Texas Masonry Council Names Wilkins as Community Planner, Houston/South Texas

The Texas Masonry Council has named Jennifer Wilkins as the new community planner for the Houston/South Texas region. "On behalf of the TMC Board of Directors, we are excited to welcome Jennifer to our organization. Her proven experience will help ensure the growth of the TMC," says Thad Cleckler, TMC president. Wilkins brings with her a vast understanding of the non-profit industry as well as an extensive background in marketing, management and business development. For the last four years, she was owner of Jennifer Wilkins and Associates Business Services, a business that provides outside marketing, event planning, and business development.   In her role as community planner, Wilkins will help cities and communities shape their future by providing education and information about masonry; its many types, colors, textures and shapes; its contributions to sustainable design; and masonry's long-term, positive impact on property values. "Jennifer has assisted us in the past in promoting Masonry Planning Policies, and she performed superbly. So I wasn't at all surprised when the interview committee was blown away by her. With her knowledge, background and contacts in the Houston area, I feel confident that she will not miss a beat, and the Houston MPP Program will continue to accelerate," says Rudy Garza, executive VP.

Pearsall, Texas, to Require Masonry in New Construction

Pearsall, Texas, is a fast-growing South Texas city that has decided to join a growing state trend and require minimum percentages of masonry for new construction. Pearsall, located 54 miles south of San Antonio, is the county seat of Frio County. It lies within the Eagle Ford Shale Play, a major oil and gas exploration and production area, and grew nearly 28 percent during 10 years to a population of 9,146 in 2010. Continued significant population growth has spurred new residential and commercial development, but also concerns about construction quality.

Citing concerns about the city’s appearance and the long-term sustainability of the tax base, the City Council on June 12, 2012, voted unanimously to require minimum percentages of masonry for all new residential, multi-family, commercial and industrial buildings. 

The new masonry requirements are:

Residential – Minimum 3 feet of masonry at the ground level and minimum 50 percent masonry or stucco on all walls visible from a street.

Multi-family – Minimum 3 feet of masonry at the ground level and minimum 50 percent masonry or stucco on all exterior walls. Minimum 75 percent masonry or stucco on all walls visible from a street.

Commercial – Minimum 3 feet of masonry at ground level and minimum 75 percent masonry or stucco on all exterior walls.

Industrial – Minimum 50 percent masonry on the building front.

Leila Siqueiros, representing the Texas Masonry Council, says that, by enacting the masonry requirements, Pearsall joins a growing trend in the state. Statewide, more than 170 cities have enacted masonry requirements, according to the Texas Masonry Council. Pearsall is the first city in South Texas to adopt masonry requirements.

Research has shown that masonry (brick, stone, concrete block) provides greater protection against fire and windstorms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, than non-masonry siding products. In addition, other research has shown that masonry requirements result in higher overall property values; growth in the tax base, lessening the tax burden on residents; continued population and housing growth, and no significant impact on affordability for either renters or buyers of housing.

Baytown Embraces Masonry Construction

The Baytown, Texas, City Council has approved this Houston-area city’s first-ever masonry requirements, as part of a strategy to enhance the refinery town’s tax base, image, and
quality of life.

The masonry requirements for both new commercial and residential construction are included in the city’s new Unified Land Development Code (ULDC), which the City Council approved on Feb. 23, 2012, culminating a three-year review process. In adopting the ULDC, Baytown, pop. 72,000, joins a growing list of more than 150 Texas cities that have incorporated exterior masonry construction requirements into community planning, according to the Texas Masonry Council.

The City Council appointed a six-member ULDC Citizen Task Force to prepare and recommend a unified land development code. The Task Force first met January 15, 2009 and has held over 70 public meetings to date. The city’s Planning & Zoning Commission also has held more than 25 meetings on the ULDC.

Under the adopted ULDC, new construction in Baytown will be required to have the following percentages of masonry materials on exterior walls:
* Non-residential – up to 80 percent on the front and up to 70 percent on sides, with trade
offs for increases in landscaping for a lower percentage of masonry;
* Single Family Residential – minimum 60 percent;
* Multi-family Residential – 60 percent of first floor walls, 30 percent of all walls above.

Baytown is best known as a center of petroleum refining. It is home to three major refineries, including one of the biggest in the world, owned by Exxon Mobil. The refinery operations support hundreds of spin-offs and smaller businesses in Baytown. There is also a growing health care industry and retail/restaurant sector in Baytown.

For much of its history, Baytown offered a diverse mix of housing for a broad demographic range of residents. In recent decades, however, the newer planned communities of Kingwood and Friendswood, both funded in part by major oil companies, attracted many folks who might otherwise have settled in Baytown. As a result, the quality of the housing mix in Baytown has declined, according to several studies.

The city began revising its land use regulations as part of its strategy to: level the playing field for developers; restore diversity and quality to the housing stock, and grow the tax base, said Kelly Carpenter, Baytown’s director of Planning and Development Services. “One of the charges of the ULDC process,” Carpenter said, ”was to find ways to have higher standards for development in order to improve the quality of life and grow the tax base. We felt masonry requirements would help achieve those goals.”

A University of Michigan study of masonry ordinances in four Illinois towns concluded that such
ordinances result in: 1) higher overall property values; 2) growth in the tax base, lessening the tax burden on residents; 3) continued population and housing growth, and 4) no significant impact on affordability for either renters or buyers of housing.

Research also has shown that masonry (brick, stone, concrete block) provides greater protection against fire, and windstorms, such as tornadoes and hurricanes, than non-masonry siding products. Rudy Garza, executive vice president of the Texas Masonry Council, said, “Texas has a rich history of building with long-lasting masonry products. Masonry is part of the Texas heritage, and by embracing masonry planning, local officials and civic leaders, such as those in Baytown, are helping to build a strong legacy for their communities.“

Visit the Texas Masonry Council, www.masonryordinance.com, for more information.