Latest news with #InternationalBuildingCode
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Emmitsburg to allow new type of student housing downtown
Students will be allowed to live in the Village Zone in the town of Emmitsburg in residences with six or more bedrooms. The policy does not apply to homes with five or fewer bedrooms, since those types of living arrangements are considered boarding homes in the town code. Designations of student housing of this type are to be awarded as zoning special exceptions by the Board of Appeals and must not be within 500 feet of another boarding home or student housing units, according to the ordinance. Additional conditions of student housing for those enrolled in post-secondary schools include one off-street parking space per bedroom, trash to be screened from public view and a maximum of one student per bedroom. All dwelling units must meet the requirements of the International Building Code. The ordinance came as a response to two rental properties owned by local businessman David Ott that totaled 11 units — surpassing the boarding house thresholds. The ordinance passed 3-2 on Monday. Commissioners Jim Hoover, Kevin Hagan and Cliff Sweeney voted in favor. Commissioners Amy Boehman-Pollitt and Valerie Turnquist voted against. Hagan said the ordinance was more about preventing development in the future that might change the character of the community of West Main Street and destroy the historic, charming nature. He added that a more robust student housing bill may need to be passed later to address all forms of housing that students from Mount St. Mary's University may choose, but the ordinance would provide assurances to landowners in the near term. 'We're putting off the good for the perfect and we may never find the perfect,' Hagan said. 'The longer we wait, the more it costs everyone. We're running up everybody's legal fees here.' Boehman-Pollitt said amending the ordinance with a rental registration bill later to put more restrictions on student housing was like 'putting the cart before the horse.' 'I don't see how it is the town's problem to make sure a landlord gets to maximize their profit, so much as what is our town vision?' she said. 'If we want it limited, it should be stated ahead of time.' Turnquist said the policy was 'so vague' that it would not adequately solve the issue for any parties involved. 'I'm not opposed to students living in town, but I think we need to protect the quality of life for our residents by ensuring a policy that's fair and equitable to all,' she said. During the public comments period, two residents spoke out against student housing, while Gerard Joyce, Mount St. Mary's president, asked the council to continue building the relationship between the town and the Mount. 'We want to be part of this community, if you'll have us,' Joyce said. He added that living off campus was not a matter of scarcity of on-campus housing, but a step in the development of life skills for students looking to live independently and frequent local stores and restaurants, adding to the vibrancy of downtown life. 'Part of our mission is producing ethical leaders with service to God and others — you're the others in this scenario,' Joyce said. 'I want you to be as proud of our students as we are.'
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
University of Kansas students protest decision to end gender-inclusive housing in scholarship hall
Residents of the Grace Pearson scholarship hall and other students protest Feb. 26, 2025, outside of Strong Hall in support of gender-inclusive housing. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector) LAWRENCE — University of Kansas students are grappling with the decision to end gender-inclusive housing assignments at a campus scholarship hall. Grace Pearson residents and other KU students protested last week outside of Strong Hall with signs that read 'We're All Jayhawks' and 'Keep Inclusivity Affordable.' The group also launched a petition against the change in policy, and decorated windows with Post-its and signs that the university requested they remove. KU notified residents of Grace Pearson Hall on Feb. 5 that floors will be segregated by gender in the next school year. That means transgender and nonbinary students who want a gender-inclusive assignment, or GIA, will need to relocate. 'There's stuff going on on campus like this. Usually you can go home and feel better about it or distract yourself. But with this, it's like we're living in this space where it's happening. There is no escape,' said five-year resident Rhoswyn Hicks. 'Seeing a community that really had trans joy within student housing falling apart has been really difficult.' On Monday, students spoke at the Higher Learning Commission accreditation during an open forum for students to voice their concerns. 'The university has a responsibility to respect and care for students regardless of their gender identity,' Hicks said. 'We would be happy to see the other students in this room take up arms with us and help us in our cause.' In the initial email sent to residents, KU Housing said communal bathrooms would become gender-segregated and that gender-inclusive housing assignments would no longer be available. Residents were given two options: either stay and select living on a male or female floor, or request GIA housing elsewhere. Other options include living in the Rainbow Community, which offers suites that are significantly more expensive than scholarship halls. K.K. Amani Hall would have 'some' GIA rooms available, according to KU Housing. Residents were given five days to make the decision. 'It feels like there's no space for me,' said resident Simon Davis. 'It feels as though they don't care that I'm here because I am nonbinary. I don't like being assigned or shoved into a category, which is kind of what I have to deal with. I don't like being categorized as a woman, but I care a lot about GP's community, so I will stay. It sucks though.' On Feb. 13, KU Housing sent a follow-up email to residents to clarify reasons for the changes. According to the email sent by Sarah Waters, executive director of Housing and Residence Life, multi-stalled bathrooms in residential dormitory buildings are required by International Building Code to have separate facilities based on sex. 'We understand the impact this change has on the community,' Waters said in the email. 'We will continue to support our residents in navigating this change to meet their housing needs.' The email goes on to say that residents who observe other residents using the incorrect bathroom or housing assignment should report the issue. Residents were recommended to apply for GIA housing at K.K. Amani Hall, which costs $518 more per academic year. Directors at Grace Pearson and Amani halls did not respond to a request for comment. Resident assistant Anthony Alvarez has lived in Grace Pearson for three years and been an RA for two. He became an RA to be a friend to those throughout the hall. He said he intended not to enforce the changes with his residents to the best of his ability. 'If you were a staff member, you would be looking to enforce that and we don't know what that looks like,' said Alvarez. 'The most they told us would be an incident report and policy. If you get a certain amount of incident reports, you could get kicked out. However, your job as an RA ties you to the building, your housing and your job. If they fire you, you don't have a place to live.' Residents of Grace Pearson plan to continue spreading awareness to fellow students. 'It looks like outreach getting more people to know about what's going on,' Hicks said. 'I guess if housing continues to not respond, likely more protests where we feel we will reach the best audience, or larger audience for this issue.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
FEMA finishes 167-home project for Lahaina fire survivors
COURTESY FEMA COURTESY FEMA A project offering 167 temporary, modular homes for wildfire survivors on a Lahaina hillside has officially been completed, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The final home at the Kilohana group housing site off of Fleming Road was installed this week and is now ready for occupancy. 'It couldn't have been done without everyone working together, being creative and solving problems, ' said Forrest Lanning, FEMA's joint housing task force leader, in a news release. 'This was a completely new type of housing project for FEMA, and we all had to be flexible to learn new things and get it done.' It took just over a year to complete the ambitious project on 34 acres owned by the state, which was developed from the ground up. Last fall, FEMA brought in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a temporary group housing site at the vacant, rocky site. FEMA said blasting with explosives was required to enable the installation of streets and essential infrastructue at the site. FEMA hired three companies – Dynamic, Timberline and Acuity – to manufacture one-, two-and three-bedroom modular units in the continental United States to be shipped to Maui. Don 't miss out on what 's happening ! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It 's FREE ! Email 28141 Sign Up By clicking to sign up, you agree to Star-Advertiser 's and Google 's and. This form is protected by reCAPTCHA. Timberline completed the first 10 modular units, which were shipped by barge to Maui in October. The units were then trucked to West Maui, and lifted by cranes onto the hillside at Kilohana for final assembly. FEMA said the first families at Kilohana in November, while the remaining units were readied over the following two months. The last family is expected to move in by the end of today. Each unit comes with basic furnishings. 'The modular homes have been built to last 30 years or more, ' said FEMA in the news release. 'They are the first prefabricated, modular temporary homes that FEMA has built that meet the International Building Code and local amendments.' Kilohana is next to, another temporary housing project by the state offering 450 units for wildfire survivors. 7 Comments By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our. Having trouble with comments ? .
