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Published: Wednesday, August 20, 2014 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at 7:17 p.m.

Tau Mansion, with its striking facade, distinctive dormers and colonnade-framed entrance, has been home to thousands of fraternity brothers during the 73 years it has stood across from the entrance to the University of Florida.

We who have been members of this fraternity have always been fond of that structure, said John Marion, president of the chapter house corporation and chairman of the board of trustees.

But the house was aging. It had sprung leaks. It had chronic problems that led alumni to long discussions about whether to renovate their beloved house or tear it down and rebuild. They ultimately decided to renovate because of their fondness for the quirky old mansion.

It couldn't be duplicated under current building codes, said Marion, who was chapter president in 1978 during his second to last year at UF. He graduated in 1979.

The Tau Mansion is one of two major renovations of Greek houses this summer. Kappa Kappa Gamma, a sorority house two blocks down the road, completed a new residential wing in time for fall recruitment.

Those renovations are part of an unusually high amount of construction activity along a highly visible and bustling section of Southwest 13th Street. Other projects include the construction of Heavener Hall and Cypress Hall on the UF campus, and the construction at Trimark Properties that has closed off Southwest Third Avenue for most of the summer.

At least 18 of the 39 houses are undergoing modifications and improvements of one type or another most of them minor upgrades, new paint jobs and roofs, up to kitchen remodels.

We're excited as a university to see the investment of various fraternities and sororities, because it means the students are interested in these houses, said Jeanna Mastrodicasa, assistant vice president for student affairs.

Greek life is on the upswing at UF, despite some negative publicity in recent years about hazing and other conduct violations that led to disciplinary actions against several houses.

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Renovations inspire Greek revival on campus

Cutting red tape at the Civic Center won't be easy, speedy or inexpensive.

After 18 months of study, a citizens committee has concluded that hiring more Community Development Agency staffers, launching a sophisticated communication program, training, lowering fees and a variety of other moves are needed to engage the public, boost customer service and speed permit approval.

The panel provided no cost estimate for the ambitious effort, but the tab for new staff, as well as advice officials are likely to seek from communications and related consultants, easily tops several hundred thousand dollars, and could mount to well more than that.

The county's Regulatory Improvements Advisory Committee, which convened and deliberated with help from a facilitator, concluded that easing the permit process will take more hand-holding at the planning counter by generalists skilled in planning and public works disciplines, along with lots of backshop work simplifying, explaining and speeding review procedures.

The 11-member panel, appointed by officials after Lucasfilm abandoned plans for a film studio at Grady Ranch, "identified opportunities to reduce bureaucracy, achieve a more timely process for reviewing development proposals and allow for greater customer choice and flexibility for permit-related services," according to its final report.

Varying improvements are needed regarding time management, permit tracking, staffing, community planning, permit and fee structures, information distribution, agency review and training of design review board members, the panel said.

It called for a sophisticated communication program, using all media as well as public forums, to alert residents about permit procedures, project proposals and planning affairs. It urged officials to simplify regulations, launch an ombudsman system to mediate disputes, create online and "one-stop concierge" permit processing programs, tie permit fees to actual costs, and add a full-time "plan checker" post.

"A concerned public can contribute to project deliberations much more productively and substantively when it is informed and knowledgeable about the purpose of review, its procedural steps, the relevant policies and standards affecting the county's decision, and the milestones involved," the committee noted. "The committee urges the county to organize information in a complete and understandable manner, to make all information accessible in variety of formats, and to actively inform all members of the community about how to successfully participate in the review process."

Service improvements proposals include an ombudsman program "allowing an impartial intermediary to intercede on the behalf of an applicant, or other concerned party, to communicate the nature of the problem and negotiate its resolution with the agency staff." Also needed is a "permit concierge" planning role coordinating information for all parties involved or interested in review of a project, as well as a "multi-disciplinary reviewer" in a sort of front counter traffic cop role.

In short, the committee wants government to smooth the way for projects that meet county regulations, advising applicants, neighbors and others about the rules, requirements and consequences, potential outcomes and roadblocks.

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County panel: More staff needed to cut red tape at Civic Center

By Nels Johnson

njohnson@marinij.com @nelsjohnsonnews on Twitter

Rich Benson

In a presentation that one county supervisor said made him look more like a philosopher or academic than Marin's top property appraiser, Assessor-Recorder Rich Benson outlined a vision involving management, teamwork and increased productivity in the office.

In an unusually frank, wide-ranging discussion with the Board of Supervisors as part of his annual planning and performance session with the board, Benson said the challenges he faces include how to increase the quality and quantity of work his staff produces during a time of mounting workload.

"Are we really doing the best in terms of quality and production?" Benson asked. "We are pretty much at the bottom of the heap," when compared to averages across the state, he conceded, referring to property appraisals. "Our model wasn't working."

At the same time, with Marin posting more remodeling activity than other locales, home sales increasing and values soaring, there is more work to do than ever as hiring continues to fill a half dozen office posts, he said.

"The process of increasing productivity is extremely difficult," as is trying to measure appropriate production, he said. "We have to work smarter," in part by mining data that indicates reasonable, average valuation increases applicable to such things as kitchen remodels in various communities.

Yet appraisers increasingly must return to the practice of on-site field inspections to get the job done, he said.

"We're going to have to do more appraisals," Benson told the county board, absent supervisors Susan Adams and Steve Kinsey. "That means going out and inspecting the properties."

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Marin Assessor-recorder offers vision for managing office

By STEVE KAUFMANContributing Writer

Visitors to the 100-year-old Victorian Italianate house on the upcoming Tour of Remodeled Homes will see early 20th century architectural and design touches.

Theyll also see an early 21st century mans sense of humor.

Matthew Burkley, who bought the house on South Brook Street in Old Louisville, loved the historic integrity of the house its bones. And his brief to Brad Abell, general manager of Vincent Abell Contracting, was to preserve or restore as many of the period aspects of the home as possible.

Abell did that, burnishing whatever was in good condition like the oak floors with mahogany inlays, the wood trim, the cabinetry and the pocket doors on the main floor, and adding what needed adding, like gorgeous wainscoting with nailhead trim and inlaid antique glass panels, and an artistic iron railing on the front-most of the homes two staircases.

Abell restored all the ornate fireplaces in nearly every room of the house to working condition. It completely upgraded all the electric and plumbing and repaired the rope-and-pulley system in all the original windows so they all work for the first time in years.

In the entryway, Abell installed an antique wood-burning soapstone stove that actually functions, heating the entire area.

Also in the entryway, as you come through those dramatic front doors that make Old Louisville such a historic treasure, is a jar filled with spent bullet casings. Presiding on the same table is a statue of the Madonna, her hands raised in prayer, appearing to be blessing the bullets.

Contrasts like these form the personality that Burkley has brought to his uniquely male habitat.

For example, on the upstairs landing hangs a poster of Joseph Stalin, sharing the space with a red bust of Elvis Presley. Hard to imagine the two had much in common, other than their juxtaposition in Burkleys home. (That and Suspicious Minds.)

Excerpt from:
Its a Mans World

Kitchen Remodels Greenville Sc

By: IconMarketing2000

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Kitchen Remodels Greenville Sc - Video

All-Brite Kitchen Remodels
This video showcases some of All-Brite #39;s Kitchen Remodels.

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All-Brite Kitchen Remodels - Video

Another Monday night at the Proper. I was hanging out with Skippy, the bartender, sipping a non-alcoholic better-than-Shirley-Temple concoction with muddled berries, sprigs of mint and other stuff.

Skippy continued to make his argument. On Monday nights, the Flintridge Proper Bar is the modern-day equivalent of the pre-Prohibition, Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar.

Huh? I asked.

Skippy pulled a tattered book out of his back pocket. It was the 1935 edition of the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar Book. He threw it down on the bar and pointed to page 152. The Bar was not regarded as a place of ill-repute'...the Waldorf-Astoria bar was Wall Street moved bodily uptown for an adjourned session of the Stock Exchange, with men betting on how stocks would perform the next day.

Skippy had a point. Like the Old Waldorf-Astoria Bar, the Proper is the stomping grounds for professionals (and others) at the end of the work day, to discuss their investments and otherwise reconnoiter. Even retired La Caadans are welcome, if they have time from kitchen remodels and gardening activities.

Skippy wiped down the counter and continued. Historically, La Caada Flintridge has always had similar hangouts. Late evenings on the patio at Conrad's. Early mornings the La Caada Coffee Roaster. Coffee klatches at Higleys.

I had to agree. I still miss the La Caada Coffee Roaster.

Fast forward to 2014 and there's Monday nights at the Proper Bar, with repasts both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, with and without gluten, plus deviled-eggs with the chicken on the side.

Skippy continued. What's important is that we create a sense of community.

Suddenly it was clear. We live in an increasingly war-driven, urban, disassociated world. La Caada used to be a small semi-rural town. No one was anonymous. Today, we are at a crossroads. We are a suburb. We are suburban. What will happen to our sense of community? Where do we gather?

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Around Town: Proper boosts community feeling

Kitchen Remodels to Increase the Value of Your Home
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A Los Gatos woman is questioning the validity of school impact fees she's being charged for adding on to her kitchen, saying an eating area does not increase the number of students on the school rolls. But the Los Gatos Union School District counters that school impact fees, also known as developer fees, are not necessarily related to increases in enrollment.

The complaint comes from resident Meighan Mingrone, who said the $3.21 per square foot charge may be well-intended, but it's also unfair.

The fee is not charged against new construction that is less than 500 square feet. Mingrone's add-on is just over 600 square feet, so the impact on her budget is $1,926.

"This fee ... is justified on the claim that any new construction or remodels throughout town lead to more students and therefore an impact on the schools," Mingrone said. "Clearly this is a well-intended fee for large developments that add dozens of homes, or for a new home being built on a previously empty lot or even for a small two-bedroom house being changed into a large five-bedroom house, which will then be able to house a much larger family."

Mingrone added, "Such scenarios warrant a fee to the schools since they will likely result in additional students. What seems to have happened, though, is that the school district has pounced on this fee as a money grab."

The fees that are collected are split between the Los Gatos Union School District and the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District, with LGUSD receiving 69 percent and the high school district receiving 31 percent.

Citing a variety of California codes, LGUSD superintendent Diana Abbati said in an email, "According to the government codes, enlarging her eating area is considered 'assessable space' or new construction."

Abbati went on to say, "Since 1987, school districts are authorized to use developer fees for any school-related consideration relating to a school district's ability to accommodate enrollment--not just growth."

She cited maintaining existing services as an example of what the fees can be used for.

The school district also maintains that since 2007 the law has allowed the fees to be used to include costs to refurbish facilities "if the refurbishment is related to the increased demand on the facility and is necessary for the school district to maintain existing levels of service."

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Los Gatos woman calls her charges for school impact fees unfair