Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Georgia and New Hampshire Ave, NW

From a press release:

The first-ever modular apartment building in Washington, DC is taking shape just steps from the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro Station. In just eight days, 44 custom designed modular boxes shipped from Pennsylvania have been lifted into place by crane to create 16 of Modos 17 three-bedroom apartments.

Modo is designed to appeal to the young twenty-somethings of Generation Z.

The Gen Z market is very environmentally conscious and communal; they generally prefer having roommates to living alone, said Grant Epstein, President of Community Three. They are just starting out on their careers and need quality housing at a reasonable cost, but also value great design and useable outdoor space. Modos purposeful configuration responds to this need by mitigating the high cost of living in a sought-after A neighborhood in DC. Modos site at 3701 New Hampshire Avenue is well-known locally as the former home of Sweet Mango restaurant.

The development team was first intrigued by the idea of modular construction several years ago. We were looking for more efficient and environmentally-friendly alternatives to typical construction types, Epstein went on. Modular construction can reduce construction time by almost one-third, while generating far less onsite construction waste. Construction components typically exposed to the elements such as windows and wood framing are built with higher quality because they are assembled indoors. As a result, these modular units offer superior insulation, weather barriers, sound attenuation, and indoor finishes compared with those constructed traditionally.

Community Three is partnering with Washington, DC-based Rooney Properties on the project. The team worked with the Modular Mobilization Coalition to select Philadelphia-based VBC Construction as modular contractor. VBC in turn partnered with Scranton, PA-based Simplex Homes as the modular fabricator. The manufacturing team worked closely with DC-based project architect Eric Colbert & Associates to ensure seamless integration of market focus and construction methodology.

Modos modules arrived onsite 80 percent finished. Each three-bedroom Modo apartment features built-in custom closets, shelving, and desks to facilitate remote working. The spacious living room has a pre-installed jumbo flat-screen TV.

The design is both trendy and environmentally conscious, noted Dave Yampolsky, Community Threes Senior Vice President, including high-efficiency appliances and HVAC for lower utility costs, LED lighting, reclaimed wood flooring, and eco-friendly subway tile. An automated entry system will allow tenants to use a smartphone app to access both the building and their apartments.

Northpoint Construction, Community Threes onsite construction team, started building Modos concrete-and-steel podium in April. The podium supports the modular apartment units above it. The ground floor indoor space will house the buildings lobby and a 3,000 SF street-level retail space that can provide over 100 outdoor caf seats. The lobby will be furnished with a seating area for relaxing, meeting, or remote working.

With the four levels of apartment modules now in place, construction has begun on the buildings green roof deck with seating and grilling areas. A single penthouse apartment with a private outdoor terrace also is being built on the roof level.

The decision to use modular construction was not undertaken lightly, Epstein explained. It took more than a year of analysis requiring acute attention and extensive understanding of new processes. Working closely with the District of Columbia government to coordinate an inspections process for this type of construction was paramount.

Urban Pace will begin pre-leasing the apartments in March, 2021. Project financing has been provided by EagleBank.

See more here:
More Info on "The first-ever modular apartment building in Washington, DC" coming to the former Sweet Mango spot in Petworth - PoPville

By Prashant Gopal| Bloomberg News

The U.S. housing market, which has been a bright spot in the pandemic-battered economy, is running out of fuel.

With buyers eager to take advantage of low mortgage rates, the inventory of homes to buy is scarce. That's driving up prices and threatening to derail the boom by pushing homeownership out of reach for many Americans. For homebuilders, the huge demand for housing is an opportunity to crank up construction and solve the inventory crisis. Instead, some are deliberately slowing things down as they grapple with supply shortages, surging lumber costs and intense competition for labor and land.

"It's smart business," said Gene Myers, chief executive officer of Thrive Home Builders in Denver. "But that means continued shortages and higher prices."

After the Covid-19 lockdowns in March brought sky-high unemployment, most builders expected a crash. What they got was a brief pause followed by a crush of buyers armed with the lowest interest rates on record and a burning desire for more space in the suburbs.

Inventory Shortage

There was pent-up demand for housing when the pandemic hit, after a decade when builders mostly focused on the higher-end of the market, constructing fewer, more expensive homes. Recently, they'd shifted focus to cheaper properties for the massive millennial generation now aging into homeownership. But with higher costs eating into profit margins, builders may once again chase the wealthy who want bigger homes with backyards and home offices. That comes as the inventory shortage has gotten even more acute. The supply of existing homes, shrinking for years, is at an all-time low.

At August's sales pace, it would take a little more than three months to run out of new homes for sale, the lowest level on record, according to government data dating back to 1963. That's down from almost six months in February. New home construction this year will hold steady at just under 900,000, about the same pace as in 2019, according to a projection by the National Association of Home Builders. For 2021, the industry group forecasts that starts will increase slightly but will be held back by the cost and availability of building materials.

Lumber Spike

The trouble for builders is that vacant land takes about two years to be developed, a process slowed by local government regulations. Meanwhile, lumber prices are expected to add $16,000 to the cost of a typical house, according to the NAHB. They've risen because producers idled saw mills in the U.S. and Canada in March and still face timber shortages resulting from a beetle infestation and wildfires, said Joshua Zaret, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. Homebuilders aren't the only ones bidding up the price of wood. Quarantined families have been especially busy remodeling during the pandemic.

This summer's hurricanes and wildfires will also add to demand once the insurance checks start coming in.

Slowing Sales

Builders can keep raising prices to stay ahead of costs, to a point, said John Burns, an Irvine-based real estate consultant. But some are raising them by as much as 2% a month, he said.

"If that went on for two or three years, we'd be very concerned about affordability," Burns said. "Every time prices go up, it's great for homeowners and bad for the renter who aspires to be a homeowner."

Stocks of homebuilders have climbed in recent months as orders for new homes surge. The looming issue is that the demand for housing is outstripping supply at a time when construction has gotten more expensive. Lennar Corp., the biggest builder by revenue, said it's intentionally limiting sales to homes already under construction to avoid buying lumber at today's high prices. The company says it's trying to be patient, betting it can continue to hike prices to help offset the higher costs.

"Sales could have been stronger with a singular focus on volume," Stuart Miller, the company's chairman, said on an Sept. 15 earnings call. "It is challenging at best to materially ramp production in this labor-constrained market, and it's even more challenging to replace entitled land."

Wood Shortage

Alan Gerbus, a second-generation Cincinnati custom builder, is already in the hole on a house before he's even started. He submitted a contract to his buyer in late June for an $800,000 house but his costs just for wood products jumped $25,000 by the time it was signed 40 days later.

"The lumber supplier said he can't honor that price," Gerbus said. "I'm praying for the lumber prices to start falling by the time I'm ready for delivery."

Even if builders wanted to plow ahead, it's hard to get wood these days. Robert Pool, co-owner of Main Street Lumber, a family business in Denison, Texas that sells products to builders, said he had to turn down some new customers early in the lumber supply crisis because he wanted to be sure he'd have wood for his existing customers. His price for oriented strand board, widely used for roofs and siding, more than doubled to $24 a sheet in March, he said.

"It hurts when you have to tell somebody no," he said.

See the rest here:
Housing boom in U.S. threatened by shortage of available homes - Gainesville Sun

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The clinic will occupy 4,300 square feet of space that formerly housed Five Guys and Subway.

A link has been sent to your friend's email address.

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed.

ProHealth Care is adding a second urgent care clinic in Pewaukee.(Photo: Evan Frank / Now News Group)

ProHealth Care will add a second Pewaukee urgent care clinic soon.

The new clinic will be at 1279 W. Capitol Drive in the village of Pewaukee, said Ann Dee Allen, a media relations and content strategist for ProHealth Care.

"The clinic will occupy 4,300 square feet of space that formerly housed Five Guys and Subway restaurants," Allen said.

The space is leasedand remodeling is underway. Allen said the urgent care clinic is scheduled to open in November.

"The clinic will have six examination rooms and one imaging room," Allen said. "Physicians, advanced practice providers and support staff will be located there."

The urgent care will be open seven days week and offer evening hours. Online reservations will be available atProHealthCare.org/UrgentCare;walk-in visits also will be welcomed.

ProHealth Care also has an urgent care clinic atN16 W24131 Riverwood Drivein the city of Pewaukee. Other urgent care centers are within ProHealth Medical Group clinics in Brookfield, Mukwonago, New Berlin, Oconomowoc, Waukesha and Watertown.

ContactEvan Frank at (262) 361-9138or evan.frank@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Evanfrank_LCP.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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Pewaukee will soon have a second ProHealth Care urgent care clinic - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A. Kevin Corvo|ThisWeek group

Parishioners at St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church are closer than before, both physically and spiritually, thanks to a $7.3 million, 22,975-square-foot addition that connects the campus church and school buildings.

The parish has been a fixture of the community since 1956, and the current church building has been a landmark at the southwest corner of Davidson and Dublin roads in Hilliard since it was dedicated about 40 years ago, according to stbrendans.net.

Our ONE campaign has met its goal of creating an addition that provides the convenience of joining us under one roof and providing the additional space for our ministries, said Colleen Speer, director of development for St. Brendan.

Construction for the Our Navigator Expansion campaign began in August 2019, and finishing touches continued during the final days of September, including the installation of a 1,200-pound marble altar in the churchs new adoration chapel.

It will be used for parishioners who prefer a small, quaint chapel for weddings or funerals but also as a place for personal prayer and reflection, Speer said.

The altar at the adoration chapel and other sacred pieces eventually will be consecrated, but owing to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the large and formal dedication that the St. Brendan staff members and parishioners would have celebrated must wait until later, she said.

Instead, members were permitted to take self-guided tours of the new addition Sept. 27.

The addition represents the first albeit the largest of four phases derived from the desire of parishioners, Speer said.

We didnt dream them up, she said. We asked for their input and what they wanted.

After completing the design for an addition and other improvements, St. Brendan leaders in early 2019 began a campaign to collect pledges to complete the first phase of the expansion, Speer said. To date, the church has pledges of $6.3 million, she said.

Construction began last year with a loan from the Catholic Diocese of Columbus that will be reimbursed with parishioners pledges, Speer said.

The first phase included connecting the church to the school, which is attended by 450 students in kindergarten through the eighth grade.

Previous story: Parishioners pledge to bring St. Brendan under one roof

A new 8-foot statute of St. Brendan the Navigator, made in Italy, now greets those approaching the churchs main entrance.

A new child-care center also was built adjacent to the sanctuary; the former child-care center was in a different building from the sanctuary, Speer said.

The first phase also includes new parish and school offices and a multipurpose meeting room.

The new additions allow for the growth of the churchs programs and its school, said Rev. Bob Penhallurick, pastor of St. Brendans Church.

Penhallurick said 3,016 families are members of St. Brendan, and 2,800 people on average attend multiple services every Sunday.

The sanctuary, which seats nearly 1,000 people, did not change.

Only one first-phase plan did not come to fruition: an expanded cafeteria because it was instead used as additional classroom space to allow for social distancing of children attending the school during the pandemic, Speer said.

Future phases include additional construction and renovations that would total 25,100 square feet of new construction and 8,525 square feet of renovated space on the 74,205-square-foot campus.

The second phase, estimated at less than $200,000, would consist of renovating the unattached parish offices into small meeting rooms.

The third phase, estimated at $150,000, would include remodeling and expanding the schools kitchen and building new restrooms.

The fourth phase, estimated at $750,000, would involve a building addition to serve as a preschool and early education center, according to Speer.

St. Brendan last was renovated in 1998, when a rectory was added to the campus. It also was expanded in 1992 when school classrooms were added.

The rest is here:
Changes afoot on St. Brendan the Navigator Catholic Church campus - ThisWeek Community News

Photo courtesy of Mid-Cape Home Centers

Installing a kitchen island is a great remodeling project to improve the functionality of your kitchen and add unique design elements (as well as value) to your home. The island can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Larger kitchens can have room for multiple islands, serving a number of purposes. Smaller kitchens can fit islands that are big enough for entertainment as well as casual dining.

A kitchen island is a freestanding, multipurpose unit that often serves as complimentary counter space and storage. There are endless design options for an island, and it really does come down to what you want or need it to be.

Islands are a great way to provide additional storage in the kitchen. They can serve as a buffet for large meals or entertaining, create much-needed food prep space, or be utilized for such tasks as baking. In certain instances, the island incorporates additional appliances, including cooktops, under-counter microwaves, or wine storage. Some even have sinks installed.

Islands come in all sizes and materials. You dont need to have an expansive kitchen to have an island, yet an island adds value and instills a sense of luxury in a home. Many islands have an informal eating area with stools or chairs where you can enjoy snacks, breakfast, coffee or quick meals. Some have wheels so you can easily move them to where theyre needed at any given time.

The cost of a kitchen island varies as widely as the styles available. You could pay $100 for something simple and functional, or up to $10,000 for a custom piece of furniture as your kitchen centerpiece. The cost varies greatly due to several factors including its size, counter and cabinet material, and features, like a bar, a sink/drain and built-in appliances. The price to include an oven, range hood or other appliance for cooking in your island depends on whether or not you have a built-in island or are having something custom made. The average cost of a kitchen island ranges from $3,000 to $5,000.

Understanding your needs (as well as your space and budget) will help you plan on the right island for your home. If youre looking for an island that does more than provide extra counter space or storage, consider hiring a carpenter or kitchen remodeling professional. You might also need a licensed electrician and/or a licensed plumber if you want your island to have electricity and/or plumbing for appliances.

The benefits of installing a kitchen island are definitely something to consider. If you use your kitchen a lot, the benefit of having the extra counter space, storage space and even seating space can be a huge boon, especially if you entertain often. Again, do some research and think about what functionality you need or want from an island. Also, consider consulting a professional kitchen designer, particularly if what you want will be a custom piece.

Follow this link:
Should You Add a Kitchen Island? Here are Some Things to Consider - CapeCod.com News

For Sale/Rent

The single-family features four stories, multiple offices, and a solarium that looks out into a lush backyard.

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

27 Devon Road, BrooklinePrice: $4,500,000Size: 6,078 square feetBedrooms: 5Baths: 4.5

Everyones looking for their own slice of paradise in the cityand the new owners of this Chestnut Hill manse will have found theirs. Hedged by boxwoods and towering Alberta spruces, the home is barely visible from the sidewalk. Through a gateway and up the brick walkway, the front door opens into the foyer, which is a mood board for the entirety of the home: Original leaded windows, coffered ceilings, and a stately staircase all work together to create a habitat thats as grand as it is cozy.

Travel up those steps to see the two stories of fireplaced bedrooms, sizable bathrooms, and elegant offices above the main level. Or, stay on the ground floor to tap out a tune in the piano room, set a place in the paneled dining room, or start on dinner in the well-equipped kitchen. There, a double oven, farmhouse sink, and full wall of custom cabinetry center around a circular island outfitted with cookbook storage and barstool seating.

One step down from the kitchen, a tiled floor spreads out underneath a less formal dining and living room. A glass-and-wood solarium (which was completely rebuilt following the 2015 snowpocalypse) surrounds the sitting area, engulfing the room in sunlight and doubling as a massive window into the backyard: A private oasis filled with Japanese maples, perennial beds, and a decorative brick patio.

For information, contact Kyle Kaagan Team, Gibson Sothebys International Realty, kylekaaganhomes.com.

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

Photo via Gibson Sothebys International Realty

The Boston Home team has curated a list of the best home design and home remodeling professionals in Boston, including architects, builders, kitchen and bath experts, lighting designers, and more. Get the help you need with FindIt/Boston's guide to home renovation pros.

Read the original:
On the Market: A Secluded Tudor in Chestnut Hill - Boston magazine

While V.J. Gautieri Constructors Inc. is focused on completing as much exterior work as possible before the snow flies, Save-A-Lot management is overseeing an upgrade to the interior of the store at 45-47 Ellicott St.

Such is the current status of the Ellicott Place project, a $2.3 million renovation of the supermarket that will include 10 market rate apartments on the second floor.

Victor Gautieri, project developer, on Friday said that crews have created a new entry vestibule, with placement moved to the east along the north wall, facing the Court Street Plaza parking lot.

That allows us room to construct our entrance to the elevator that accesses the second-floor apartments, he said.

Gautieri said that Save-A-Lot isclosed for some pretty extensive remodeling on the inside of the store. He believes the store has set a reopening date of Oct. 2.

(Theyre) painting and decorating as well as a lot of mechanical upgrades coolers and freezers and systems of that nature for their operation, he said.

The interior enhancementsare part of Save-A-Lot's effort to upgrade its branding, Gautieri said.

Theyve rolled out a different look reorganizing how the groceries are stocked and the flow of traffic within the stores, he said. New signs will be going up as well as a different kind of a logo that will be in place as soon as we are finished completing the work on the front canopy.

Gautieri said he is hoping to have all construction done by the end of April, weather permitting.

The project, part of the City of Batavias $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative award, will feature seven one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments on the vacant, 11,600-square-foot second floor, and includes the development of 18,000 square feet of first-floor commercial/retail space.

Other improvements include a two-stop interior elevator, two stairwells, new exterior windows, doors, veneers and roof membrane.

The Save-A-Lot grocery store occupies around half of the ground floor.

Gautieri said his company plans to roll out some advertising on the apartments by the end of the year, with the goal of getting some preopening leasing in place.

Weve been receiving phone calls, wondering what the status of the project is and what the apartments will be like, he said. We want to try to get ahead of the curve and get things ready to go as soon as construction is done and weve got a certificate of occupancy in hand.

Ellicott Place and the Ellicott Station mixed-use redevelopment venture across the street will provide a much-needed boost for that section of the city, Gautieri said.

Its going to be good for well call it the Southside, which has lacked any real new projects or anything of that nature, he said.

Photo: View of the location of a new entry vestibule (boarded up), which will provide access to the elevator leading to second-floor apartments upon completion of the Ellicott Place project at the Save-A-Lot grocery store on Ellicott Street. Photo by Mike Pettinella.

Previously:Planning boards to consider Ellicott Place residential/commercial venture special use permits

See the article here:
Inside & out: Work is underway on project to renovate Save-A-Lot building - The Batavian

SPRINGDALE -- Former customers of the Bethel Heights sewer service will soon get a payback from Springdale Water Utilities, Heath Ward, executive director of Springdale Water Utilities, announced Tuesday night.

The utility will return to every property owner the $250 deposit paid for sewer service provided by Bethel Heights. And customers who paid both Bethel Heights and Springdale for an overlap of service last month will see another $20 refund on their account, Ward said.

Ward shared the news with a handful of Bethel Heights residents in a meeting at the administration building of the shuttered city.

Springdale on Aug. 21 annexed the nearly 2.7 square miles and roughly 3,000 residents of Bethel Heights. Residents of both cities voted overwhelmingly for the action Aug. 11. The smaller city spent more than a year working and failing to get its two wastewater treatment plants operating in compliance with its state permit.

Springdale's water staff on Sept. 16 held an informal closing ceremony for the Bethel Heights wastewater system. As of that date, 100 percent of the sewage from the former Bethel Heights has been pumped to the Springdale wastewater treatment plant on Silent Grove Road, Ward said.

"It was like flipping a light switch, and it was over," Ward said.

"You've done more in three and a half weeks than they've done in 13 years," Lawrence Bowen told utility staff at the meeting, speaking of the former Bethel Heights government. Bowen lives next door to the Lincoln Street plant and suffered with untreated sewage running across his property for many years.

"I can now walk to my in-laws' house in my tennis shoes, not my rubber boots," added Tina Bowen, who lives next door.

Ward said he didn't feel his department had any right to the deposit money paid by former Bethel Heights customers.

Bethel Heights residents received sewer service from their city, which required a deposit, and water service from the Springdale system, which also required a deposit.

Ward said Springdale residents paid just one deposit, as the utility provided both services to its customers.

"We wanted the new citizens of Springdale to be treated the same way," he said. "If their accounts are in good standing, we hope to make those payments in the next 60 days."

Repaying those deposits might be a chore, Ward said. In Bethel Heights, property owners were responsible for deposits; in Springdale, account holders pay.

"And those original property owners might have died or moved out of state or otherwise be hard to find," he said.

Rick Pulvirenti, chief engineer and operating officer for the utility, said any deposits not returned to property owners will be deposited as unclaimed property through the state attorney general's office.

Ward said the utility also plans to institute a yearly "pump out, clean out and inspection process" for residents who retain infrastructure of the Bethel Heights system. Each home has a small septic-type tank where wastewater was collected before piped to one of the city's two treatment plants.

The utility will not charge residents for the program or repairs, and the process will start soon, he said.

"A lot of those individual systems were left in pretty poor condition," Ward said. "Parts are missing from some of them, or the lids might be cracked or removed. It's a safety issue. Those tanks could be hazardous if there is a child in the home."

Wastewater from the former Bethel Heights homes now bypasses the closed treatment plants and is pumped into lines leading to the Springdale plant, Ward explained.

Springdale utility crews laid above ground, 8-inch polyethylene pipes from both plants. The lines probably pump about 100 to 300 gallons a minute -- an amount not expected to overwhelm the system, Ward continued.

The pipes tie into the Springdale just 800 feet from the north plant on Lincoln and about 1,700 feet from the south plant on Oak. Both run through private property for which the utility paid for easements.

"We are proud to say we have done this in about three weeks," Ward said.

He said the project cost only about $120,000, without labor costs.

The utility staff now turns its attention to a permanent solution of putting the temporary lines underground, hopefully by March. Ward said a plan has been sent to the Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality and the Arkansas Department of Health for approval.

Even the temporary pipelines include flow meters and other equipment to determine for the department gallons of water, peak flow times and more. This data should help determine the needs over the next few years and the long-term plan for serving residents as the city and region grow, Ward said.

"All of the decisions will be data-driven."

The utility staff will work with the state's regulating agencies about the future of the land that holds the now-closed plants, Ward said.

"It should be pretty straightforward since most of the decommissioning is the mechanical removal of certain items and letting nature take care of the rest over time," he said.

An eight inch continual polyethylene pipe from the former failing Bethel Heights water treatment plant to a connection with a Springdale sewer line is visible Tuesday, September 29, 2020, as it comes out of the ground after passing under a road. Check out nwaonline.com/200930Daily/ and nwadg.com/photos for a photo gallery.(NWA Democrat-Gazette/David Gottschalk)

Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at joenks@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.

Read more:
Bethel Heights sewer customers to receive refunds - Arkansas Online

Last week, Gov. Ron DeSantis held a big event at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, which is the only government facility in the nation where mermaids work as state employees.

The governor wasnt there to cavort with the ladies with prosthetic tails, though. He was there to pose for pictures with a giant-sized check, which he said represented the start of a $50 million program to restore the states springs to their former glory.

Of course, this was not strictly accurate. The $50 million program DeSantis announced was actually the third year of a $150 million program originally unveiled by his predecessor, former Gov. Rick Scott, according to the Florida Springs Council.

I looked over the list of projects included in the Scott-DeSantis springs program. Turns out a lot of them were all about one thing: Poop.

For instance, to help clean up Weeki Wachee Springs for the mermaids, the plan calls for design, permitting, and construction of 3 million gallons a day [mgd] of advanced wastewater treatment.

For Rainbow Springs, its construction of a new 0.80 mgd expansion and upgrade to advanced wastewater treatment.

For Silver Springs, theres decommissioning the Ocala East Villas Wastewater Treatment Facility and pumping the wastewater to Marion Countys wastewater treatment plant.

For Ichetucknee Springs, the plan calls for abandonment of up to nine septic systems and connecting the parcels to existing sanitary sewer.

The fact that so much of this needs fixing shows how Florida has repeatedly done an execrable job of dealing with its excrement.

Everybody poops, as a popular childrens book points out. But some people try to ignore that fact of life.

The Chamber of Commerce boasts about how 900 people a day move to Florida, but nobody talks about how all those new residents put a strain on our sewer systems and septic tanks.

No developer wants to pay impact fees to upgrade those systems, either. Meanwhile, local governments often balk at making a sewer system fix a priority, especially if doing so requires raising taxes or rates.

Then one rainy day the sewer pipes or the wastewater treatment plant get so overloaded they cant handle the load anymore. Suddenly BLOOP! they dump a big bucket of nasty into the nearest waterway. Weve seen this happen in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota, Jacksonville, DeFuniak Springs, Boca Raton name a Florida city and its had a major sewage spill, often more than one.

Olympic pools full of poo

Nine months ago, Fort Lauderdale had so many sewer mains break that they spilled nearly 127 million gallons of the stinky stuff, which the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported was enough to fill 192 Olympic-sized pools. (Now theres an image I never wanted in my head.)

Having all that fecal mess fouling the water is bad enough. Whats worse is that it can spur the growth of toxic algae blooms.

Remember when red tide laid siege to Floridas coastline from November 2017 to early 2019? At its peak in October 2018, red tide was afflicting all three of the states coasts the beaches of the Panhandle, the Gulf, and the Atlantic. That rust-colored bloom shut down beaches with the sickening stench of massive fish kills, chasing tourists away as its choking toxins wafted in on every sea breeze.

A new scientific study published this month in the journal Harmful Algae confirmed what experts have long suspected. Red tide blooms begin 40 miles or so out in the Gulf of Mexico, no one knows why, but once the bloom moves near to shore were the ones giving it more fuel.

The study examined all the red tide blooms that occurred off Charlotte Harbor between 2012 and 2018 and found that stormwater runoff polluted with sewage and fertilizer fed the explosion of tiny critters so it could keep going, like a really rank version of the Energizer Bunny.

Are we making things worse with our storm runoff? Yes, said the studys lead author, Miles Medina, an environmental scientist at the University of Florida. Were increasing the intensity and the duration of the bloom.

Something similar happens with the vile blue-green algae blooms that explode on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts whenever the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dumps excess water out of Lake Okeechobee. The blooms begin in the lake then get flushed out via the Caloosahatchee River to the west and via the St. Lucie River to the east, coating both coasts in green gunk that at times resembles toxic guacamole. Once again, the existing bloom is fed by our waste.

(Get ready for another one, by the way. The Corps of Engineers just announced that because of all the rain weve been getting lately, the agency would probably have to release lots of polluted water from the lake in the near future along with whatever is growing in there.)

The pollution-fueling-algae-bloom problem has gotten so bad that the Weeki Wachee mermaids have even worked it into their show for the tourists. They warn about nitrate pollution from sewage and fertilizer tainting the spring, giving power to an algae monster called Mr. Scrunge, described as a green villain with his own theme song.

First in Feculence!

Two years ago, DeSantis campaigned on a promise to stop the coastal version of Mr. Scrunge, the blue-green algae blooms that had damaged tourism-related businesses on both coasts. Once elected, he appointed a Blue-Green Algae Task Force that recommended some changes in the law, which the Legislature turned into a bill that resembled the stuff flowing out of the broken sewer plants.

The bill was so bad, environmental groups said it actually would make things worse. They called on DeSantis to veto it and push for something stronger, something better. Instead, in June, he signed it into law.

One of the problems the critics pointed out with the bill named (I kid you not) the Florida Clean Waterways Act is that it failed to address Floridas growing population over the next 20 years, just like all the prior regulations. Another is that too much of it depends on voluntary participation by the polluters.

The state is going backwards with regard to pollution control, Gary Goforth, a Ph.D. with 35 years of experience in Florida water resources management, told me this week. For instance, he said, the state gave the agricultural industry millions of dollars to come up with ways to voluntarily cut the nutrient pollution flowing off over-fertilized farmers fields, he said, yet the nutrient loads are worse now than when they started.

This is the way we always do things in Florida, though. We give the polluters whatever they want, even let them write the rules theyre supposed to abide by, all in the name of keeping our economy roaring.

Then when theres a disaster a sewage spill or an algae bloom that harms that same economy we throw a lot of taxpayer dollars at the problem, although rarely enough to actually fix whats wrong.

Heres my suggestion: Lets stop trying to fix our poopy problem.

We never want to spend the money or impose the regulations that will really deal with it, so lets just give up the pretense of being effective. Instead, lets let our overloaded sewer systems break. Let the poo-poo flow unimpeded into our bays and rivers and creeks. Let toxic algae bloom in every color of the rainbow!

While were at it, lets also stop trying to hide whats going on.

Lets advertise it instead. Lets take that big cardboard check the governor displayed last week and give it to Visit Florida to pay for billboards all over the country that feature Mr. Scrunge boasting, Floridas First in Feculence! and Were No. 1 in No. 2!

If we do that, I bet those 900 people a day will quit moving to Florida. Maybe then well get serious about cleaning up our waterways, which is something the mermaids would probably appreciate.

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This column stinks and so does the way FL handles its poop - Florida Phoenix

Everything you need to know about duct cleaning Toronto

Did you know poor duct cleaning Toronto of the HAVC system can lead to re-contamination? Well, it can. When some parts of your ventilation system are left uncleaned, they spread dirt to the clean parts, making the entire process a waste of time and money.

So, according to Comfort Clean, when you embark on the cleaning project of your ductwork, its worth making sure you know the details of how your contractors are going to work on your system. According to the duct cleaning Toronto requirements by the certification body, NADCA, these components must be cleaned:

After understanding the components of your HAVC system and those that a cleaning contractor includes on their cleaning work, look into the key components. They are:

Breaking the contaminants loose

Duct cleaning professionals start with identifying the sources of contaminants in your HAVC system. After that, they use agitation devices such as brushes, compressed air nozzles and air whips to loosen these contaminants. Additionally, the technicians can use contact vacuuming or hand brushing for agitation.

Collection of contaminants

Technicians use negative pressure when cleaning your HAVC system so they do not spread contaminants. A vacuum is used in the process. Contaminants are loosened into airborne particles when negative pressure is applied.

The collective device is tightly sealed to ensure that these particles do not escape into the air after cleaning is thorough and the HAVC system switched on.

System access

System access is when the cleaner wants to see the inside part of your ductwork. It can be done through existing openings such as return grills, existing service openings and such. When these openings are used, system access is a simple process.

However, when system access has to be created by the cleaning technician, specialised skill is required. It helps in preventing damaging your ductwork.

Equipment requirement

NADCA certified professionals can use a range of duct cleaning Toronto equipment, varying from moveable to those mounted on a truck. These professionals focus on cleaning without causing re-contamination.

Antimicrobial chemicals

These are products that cleaning technicians use in handling contaminations caused by microbes. Additionally, they help in dealing with odours in your ductwork. They include disinfectants, sanitisers and deodorisers.

However, technicians do not use these products on all occasions. They consider using them after mechanical cleaning is complete and there is a necessity for such treatments.

The duct cleaning Toronto process

If you have no idea where to find a cleaning professional for the work, you can check in NADCAs online directory in your area. It provides a list of certified cleaners and you can choose from there.

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Everything you need to know about duct cleaning Toronto - The Upcoming