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Archive for the ‘Community’ Category
« Older EntriesUsing the FEMA Elevation Certificate
Friday, November 11th, 2011
The official Elevation Certificate, or “flood cert” as it is sometimes referred to, was created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which now comes under the authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The expiration date for the current form is March 31, 2012. See www.fema.gov for more information and copies of the Elevation Certificate and its instructions.
The intent of this federal form was a mechanism for providing elevation information on property and the structures situated thereon as they relate to the National Flood Insurance Program. This information is primarily used in three ways: 1) To ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances, 2) to determine the proper insurance premium rate, and 3) to support a request for a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision based on fill (LOMR-F).
First, this Elevation Certificate is used to ensure compliance with community floodplain management ordinances. Here the use of the word community refers to actual political subdivisions known as counties or municipalities. NFIP requires the community to adopt floodplain management regulations in order to reduce flood losses. It further requires that the community obtain the elevation of the lowest floor of all new and improved buildings. They must also maintain a record of such information. Hence, the Elevation Certificate provides a means to document such compliance.
Secondly, this Elevation Certificate is used to determine proper insurance rates. The certificate is required in order to properly rate post-FIRM (Flood Insurance Rate Map) buildings. In contrast, the certificate is not required for Pre-FIRM buildings unless they are being rated under the optional Post-FIRM flood insurance rules.
Thirdly, this Elevation Certificate is used to support a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) or Letter of Map Revision based on fill (LOMR-F). It is important to understand that the use of this certificate cannot provide a waiver of the flood insurance purchase requirement per federal law. Only a LOMA or LOMR-F from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can amend the Flood Insurance Rate Map. Only FEMA can remove the Federal mandate for purchasing flood insurance. However, the Elevation Certificate is used to support the request for a LOMA or LOMR-F.
As you examine the Elevation Certificate form as provided by FEMA, “Section D – Surveyor, Engineer, or Architect Certification” a design professional is called upon to seal and sign the certificate. Both the certificate and the instructions state that “this section of the Elevation Certificate may be signed by only a land surveyor, engineer, or architect who is authorized by law to certify elevation information”. Some professionals have debated and questioned who is authorized to sign and seal these certificates. It must be further understood that while “Section C – Building Elevation Information (Survey Required)” requires that the professional indicate that the building elevations are based on either construction drawings, building under construction, or finished construction. The form also indicates for the first two items that “a New Elevation Certificate will be required when construction of the building is complete”.
So can an engineer sign and seal this form? In the state of Maryland recently, this very question and debate came before the licensing boards for surveyors and engineers. Both the surveying and engineering licensing board agreed together that they do not have jurisdiction over the federal government or the regulations or forms they create. However, they do regulate the design professionals in the state of Maryland. No one can claim that FEMA gives them the authority to make such certifications because even FEMA indicates that “this section of the Elevation Certificate may be signed by only a land surveyor, engineer, or architect who is authorized by law to certify elevation information”. It is Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulations (DLLR) that authorizes the practice of engineers, surveyors, and architects. Both the engineering and surveying licensing boards agreed that while an engineer may sign and seal the FEMA Elevation Certificate when the elevations are based on “construction drawings”, it is the sole authority of the professional land surveyor in the state of Maryland when it involves elevation measurements for Section C of the FEMA form as the instructions state that “a field survey is required”.
jmettee
Community, Odds and Ends
certificate, Community, FEMA
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STEM Summit for Aberdeen Proving Ground Benefit
Saturday, October 22nd, 2011
Harford County STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) Summit IV is fast approaching. It will be held on Friday, October 28th at MITRE Corporation located at 209 Research Boulevard in Aberdeen, MD. For more information, please visit www.nemdstem.org.
Many individuals became aware of the growing concern over the need for more workforce development as a result of BRAC and the number of high-tech scientific jobs that were transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground. Gary Martin, executive deputy to the commanding general of U.S. Army Research Development & Engineering Command, joined efforts with John Casner, executive director for Northeastern Maryland Technical Council (NMTC) over a year ago. Together they created a steering committee that would focus on increasing the pipeline of students in the STEM education arena could ultimately find employment at APG. Those efforts resulted in three STEM Summit events so far that has brought together academia, industry, and the government to explore how to “provide a ready workforce for the STEM-based economy.”
STEM Summit I was held on February 11, 2011 at the newly constructed facilities of C4ISR complex located on APG. The guest speakers and panel groups shared perspectives on what is already going on, what needs to happened in the future, and what hurdles needs to be overcome regarding STEM as it relates to students, teachers, and curriculum.
The focus of this summit was threefold: 1) Stimulate student participation in STEM disciplines; 2) Develop and initiate STEM enrichment opportunities for our teachers; and 3) Channel industry and government support to advance STEM education. The expected outcome from this summit event was that all the stakeholders and attendees would sign up for one of three workshop teams that would focus on students, teachers, or curriculum. By the end of the summit, it was so apparent that there were already so many STEM related activities happening that many were not fully aware of, so a fourth workshop team was added for communications. One program that is currently under way as a pilot program for the Aberdeen Boys and Girls club is known as “Let’s Go Boys & Girls” by Dr. Clark (Corky) Graham. Another program sponsored by the U.S. Army is a program called “ecybermission”. It was also noted that these efforts would keep in mind that STEM education begins with kindergarten through to job placement or “K to gray.”
STEM Summit II was held on April 28, 2011 at Cecil College. This summit’s focus was the reporting back to the larger stakeholder group on their discussions, findings, and goals of the four workshop teams. Considerable time was also devoted to breakout “brainstorming” sessions where various questions regarding STEM education was explored. The results of the breakout sessions helped to temper the future goals and directions of the four workshop teams. A recurring term that followed was a new acronym of SME (subject matter experts) and the need to find them and make them available to public and private schools.
STEM Summit III was held on July 21, 2011 at Harford Community College. This event was the least attended of the three summits. Several regular attendees were not present at this summit mostly because of being away on travel; however, there were several first time attendees. Each workshop team was given an opportunity to report back their efforts since the last summit.
During this summit it was highlighted that the best mentors for students and SME’s are what is known as “near peer,” those close to a student’s own age. Students typically look up to those at the next age level to them. It was noted that the communications to students and parents would follow the pattern as follows: elementary age students – Excite; middle school age students – Engage; high school age students – Focus; and college age students – Finish. The communications workshop team demonstrated a new look for the Northeastern Maryland STEM webpage which was launched after the summit concluded. At the conclusion of the summit, Gary Martin issued a challenge for the group. He stated that given the volume of all the efforts and enormous goals that each hardworking team has outlined, that we should focus on one school first and obtain success in that place and then move out broader from there.
Nonetheless, the Boys Scouts of America has launched a STEM merit badge. On Saturday, 15 October 2011, Aberdeen Proving Ground will host the first ever “STEM Merit Badge Day,” in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America. Approximately 650 Boy Scouts are expected to attend this event, along with parents and scout leaders, to spend a day fully engaged in interactive learning about the Army’s technology capabilities. The Senior Mission Commander, MG Nick Justice, is requesting the active participation of all those tenant organizations located on the installation, as well as the support of senior leadership, to execute this ground breaking event successfully.
jmettee
Community
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PlanMaryland Draft Open For Comment
Friday, October 21st, 2011
The Maryland Department of Planning is developing a policy document that will “put teeth” into the Smart Growth initiatives that have been in place in our state since before 1997. PlanMaryland is a potentially far-reaching overall State Land Use Plan. The draft plan can be viewed at www.mdp.state.md.us and comments on the plan may be submitted through the website also.
The plan includes an a outline of goals and visions for future growth, protection of environmental resources, and protection of agriculture and natural resource lands. The time horizon of the plan is through 2035. Chapters 1, 2, and 3 contain a summary of the plan, an evaluation of past and projected land use trends and implications, and goals from altering past land use trends by setting Smart Growth targets for directing growth to existing urban and town centers, and for protecting the environment and agriculture. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 provide an outline of coordination with local jurisdictions, implementing the plan, and monitoring progress toward meeting the targets.
Unfortunately there is very little detail in Chapters 4, 5, and 6, as they will be developed over the next few years. The long term benefits, costs, and consequences of this plan will only be understood once these elements are completed.
So far, the plan also does not include any evaluation of the challenges to reaching the established targets. Urban in-fill and revitalization is expensive, time consuming, and fraught with community and regulatory pitfalls, especially in comparison with suburban development. How can these be overcome? This will have to be a part of the conversation, which Frederick Ward Associates plans to join. This plan will also have to be evaluated and dovetailed into other, ongoing planning initiatives such as revision of septic regulations, the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan and TMDL’s, AG Preservation programs, and environmental regulations.
Remember that you can share your thoughts on Plan Maryland with The Maryland Department of Planning until November 9, 2011. Keep an eye on this – there will be much to discuss moving forward.
CWard
Community, Sustainability
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Frederick Ward Partner Aids in Preparation of Baltimore Grand Prix
Saturday, July 30th, 2011
Recently there has been much chatter over the upcoming Baltimore Grand Prix that is scheduled to take place over the Labor Day weekend. Construction activities have been underway in the downtown Inner Harbor area of Baltimore for some time now and is nearing completion. This is what the raceway will look like. The Baltimore Business Journal reported that “Baltimore will be open for business before, during, and after the Baltimore Grand Prix is held Sept. 2-4.”
In recent conversations with one of our sub-consultants, Virginia Resource Mapping (VRM) located in Purcellville, Va., we discovered their role in the design of this high profiled raceway for Baltimore. VRM was responsible for the helicopter mapping of the raceway corridor. The original specifications for this project evolved scanning the raceway without closing the corridor to traffic and business. Matthew C. Smith, president of VRM, outlined a plan that permitted short, rolling road closures as the helicopter was performing the photography so the streets would be clear. His plan was approved by the city.
Frederick Ward Associates have used VRM exclusively for our mapping needs since 2005. What we like most about them is their collaborative approach to solving project problems. VRM is a company that utilizes the latest techniques and equipment in delivering quality product in a timely manner. We appreciate their “team player” approach during the work process, and congratulate them for their participation in such a high profile event as the Baltimore Grand Prix.
jmettee
Community
Baltimore Grand Prix, Virginia Resource Mapping
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Kiss-a-Pig 2011
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
At Frederick Ward Associates, we take pride in serving our community through volunteerism and financial support. For the past 18 months, I have proudly served as Board President for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford County. Our clubs provide much needed after school care and support to over 1,800 youth members throughout Harford County.
Our mission is “To enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. We fulfill this mission by offering a daily schedule of quality programs in the areas of:
- Character and Leadership Development
- Education
- Health and Life Skills
- The Arts
- Sports, Fitness & Recreation
In order to provide these great programs, our clubs are staffed with trained professionals as well as community volunteers. Therefore, our biggest expense is the investment we make in our dedicated staff that serves our membership.
Due to the changing economic and political environments, our funding sources are quickly evolving from a government supported model to a community based financial support model. We work hard to meet our goal through unique fundraising events. One of those events is our annual Kiss-a-Pig.
The Kiss-a-Pig event involves “candidates” competing for the most “votes” (financial support) to reward their effort of locking lips with a friendly little stub faced farm creature. So on behalf of the Board of Directors, a huge thank you goes out to this year’s 13 candidates:
- Linda Aaby, The Aegis
- Steve Behymer, The Towne Pub & Restaurant, Ravens Nest #26
- Glenn Gillis from SURVICE Engineering Company
- Lance Hersh, Saxon’s Diamond Center/Aberdeen Rotary
- Vicki Mengel, That Sports Store
- Matt Pramschufer, E-Moxie
- Vi Ripken, Boys & Girls Clubs of Harford County
- Wini Roche, Harford County Office of Tourism
- Tamera Rush, SRC & Women In Defense
- Chris Seling, Christopher Seling and Associates
- Mike Stewart, RBC Wealth Management
- Major Dale Stonesifer, Harford County Sheriff’s Office
- Susan Stover, APGFCU
To support their cause, each of our candidates along with their Campaign Managers are doing a great job running this year’s campaigns and the “votes” are coming in. Please see below for information on several fun events planned for this week.
On Thursday July 28th, there are two happy hours:
- From 5pm-8pm, MacGregor’s Restaurant and Tavern in Havre de Grace will be hosting a happy hour in support of Wini Roche, from the Harford County Office of Tourism. A portion of the evening’s proceeds and all tips will be donated to Wini’s Campaign.
- From 4pm-8pm, Looney’s Pub in Bel Air will be hosting a happy hour in support of Mike Stewart, from RBC Wealth Management. 10% of all proceeds will be donated to Mike’s Campaign. There will also be plenty of raffles, including a $200 gift certificate to Saxon’s Diamond Center.
Beginning Wednesday July 27th and lasting until August 10th, Flowers By Lucy will donate $5.00 from each sale to support Chris Seling, from CJ Seling & Associates. This deal applies at both Flowers By Lucy locations, Aberdeen and Abingdon.
Finally, until August 8th, you can purchase a raffle ticket to support Wini Roche. The Raffle Winner will take home a basket of summer fun worth over $1,000. You can purchase these tickets at Big House Signs in Havre de Grace, at Wini’s events, or by contacting Paula Casagrande from Big House Signs at 410-939-5600 or via email.
The Candidates have plenty of great events in the following weeks, including a Flip Flop Formal, a Battle of the Bands, and a fundraiser sponsored by One Body and Sole Health and Wellness Center. Details for these and all events are available on our website and on our Facebook page.
TPierce
Community
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First Commercial Roof-Mounted Wind Turbine Installed on Environmental Education Center in Harford County
Monday, June 27th, 2011
Harford County Public Schools recently installed a new 1.5kW roof-mounted Wind Turbine, courtesy of a Federal Grant, at the Harford Glen Environmental Education Center in Bel Air, MD. The turbine is a Honeywell WT6500 Gearless Blade Tip Power System, and is approximately 8 ft. in diameter. It is mounted on the roof of the Dining Hall at the Harford Glen campus, an environmental education center & MAEOE Green School that also features a ground-mounted solar array, composters, rain barrels and a new greenhouse. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Maryland Chapter held a Northern Chesapeake Branch event at the School on June 15th to commemorate the installation.
The Wind Turbine was a collaborative project between Harford County Public Schools and Frederick Ward Associates (FWA), with structural engineering support from Baker Ingram Associates. FWA prepared the roof-mounted design, provided project management, and completed permit documents in support of the project. Originally slated as a 60’ pole mounted horizontal-axis turbine, the Honeywell turbine was chosen when funding for the concrete footing as well as available ground space became problematic. The Honeywell turbine is unique in that it creates power at the blade tips and can create energy with wind speeds as low as 2 mph.
This project will be a great asset to the school system, as many Harford County fifth graders and others will be able to learn about renewable energy and how it works. The School District’s Resource Conservation Manager, Andrew Cassilly, mentioned that the school will be able to utilize a web-based monitoring readout to educate the students about net metering, utility rates, and energy output, and an outside area at the school will be set up to read the electric and natural gas meters as part of their STEM (Science Technology Engineering & Math) curriculum.
CCooper
Community
Community, Sustainability, Wind Turbines
1 Comment »
Luna’s House Wins Best Major Renovation
Saturday, January 29th, 2011
Frederick Ward Associates is proud to announce that Luna’s House Animal Care and Education Center won an award from The U.S. Green Building Council Maryland Chapter at their Annual Awards event on January 27, 2011. Luna’s House, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of animals and their people, won the award for the best building in the Major Renovation category. FWA contributed Architecture and Landscape Architecture design, Project management, and LEED Consulting for Luna’s House. Check out photos from the event, which took place at the Thames Street Wharf in Baltimore, at the Chapter’s Flickr page.
A registered LEED For New Construction Project tracking LEED Silver, the Luna’s House project includes a 14,900 square foot adaptive reuse of a foreclosed car dealership on Route 40 in Edgewood, Maryland. The program includes a shelter, kennel, retail sales, and a clinic that will set a new standard for shelters and kennels in the area. It also includes an on-site residence for full-time staff. Sustainable features include a proposed dog park which will decrease the impervious surface ratio by creating half an acre of habitat, use of rain barrels, waterless urinals, HVAC units with energy recovery heat wheels, high efficiency water heaters and lighting, 95% reuse of the existing building structure, and diversion of 98% of construction waste from local landfills.
Luna’s House will add 5 to 7 full time positions to the job market in its first year of operation at the new facility. The purchase and rehabilitation of the facility will provide more than $2 million of stimulus to the local economy. Luna’s House will provide animal care education services, retail services, and animal adoption to the community as well. Visit the Luna’s House website for more information.
CCooper
Community
Community, Frederick Ward Associates
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Frederick Ward Associates Makes Holiday Donation With The Help of Luna’s House
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Once again the holidays have brought together a cadre of good-natured people, organizations and companies to share goodwill to the community. Through the efforts of a volunteer at Luna’s House, Frederick Ward Associates and students of Future Link made donations to the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance (CCA) and the Child Advocacy Center of Harford County.
On November 26-28 the Chesapeake Cancer Alliance (CCA) hosted the Festival of Trees at the Reckord Armory, where many organizations donated decorated Christmas trees for auction, with proceeds to benefit the CCA. The CCA is dedicated to raising funds for cancer prevention, research education and treatment for citizens of Harford County and Maryland.
Deb Comstock, a volunteer for Luna’s House and a teacher in the Future Link program at Harford County Schools organized the creation of one very special Christmas tree. It was decorated by the students of Future Link, a program of the Harford County Schools for young adults 18-21 years of age with special needs. All of the ornaments were handmade, representing animals available through Luna’s House. Luna’s House is a non-profit animal rescue organization preparing to open a state-of-the-art shelter, care and education facility in Edgewood, MD.
Craig Ward, President of Frederick Ward Associates, was the winning bidder for the Luna’s House tree. He then donated the tree to the Harford County Child Advocacy Center in Bel Air to help bring some holiday cheer to a social service agency that often deals with less fortunate children.
ESteere
Community
Community, Frederick Ward Associates
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Frederick Ward Associates Builds a “Cool Roof” at Local Elementary School
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2010
Last week, Frederick Ward Associates’ President, Craig A. Ward, and several members of the firms Architecture Department participated in a ribbon cutting that highlighted the new energy efficient roof on the Ring Factory Elementary School. The new roof is not only Energy Star rated by the U.S. Department of Energy, but it is also a “cool roof”. The Harford County Government and the Board of Education partnered in funding the new roof, which also received federal grants. The grant was received from the USDOE, funded through The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
‘Cool roofs’ reflect solar radiation, reduce the heat conducted into buildings and directly reduce air-conditioning use. Frederick Ward Associates was the architecture firm selected to design the replacement of the school’s fiberglass asphalt shingled roof with a fully adhered 60 mil PVC roof with decorative PVC extrusions that emulates the look of a a standing seam metal roof.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Star website advises that solar reflectance is the most important characteristic of a roof product in terms of yielding the highest energy savings during warmer months. The higher the solar reflectance, the more efficient the product is in reflecting sunlight and heat away from the building and reducing roof temperature. Frederick Ward Associates’ sustainable roof design will contribute to increased energy cost savings at Ring Factory Elementary.
ESteere
Community, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Community, Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
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Frederick Ward Associates Hosts Sustainability Seminars
Friday, September 17th, 2010
Note: The Sustainability Seminars have now been postponed until Spring 2011. Stay tuned – in the spring, we’ll have all the information about how to register for these classes.
Frederick Ward Associates will soon be hosting a series of Sustainability Seminars at Harford Community College. The first series of “green” seminars will take place September 30, with the informative events continuing through November 11.
The courses will cover the latest in green strategies, tax credits for green initiatives, green residential design, updates on Maryland storm water management regulations, and plenty more diverse topics that can help you incorporate sustainability into your business. Chuck Cooper, Kevin Small, and Gerry Powell, all knowledgeable members of the sustainable design community, will be presenting the four seminars. There are also plans for a second series of seminars that will run through Spring of 2011, featuring hands-on demonstrations such as how to build a rain garden, do’s and don’ts of composting, and use of rain barrels. Other topics will include green advocacy and community involvement, and renewable energy.
The events include opportunities for networking and a continental breakfast. It’s a perfect opportunity for development professionals, realtors, attorneys, environmental activists, bankers, builders, contractors and anyone interested in the future of energy efficient building. You can register for the series here.
CCooper
Community, Frederick Ward, Sustainability
Community, Frederick Ward Associates, Sustainability
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