BASF Wall Systems has a U.S. position in the Stucco and EIFS (Exterior Insulating Finish Systems) industry with an established architectural specification position. Boral’s expansion into the stucco segment and alignment with this leading brand is a key development in expanding the company’s cladding strategy and balancing the product portfolio across both residential and commercial segments.
For more information about BASF Wall Systems, visit http://www.wallsystems.basf.com.
U.S. Heritage Group Lime Mortar and Stone Restoration Workshops
2011 Workshop Schedule in now available online
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal filed by the NAACP and National Association of Home Builders, who claimed that revised zoning standards adopted by the City of Kyle, Texas, violate the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA). The Federal Court’s decision (Case No. 09-50352) published on Nov. 11, 2010, essentially affirms the Federal District Court decision in March 2009, which had rejected the legal challenge on the basis that the plaintiffs had not presented any evidence that the city’s revised zoning standards had discriminated against African-Americans or Hispanics.
The case was being followed closely by cities throughout the region and beyond, because of the potential impact on local planning and development decisions.
The lower court judgment was affirmed unanimously by the Fifth Circuit, which found that neither the NAACP nor the NAHB had standing to sue the City under the FHA. In a nutshell, the court embraced all of Kyle’s standing arguments and held, in particular, that neither the NAACP nor the NAHB had established any direct injury to their members or any substantial diversion of their own financial resources traceable to the particular effect of Kyle's regulations.
Kyle (est. pop. 26,000), located about 20 minutes south of Austin, is known in the area for having a rapidly growing population, a “minority majority” City Council, a large Hispanic population (57 percent), and for having a large inventory of entry-level affordable housing. Kyle’s zoning ordinance, revised in 2003, established minimum standards for residential construction in the city: a) minimum of 1,600 square feet, up from 1,400 square feet; b) minimum lot size of 8,190 square feet, 20 percent greater than previously; c) garages of not less than 480 square feet, and d) constructed with exteriors of 100 percent masonry, encompassing clay (brick), concrete, cement-based or stone options.
The zoning ordinance was amended again in November 2005, when the city, anticipating litigation, raised the fee for residential building permits by 25 percent to cover the expected litigation costs. When Austin-area home builders and the NAACP joined forces and singled out Kyle’s revised zoning ordinance, which included new masonry standards, as being “anti-growth” and, in effect, discriminatory toward minorities and low-income people, the folks in Kyle felt a mixture of disbelief and amusement, according to former City Manager Tom Mattis.
In November 2005, the national NAACP, Texas State Conference of NAACP, Austin Branch of NAACP together with the National Association of Home Builders and the Home Builders Association of Greater Austin filed suit in Federal District Court. The plaintiffs claimed that the revised zoning ordinance violated the Fair Housing Act and that the city retaliated against the HBA by raising the permit fees.
U.S. Dist. Court Judge Lee Yeakel heard the case in February 2008 and handed down his ruling in favor of the city on March 30, 2009. Judge Yeakel stated in his decision that “the Austin HBA and NAACP failed to conduct a proper statistical analysis” to support their claim that the city was trying to price minorities out of the housing market in Kyle. He said most of the home builders who are active in Kyle have adjusted well to the new minimum standards, because they want to build a product that people will want.
The full text of the appeals court decision can be found at
www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions%5Cpub%5C09/09-50352-CV0.wpd.pdf.
"NAWIC is proud to be the association for all women in the construction industry," says Debra M. Gregoire, president of NAWIC. "We allow our members to achieve their potential by giving them quality programs and resources to continue to enhance their success both personally and professionally. Join us as we celebrate Women in Construction Week."
The focus of WIC Week is to highlight women as a visible component of the construction industry. It is also a time for local chapters to give back to their communities. WIC Week provides an occasion for NAWIC's thousands of members across the country to raise awareness of the opportunities available for women in the construction industry and to emphasize the growing role of women in the industry.
"Today, although there are approximately one million women in the construction industry, this is only 10 percent of those employed in the industry," says Gregoire. "WIC Week is a way to show those within and outside of the industry how vital women are to construction."
NAWIC chapters across the nation will celebrate WIC Week with a wide variety of activities. Community service projects, jobsite tours, membership drives, children's activities, hands-on workshops, fundraisers, school programs and Girl Scout events are some of the ways local chapters will observe WIC Week. For example, NAWIC's Baltimore, Md. chapter will host a Dollhouse Build, resulting in the donation of these dollhouses to Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. Also, the San Francisco, Calif. chapter will host a Construction Women's Forum addressing topics of interest, such as networking, negotiation and promoting women in construction. Local chapters are also appealing to their local, state and national representatives to issue official WIC Week proclamations.
To learn more about NAWIC, visit www.nawic.org. For more information, please contact Executive Vice President Dede Hughes or Communications Director Autumn Daughetee at (800) 552-3506.
Hydro Mobile has developed a new set of tools and programs to support its existing and potential customers.
“We know how hard construction trades have been hit by the recession,” says Benoit Duplessis, president of Hydro Mobile. “Knowing that our products’ success has been based on increasing productivity, safety and profitability, we are now proud to announce that Hydro Mobile holds the key to giving contractors stronger financial, operational and technical support. We offer new services and support that facilitate activities, decrease costs and, most importantly, make the way for more profit opportunities.”
Duplessis says one of the key elements in the new program is Hydro Mobile’s involvement on the used equipment market. “We can now offer a choice of used machines refurbished and supported by our own extended warranty at a very competitive price,” he says. “Parallel to that, this new venture will allow us to buy used equipment and facilitate equipment trading, allowing fleet upgrades at a reduced cost.”
Hydro Mobile’s new offer also includes different financial and operational programs offered to its distribution network, and end-users can benefit from financing options, payment facilities and support programs to answer specific needs.
AJS Masonry Inc., Clifton Park, N.Y. continues expansion into the greater Northeast with the recent acquisition of Donovan Restoration. Wayne Donovan, principle of Donavan Restoration, will manage the Restoration Division for AJS Masonry. Donovan has 30 years of experience working in the restoration field, both locally and nationally. As the restoration division manager, he will oversee all bidding and pre-construction services, as well as project management for that division.
