Smith said the department is continuing with its capital improvement plan to enhance reliability and plan for future load growth. The main project is the second phase of the utilities operation project, which includes a new electric operations building and warehouse. Smith said they hope to begin this final phase by 2016.

Read the original post:
City council discusses natural gas and electric projects

Judge Jos Luis Castillo Jr. laid out stacks of paper Monday morning as he prepared for trial in his new nest.

A short time later at 9:15 a.m., Courtroom 404 would be host to the first-ever jury trial in the new Consolidated Justice Courthouse at the Pima County Public Service Center, 240 N. Stone Ave. a 272,000-square-foot county complex.

The county vacated the historical courthouse on North Church Avenue with its iconic pink exterior and dome structure, which officials said could not support todays capacity and functions, as it was designed in the 1920s to support the needs of that time.

Castillos courtroom was mostly empty on the first day at the new building, with chairs that have never been sat on and tables that have never been used. He put a familiar touch by setting up pictures of his three children on the judges bench.

The aesthetics are decidedly more modern than those of the old courthouse and his former Courtroom 8, otherwise known as the Dillinger courtroom as the site of the trial of John Dillinger and his gang in January 1934.

I feel nostalgic, but Ill adjust, Castillo said.

The new building is seven stories tall and has two basement levels. It houses courtrooms on four floors to handle the approximately 140,000 cases filed at the Justice Court in a year, with more than 500,000 people passing through the security checkpoint.

I love the old courthouse, but everything was so cramped in there, said Doug Kooi, the Consolidated Justice Court administrator.

The Public Service Center, soon to be home also to the countys treasurer, constable, Assessors Office and Recorders Office, is an improvement in every sense, Kool said.

In the old building, members of the jury and the public often only had standing room only and sometimes had to sit on the floor while waiting, he said. The only jury deliberation room was also used as a conference room, and four restrooms were shared by hundreds of people each day.

Read more:
Justice Court leaves historical building for new center

Further new commercial and mixed-use developments planned for initiation in 2015 are a positive re-enforcement of the citys vibrant business district which has successfully evolved over the past decade to incorporate a strong live, work, play ethos and in so doing, attract a burgeoning and complementary residential component.

He says in the commercial property market, where ever-increasing operating (utilities) and rental costs impact on tenants and landlords, the majority of office layouts now favour an open plan environment with boardrooms or small meeting rooms utilised to meet clients and a strong focus on kitchen and staff recreational areas with some offices even installing showers for cyclists and runners.

Security of premises and parking facilities also plays an important role, particularly as users in the IT industry, designers, marketing and creative businesses need to cater for being open longer hours.

Last year (2014) saw considerable progress in projects undertaken and completed. Notable new commercial properties comprising office space with ground floor retail such as restaurants and coffee bars, include the new landmark skyscraper, Portside, which is almost fully occupied by Old Mutual and First National Bank as well as subsidiaries such as Wesbank, and some smaller tenants.

The new 22 Bree Street, anchored by Bowman Gilfillan, is almost fully tenanted, while the top end of Bree Street has become extremely popular, with landlords receiving frequent requests for restaurant, retail and office spaces. A small owner-occupied property in this same street has been modernised with new finishes and parking added, making it impactful and instantly recognisable. A major renovation is under way and nearing completion at 130 Strand Street - to accommodate a college. Touchstone House, near Portside, where commercial, namely office and ground floor retail units, have been sold via sectional title, is also well under construction.

On Foreshore, a new parking garage has been added to the Standard Bank building, enabling it to offer tenants a reasonable parking ratio, while Roggebaai Place, situated behind SARS and comprising a gross lettable area (GLA) of 12500, has just been completed with some space still available. In addition, an eight-storey office block at 19 Louis Gradner Street has been refurbished and now incorporates on-site, secure parking.

In the trendy De Waterkant area, in the sought after Hudson building, where Sharon has concluded 90 percent of the leases, a new triple-storey loft has been added. Available to let at a rental rate of R185 per square metre, this exceptional modern unit of 420m has high end finishes and a large terrace. Opposite The Hudson, the newly completed, mainly residential mixed-use development, The Mirage, incorporates a retail component with a boutique hotel planned.

On the fringe of the central city, on Somerset Road in Green Point, new residential developments have transformed the area, where any small building is being sold, demolished and sectional-titled into predominantly residential units. A new development, 22 Somerset Road, is now complete with tenants moving into this small, modern building with two striking, glass facades. Also on the fringe, the Kloof Street area remains very popular among restaurateurs and small businesses, however very few new buildings are constructed due to heritage issues, high acquisition costs and the absence of large properties to redevelop.

Sharon says Sea Point is also being upgraded at a rapid pace. The refurbished Galleria which is now renamed The Point is an exciting new development with multi-tier retail and P-Grade offices. The building is almost fully tenanted and offers generous, secure parking for both tenants and customers.An apartment building is being built on the corner of Main and Glen Roads, where a McDonalds outlet has already opened.

Other major projects are currently under construction in the city centre and immediate vicinity, with special attention given to parking ratios, green or energy saving technology, P-Grade modern finishes and the latest office design, with emphasis open plan and maximising spaces. In this upper end P-Grade buildings, office rentals in De Waterkant and new city office developments are approaching the R200 per square metre mark. However, compared to other city centres in cities in Europe or the USA, this is still extremely inexpensive.

Read more:
Investment in major new developments in Cape Towns city centre

A UK garage music example (here, Visions by Ascent). It contains elements of the speed garage and 2 step garage sub-genres. Pay attention to the drum at 0:44 and the bassline at 2:28.

UK garage (also known as UKG) is a genre of electronic music originating from England in the early 1990s. The genre usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling' hi-hats and beat-skipping kick drums. Garage tracks also commonly feature 'chopped up' and time-shifted or pitch-shifted vocal samples complementing the underlying rhythmic structure at a tempo usually around 128 to 140 BPM. UK garage was largely subsumed into other styles of music and production in the mid-2000s, including dubstep, bassline and grime. The decline of UK garage during the mid-2000s saw the birth of UK funky, which is closely related.

The evolution of house music in the UK in the mid-1990s led to the term, as previously coined by the Paradise Garage DJs, being applied to a new form of music also known as speed garage. Its originator is widely recognised to be Todd Edwards, the American house and garage producer, also known as Todd "The God" Edwards. In the early nineties, Edwards began to start remixing more soulful house records and incorporating more time-shifts and vocal samples than normal house records, whilst still living in the US. However, it was not until DJ EZ, the North London DJ, acquired one of Edwards' tracks and played it at a faster tempo in a nightclub in Greenwich, that the music genre really took off.

In the late nineties, the term "UK garage" was settled upon by the scene. This style is now frequently combined with other forms of music like soul, rap, reggae, ragga and R&B, all broadly filed under the description of urban music. The pronunciation of UK garage uses UK // GARR-ij, rather than US // g-rahzh.[1]

Artists such as Grant Nelson, M.J. Cole, Artful Dodger, Jaimeson, So Solid Crew, Heartless Crew, The Streets, Shanks & Bigfoot, DJ Luck & MC Neat, Sunship (Ceri Evans), Oxide and Neutrino and numerous others have made garage music mainstream in the UK, whilst Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Kano's arrival raised the profile of grime, an offshoot of garage.

Cole once stated, "London is a multicultural city... it's like a melting pot of young people, and that's reflected in the music of UK garage".[2]

Notable female singers who have had the genre incorporated into their songs include Lisa Maffia, Ms. Dynamite, Kele Le Roc, Shola Ama, Sweet Female Attitude and Mis-Teeq.

"'Garage' is considered a mangled term in dance music. The term derives from the Paradise Garage itself, but it has meant so many different things to so many different people that unless you're talking about a specific time and place, it is virtually meaningless. Part of the reason for this confusion (aside from various journalistic misunderstandings and industry misappropriations) is that the range of music played at the garage was so broad. The music we now call 'garage' has evolved from only a small part of the club's wildly eclectic soundtrack."

-- Frank Broughton/Bill Brewster in Last Night A DJ Saved My Life

In the UK, where jungle was very popular at the time, garage was played in a second room at jungle events. After jungle's peak in cultural significance, it had turned towards a harsher, more techstep influenced sound, driving away dancers, predominantly women. Escaping the 170bpm jungle basslines, the garage rooms had a much more sensual and soulful sound at 130bpm.[3]

View post:
UK garage - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

LOW PRICE GUARANTEE If you find the same home or garage plan on another site for less, we'll beat the price by 6%!

START EARLY Spring is a busy time for contractors, building and zoning departments, and everyone else involved in the home building industry. Everyone wants to start building yet all the details take time to put in place. If you want to build a house this year, start NOW. Order your house plans or garage design early and get at the head of the line for building permits and contractors.

OUR HOUSE PLANS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED Found the plan that is "ALMOST" perfect, but not quite? Maybe the kitchen needs to be a bit larger or you'd like to have a three car garage instead of the two car garage shown in the plan. The majority of our house plans and garage designs can be customized to your needs. Call us today to learn more! 860-485-4188

Read more here:
House plans, home plans, house designs, garage plans and ...

Greg Stone

Greg Stone began writing professionally for various websites in September of 2010. He lives in Branson, Mo. and is the marketing director for Doulos Discipleship of Doulos Ministries. Stone holds a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Central Missouri University and a Master of Ministry from John Brown University.

Garages enhance home appearance and provide storage for cars and other items. Building a garage requires planning, whether with a newly constructed home or as an addition. Deciding on the size of a garage involves answering some basic questions and taking measurements. A larger-than-needed garage takes up available space on your land, while a garage built too small limits your uses. Proper planning beforehand can ensure that you build a garage that suits your needs.

Garage doors have been getting bigger because cars have been getting bigger, too. SUVs and trucks require wider garage door sizes than...

Adding a garage to your home will give you extra storage, and working or living space. A garage will not only give...

End to End Garage Dimensions. ... Modern garages are typically designed with a minimum 22-foot depth to provide this room and many...

What Are the Standard Garage Door Sizes? Garage doors have been getting bigger because cars have been getting bigger, ...

The minimum standard depth of a two-car garage is 20 feet. ... There are no hard guidelines set by zoning or government...

What Is the Size of a Two Car Garage?. Garages can be built in a number of sizes and layouts. ... this...

Average Garage Sizes. Standard garage sizes will typically look proportionate to most homes. ... The minimum size for a two-car garage is...

See the article here:
Garage Size Specifications | eHow

Change is at the heart of the home at 217 Grandview Ave. on Mt. Washington.

A building that was a duplex has become a one-family home. A dining room now is a bedroom. A bedroom has been transformed into dressing area and walk-in closet. Four feet have been added to a dining room by extending an outside wall.

Even the stairs leading to the second-floor family room have been redesigned so the head and neck of a 16-foot-tall giraffe can poke upstairs.

Most important, said owner Marie Mulloney, it is an upside down house. The sleeping-private area is on the first floor, separated from the entrance by a large foyer. The entertaining area, which usually is on ground level, is on the second floor and is dominated by an impressive view of the city.

Very often you call these kind of rooms Florida rooms, but we think it should be called a Pittsburgh room, Mulloney said, motioning to the view.

The house across the street from the Mt. Washington observation platforms is for sale for $999,000.

Mulloney and her late husband, Peter, began changing the home in 1978 and worked on it until 2002. He lived in it when it was a two-family home, but they were eager to change it once the opportunity arose.

It was work that altered the nature of the house by changing the function of rooms. Small changes were within the rooms as well.

Mulloney believes the home is about 100 years old, but said she has heard different estimates from architects, who believe it may be older. A century old or later, it is filled with small closets that have been changed in places.

One was in a bedroom when the home was a duplex. It now is a built-in buffet in a dining room. Another has been changed from a closet to a lighted dinnerware storage and display area.

More here:
Mt. Washington renovation is a labor of love

Pittsburgh, Scott Bricker boasts, has some world-class urban mountain biking. Its really incredible. After all, said the executive director of Bike Pittsburgh, There arent many places where you can fly into a city and, within an hour, be on an amazing trail.

But during winter, many riders would just as soon not even cross the street. Which is where The Wheel Mill, and this weekends Wood Fest celebration, come in.

Built inside an 80,000-square-foot Homewood warehouse, Wheel Mill is practically an urban forest in its own right. BMX ramps and mountain-biking obstacle courses sprawl from one room to the next, fashioned from plywood, recycled lumber and the occasional dead tree trunk. But its all indoors.

People have told us, Im so glad youre here, because I just used to drink over the winter, said Wheel Mill owner Harry Geyer, who opened the facility in 2013.

On Saturday, Mr. Geyer hosted Wood Fest in an effort to give hibernating cyclists extra incentive for getting in gear. Along with the usual crowd of riders perfecting the arts of tire-grabbing and tail-whipping, Virginia-based instructor Harlan Price was on hand to teach free clinics in skills like wheel hopping. There were also events like the footdown contest, a sort of bike-mounted combination joust and roller-derby event in which dozens of cyclists traveled in a loose circle while trying to force each other off balance.

Its like a childhood game that never got old, said Adam Hauck, who won the event.

A professional mountain-biker, Mr. Hauck traveled to Wood Fest from Bloomfield, N.J., on behalf of a sponsor. Pittsburgh, he said, has an unreal bike community, with The Wheel Mill serving as a family-friendly hub.

There arent many places where parents and kids have some place they can both ride, Mr. Hauck said. While he, too, appreciated a chance to bike while sheltered from the elements, he said the buildings gritty past kept the environment from getting too sterile.

I really like that its an old building thats gotten a second life, he said. The roof is leaking over there, so its just like being outside.

This is The Wheel Mills second winter, its busiest season, and Mr. Geyer said it has been attracting half again as many people this year as last year. And with constant additions and changes to park features, his wheels never stop spinning, even though the park already features some obstacles Mr. Geyer himself has yet to master.

See more here:
Wood Fest gives Pittsburgh mountain bikers indoor thrills at Wheel Mill

Whether you have a recent college grad looking for an affordable apartment, aging parents who need a functional room of their own, or simply want a space for guests, adding a room above your garage can be a great space-saving option. Heres some more information to get you started.

While the cost of adding a room above your garage will vary depending on the size of the space, type of materials and the cost of labor, you can expect to pay, on average, about $150 per square foot. Get a price quote for a better cost estimate.

Adding a room above your garage can greatly increase your space, allowing for a guest apartment, extra bedroom, etc.

This renovation adds value to your home and increases your possible asking price in the future.

It can be repurposed as your familys needs change.

Would require excellent insulation and/or HVAC system to combat the heat and cold from the garage below.

Adding a room above the garage can be costly and time-consuming.

If possible, you should find a contractor that offers solid warranties on workmanship. Because this type of addition may require that parts of your garage are brought up to code, its highly recommended that your contractor guarantees his work and is willing to back it up down the road.

What needs to be brought up to code in order to make a room above a garage habitable?

While building codes vary depending on the city, state and county of your home, they usually always address the following: electrical wiring, heating and cooling, insulation, plumbing, ventilation, evacuation exits, and how structurally sound the space is

Read more:
Add a New Room in an Above-Garage Addition | Remodeling ...

Calculate a rough estimate yourself before talking to contractors.

Accurately estimating costs is essential to a successful garage addition. Overestimate costs and you tie up valuable resources. Underestimate and you risk not being able to complete the job. Construction cost has two components: materials and labor. Lumber, wires, pipes, shingles, doors, windows and fixtures make up materials cost. Labor cost is the cost of the workers paid to make the addition. Even if you hire a contractor to build the addition, knowing how to calculate costs allows you to make informed decisions.

Have an architect or draftsman draw plans for your addition. The plans are a graphic representation of the addition and should include the amount and type of materials required for the addition.

Calculate the area of the foundation. Use an online concrete estimator to determine the amount of concrete needed. Contact a concrete supplier for a per-yard price. Multiply the per-yard price by the yards needed to determine the total concrete price.

Take the plans to a home improvement retailer or lumber yard and price each type of lumber required. Multiply the per-piece price by the total amount required to determine lumber cost.

Calculate the number of linear feet of wire and pipe required and multiply each total by the per-foot or per-piece price. Count switches, outlets, plumbing and electrical fixtures and add their cost to the total.

Divide the roof area by 100 to determine the number of "squares" of shingles needed. Three bundles of shingles make up a square, so multiply the total number of squares by three to find the number of bundles needed. Multiply the cost per bundle by the number of bundles and add the sum to your total.

Divide the exterior surface by 100 to determine the number of squares of siding needed. Multiply the price per square by the number of squares and add the siding sum to your material total.

Add up your material totals to find the total materials cost.

Contact framing, electrical, plumbing, roofing, siding and concrete contractors. Give them the square footage of your addition and request a per-square-foot price for labor only. Add the quotes to find your total labor cost.

Read more from the original source:
How Do I Calculate How Much a Garage Addition Will Cost ...