RJ Fisher News

Presentations and Meetings on Land Development Issues

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 14:45:40 -0500

In my leadership role for the Home Builders Association I am frequently asked to speak on behalf of the industry. Below is a listing of some of the events I have recently participated in.

3/16/12 - Presentation on “Value Engineering Site Designs” with Reager Adler Attorneys.

3/01/12 - ICI Realtors Association.

2/22/12 - DEP meeting on stormwater offsetting proposal.

2/21/12 - Presentation on How the iPad can Improve your Business at the Home Builders Association Government Affairs meeting.

11/16/11 - HBA Building & Industry night Exhibits & Networking

11/15/11 - Presentation to DEP on Storm water Offsetting proposal at the Harrisburg HBA.

11/10/11 - PBA Industry Action Fund Conference call to request funding to continue the litigation to prevent EPA & DEP from implementing the Paxton Creek TMDL.

11/03/11 - Realtors Industrial Commercial breakfast.

11/01/11 - HBA Governmental Affairs meeting to discuss priorities for 2012.

10/31/11 - Paxton Creek TMDL conference call on status of litigation.

10/26/11 - PSLS Seminar on GIS Applications and Resources for Surveyors.

10/18/11 - Realtors ICI Fall Social Event.

10/13/11 - Realtors Annual Trade Fair Exhibitor.

2/23/11 - Meeting with NAHB & EPA of our Stormwater Offsetting proposal and how it could benefit the Chesapeake Bay TMDL efforts.

2/22/11 - Meeting with State Legislators on the repeal of the Sprinkler Code requirements for single family homes.

2/16/11 - Spoke at the Harrisburg Home Builders meeting to encourage more builders to contact their legislators on the sprinkler code repeal.

2/15/11 - Present letter of appreciation to the Board of Commissioners at Lower Paxton Township for their participation in the efforts to get the Paxton Creek removed from the impaired waters list.

2/14/11 - Present letter of appreciation to the Board of Commissioners at Susquehanna Township for their participation in the efforts to get the Paxton Creek removed from the impaired waters list.

2/08/11 - Attend DEP presentation on the Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation Control and Post Construction Stormwater regulations.

8/18/10 - Presentation to Harrisburg Rotary on Housing Revenues and Costs.

7/07/10 - Meeting with DEP staff on Post Construction Stormwater Offset proposal.

6/06/10 - Presentation at Realtors Municipal Officials breakfast.

5/10/10 - Presentation at Legislative breakfast for Harrisburg Home Builders Association.

4/14/10 - Meeting with DEP staff on proposed Chapter 102 regulations.

3/26/10 - Presentation to Pennsylvania Bar Institute in Philadelphia Pa. on revisions to DEP Chapter 102 Erosion and Sedimentation Control and Post Construction Stormwater Regulations.

3/17/10 - Presentation at West Shore Chamber of Commerce seminar on Getting to “Shovel Ready” The land development process hints and tips.

3/08/10 - Assisted Grant Gulibon of PBA with testimony before the House Majority Policy Committee Hearing on Forested Riparian Buffer legislation.

2/19/10 - R.J. Fisher receives 2009 Housing Advocate Award from the Pa. Builders Association at the Government Affairs meeting in Scranton, Pa.

2/18/10 - Radio interview with Michael Parks on WHP 580 along with Dr. Elliot Eisenberg.

2/17/10 - Presentation Removing Barriers to Housing at Colonial Country Club along with Dr. Elliot Eisenberg presentation on “Does Housing Pay for Itself?

2/01/10 Presentation at DEP Nutrient Trading meeting in Lancaster Pa.

1/20/10 - Presentation at Pa. Conservation District annual conference in State College on our proposal for Post Construction Stormwater Offsets/Trading.

1/12/10 - Meeting with DEP leadership, staff & Fair Share Coalition on the status of various proposed regulations and policy.

1/11/10 - Conference call to monitor EPA’s Chesapeake Bay TMDL progress.

1/08/10 - Planning meeting for presentation by RJF & Elliot Eisenberg Elliott an Economist with the National Home Builders Association. See YouTube of Elliott here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKMH7A7whFk see other info from NAHB here
http://www.nahb.org/generic.aspx?genericContentID=35601 . Mark your calendars for this presentation on February 17, 2010 6:30 PM at the Colonial Country Club.

1/07/10 - Attend ICI Commercial Realtors Breakfast sponsored by GreenWorks Development.

1/05/10 - Harrisburg Home Builders Association State & Local Government meeting to discuss and plan action on issues affecting the building industry.

1/04/10 - Planning for presentation for West Shore Chamber of Commerce “ Getting to Shovel Ready” on the trials and tribulations for the Land Development Process.

12/30/09 - RJF&A Hired by Pa. Builders Association to develop stormwater alternatives and present concepts to EPA, DEP, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Farm Bureau, Pa. Conservation Districts and Pa. Municipal Authorities Association in an attempt to get regulations changed to give builders more cost effective stormwater options.

12/18/09 - Presentation to Pa. DEP on Post- Construction Stormwater (PCSW) Offset/Trading concept we developed to reduce the on-site infiltration requirements in return for payment to install off-site Forested Riparian Buffers on Farm land.

12/16/09 - Presentation to the Pa. Farm Bureau on PCSW Offset Trading.

12/15/09 - Presentation to Pa. Municipal Authorities Association, Pa. Conservation District Association and Chesapeake Bay Foundation on PCSW Offset Trading.

12/8/09 - Attend Real Estate Symposium put on buy the Central Penn Business Journal.

12/02/09 - Robert J. Fisher - Awarded Associate of the Year for the second straight year buy the Harrisburg Home Builders Association for dedication to the industry.

RJ Fisher-2009-Housing-Advocate-Award

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:43:13 -0500

ENGINEER WINS PBA HOUSING ADVOCATE AWARD

SCRANTON, Pa. – Robert J. Fisher of Mechanicsburg was awarded the Pennsylvania Builder Association’s Housing Advocate Award during the association’s board meeting at the Hilton on Saturday.
Fisher, P.L.S., P.E., is president of R. J. Fisher and Associates Inc., an engineering, planning and surveying firm located in New Cumberland. Fisher was recognized for his significant contributions to the housing industry that have benefited the entire commonwealth.
He has shown commitment at both the state and local levels of the association in various leadership capacities. For PBA, Fisher has served as chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategy and TMDL task force to help lead the association’s efforts to defend the housing industry against the negative effects of new state and federal regulations.
At the local level, Fisher has served as a long-time member of the board of directors for the Home Builders Association of Metro Harrisburg, where he is also chairman of the State and Local Government Affairs Committee. He also was awarded the Associate of the Year Award in 2008 & 2009. PBA is proud to recognize his service.

About PBA
Chartered in 1952, the Pennsylvania Builders Association is a nonprofit professional trade organization representing 8,200 member-companies from across the commonwealth. PBA members and their 255,000 employees include builders, remodelers, material suppliers, subcontractors, consultants, lending institutions, utilities and others involved in the housing industry.

PBA serves its membership by providing proactive leadership on state regulatory and legislative issues and by offering products and services to its 39 local associations and chapters that enhance the effectiveness and professionalism of its members. PBA serves Pennsylvania communities and consumers through its steadfast efforts to protect homeownership rights and advocate for affordable housing options. PBA is affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders.

Elliot Eisenberg-Ph.-D.-Senior-Economist-NAHB-Housing-Revenue-Study

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 23:13:10 -0500

Revenue generated for area communities by home building outweighs costs by more than 2-to-1, according to study

HARRISBURG, PA—An economic impact study using a representative sample of new housing in the Harrisburg metropolitan area shows that home building pays for itself more than twice over with local tax revenues and jobs.

The study concludes that a representative group of 100 single-family and 67 multifamily homes built in the Harrisburg metro area in 2008 will generate a cumulative $29.2 million in revenue over a 15-year period, more than offsetting $13.8 million in costs.

The study was conducted by Dr. Elliot Eisenberg, senior economist with the Housing Policy Department of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), using an NAHB study model that that has been applied in more than 600 economic analyses all over the country.

“These results show that home building is more than paying its own way and should put to rest any notion that existing homeowners are subsidizing new home construction in this area,” Dr. Eisenberg said. “This result tells me that local residents should be thanking the building industry for footing the bill for a lot of municipal services.”

The study also notes that the home building industry was the eighth largest employer in the Harrisburg area in 2008.

“It is important for us to look closely at these numbers,” said David Thompson, president of the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg (HBA). “We’ve been saying for a long time that local home builders are doing their part to build communities and these numbers show that we are a very important player in the overall economic health of the Harrisburg area economy.”

Dr Eisenberg presented the study findings February 17 to a meeting of elected officials, municipal executives, planners, builders, bankers, real estate professionals, and economic development officials at the Colonial Golf and Tennis Club (formerly the Colonial Country Club). The presentation was sponsored by HBA and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency.

Eisenberg used Lower Paxton Township and the construction of 100 single-family homes with an average value of $406,000 and 67 multi-family homes with an average value of $255,000 as the sampling base for the study.

The study took into account housing-associated costs for education, police and fire protection, streets and highways, water and sewage, recreational facilities, electric utilities, and transit. Even so, the benefit-to-cost ratio was positive. “Over 15 years, based on all the input, 100 single-family units and 67 multi-family units will generate a cumulative $29.2 million in revenue for local governments—but only $13.8 million in added costs,” Eisenberg said.
Even by the end of the first year after construction, according to the study, the economic contributions more than offset the costs, resulting in a fiscal surplus to local governments. Based on the sample, single-family and multi-family housing will produce net income to local governments of $512,500 the first year and $1.1 million every year thereafter.

Additional study conclusions:

The construction of 100 single-family homes with an average value of $406,000 will result in 431 temporary jobs and 66 permanent jobs over the first 10 years after construction, while also generating $67.8 million in local income and $13.9 million in local tax revenue.

The construction of 67 multifamily homes with an average value of $255,000 will result in 184 temporary jobs and 35 permanent jobs over the first 10 years after construction, while generating $31.2 million in local income and $6.4 million in local tax revenue.

Economic benefits do not end with construction. Additions and alterations to the homes in the sample will create 100 temporary jobs and four permanent jobs in the first 10 years after construction, while generating $5.4 million in local income and $2.5 million in local tax revenue. Maintenance and repair work on the homes will create 73 temporary and three permanent jobs in the same period and will generate $4 million in local income and $1.8 million in tax revenue.

Eisenberg holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from McGill University and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in public administration from Syracuse University. He is such a frequent and sought-after speaker on housing and housing-related topics that he spends about 60 percent of his time away from his Washington, D.C. office and has visited hundreds of cities. He is the creator of the multifamily stock index and the author of numerous articles that have been featured and quoted in Business Week, Forbes, and Fortune, among others.
Copies of the complete study are available from HBA. Please call Director of Governmental Affairs Keith Ashley at (717) 232-5595 or send your request to him at kashley@harrisburgbuilders.com.

HBA is an association of building and remodeling professionals and related companies. HBA membership includes over 800 business organizations. It is affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders and the Pennsylvania Builders Association.

To learn more about the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg, visit www.harrisburgbuilders.com.
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency is the Commonwealth’s leading provider of capital for affordable homes and apartments. Created to help enhance the quality and supply of affordable homes and apartments for older adults, persons of modest means, and persons with disabilities, the agency operates homeownership programs, rental housing development initiatives, and a foreclosure prevention effort. In nearly 35 years of existence, PHFA has provided $8 billion in funding and tax credits for home mortgage loans and apartment units, while saving the homes of tens of thousands of families from foreclosure.
To learn more about the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, visit http://www.phfa.org/.

Post-Construction-Stormwater-Trading-Proposal-Pa-DEP

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 22:56:32 -0500

Lets Fix the Chesapeake Bay & Help the Building Industry!

There are times in life when you need to look long and hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This seems to be one of those times. With DEP enacting numerous new regulations, EPA developing a bay wide TMDL, DEP & Conservation District budgets and staff cuts and the building industry still trying to recover, we see opportunities that would otherwise not be presented. We have proposed solutions to the Pa. Conservation District, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and DEP, that help solve environmental and development problems to help in fixing the Chesapeake Bay. First, let’s look at the main source and location of pollution to the bay.

These figures show that the highest levels of nutrients, shown in red are generally located in south central Pennsylvania. Looking at Google earth aerial photos we see numerous farms with little or no buffer to streams in these same areas.

What does this have to do with the building industry? Well as part of DEP’s & EPA’s efforts to clean up the Bay we have numerous new regulations which require Post Construction Stormwater Best Management Practices (PCSW BMP’s) in site designs that will be difficult to comply with and will require a substantial amount of money to design, install and maintain. A much more effective pollution control measure would be for the building industry to help fund the off site stream buffers in return for offsets of certain PCSW BMP site requirements. Of course we would still need to install all erosion and sedimentation control measures and stormwater facilities to control the runoff rate to pre-development conditions. We would propose to offset stormwater infiltration areas, that will be a long term problem for everyone to guarantee maintenance and function, with off site forested buffers.
In the front of this newsletter we show one of our recent site designs with the infiltration areas colored in orange. These areas are typically designed to hold one foot of water which will infiltrate into the ground after a storm event. We see these areas as a problem for home owners and source of complaints to builders. After the development is completed a property owner is likely to fill in these areas with topsoil to eliminate the ponding after each storm. This will be a difficult issue to police.
Instead of designing and installing the infiltration areas we would propose that the builder or designer work with the Conservation Districts to identify riparian forested buffers or similar projects that need funding. This would be similar to the wetlands banking concept we have used in the past. EPA & DEP has identified the farms as a major contributor to nutrient pollution, however, they have not come up with a way to enforce or fund the problem. We see a mutual benefit to the builders, farmers, DEP, EPA and Conservation Districts to cooperate and help provide a source for funding of these projects. This would maximize the environmental benefits for a reasonable cost and minimize the long term maintenance and enforcement issues.
Farmers would need to grant a conservation easement along the stream in return for technical assistance to bringing the farm into compliance and installation of the riparian buffer. It may be possible to generate and sell nutrient credits with this program which could benefit the farmer and/or the Conservation District with long term funding.
Please consider this proposal and e-mail your comments if you feel this is the right way to go. We are actively promoting this concept to DEP, EPA and the Conservation Districts. Your input would be helpful to make sure we get this right. Any cost and maintenance issues you have had with stormwater BMP’s would also be helpful to note.

DEP-to-Change-NPDES-Permit-Rules

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 22:01:41 -0400

DEP to change the Rules on NPDES Permits!

DEP has proposed changes to Chapter 102 regulations on erosion and sedimentation control and post construction storm water permits (NPDES). This change can impact plans you already have approved and permitted!
DEP has published proposed changes to Chapter 102 Regulations that will have major impacts on Land Development projects. The NPDES permits for your current projects are renewed every 5 years and DEP has instructed the Conservation District to use the new regulations for permit renewals. This means that your approved Subdivision or Land Development plans may need to be redesigned to allow for additional storm water infiltration areas, Best Management Practices (BMPs) or Buffer Areas. DEP has held public meetings to receive comments on these regulations. The PA Builders Association and RJF&A have submitted numerous comments and proposed changes to DEP.
In our evaluation several projects designed and approved just four years ago, would need numerous new BMP’s and may ultimately need to eliminate lots or units to comply with the new regulations. Many of the variables in what your projects will be required to do is dependent on the Conservation District or DEP permit reviewer and how the new regulations are enforced on existing projects. As a builder or developer, you will need to check on expiration dates for your NPDES permits to make sure that they do not expire!
The permit fees are proposed to increase from $500 to $5,000, however the more troubling requirement is for riparian forested buffers along all rivers, perennial or intermittent streams (both sides), lakes, ponds or reservoirs. The buffer is 100’ for all waters and 150’ for Impaired or Special Protection waters. These buffers must be managed and maintained to remove and control noxious weeds and invasive species.
Picture a 200’ wide forested buffer on every swale through your property! Imagine how many units/lots would be lost!
We will try to get this changed through the DEP review and comment process!

Harrisburg HBA vs. EPA/DEP - TMDL VICTORY! (Maybe?)
The Harrisburg Home Builders Association (HBA) has won a major decision by the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) which agrees with the HBA’s assertion that the Paxton Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) used flawed procedures and is not based on valid scientific methods. This decision is a major victory as long as EPA & DEP listen to the SBA and withdraw or modify the TMDL. The HBA became involved with this issue when we discovered that EPA was holding a public meeting at the Lower Paxton Township building on the Paxton Creek TMDL. We contacted the manager of Lower Paxton Township and learned that the Township was not notified on what impact the TMDL would have on the Township.
Upon further research we discovered that several other Pennsylvania municipalities were also targets of the EPA & DEP - TMDL’s and that EPA was looking to use this TMDL method nationwide.
A coalition was formed to sue EPA & DEP over these procedures which Lower Paxton Township and the Harrisburg HBA joined.
If this TMDL was approved as written, it would have effectively stopped all building within Susquehanna and Lower Paxton Townships and cost the residents of the Township several million dollars for stormwater treatment and still not correct the environmental issues.
Anyone familiar with the Paxton Creek in Harrisburg knows that north of the Farm Show Paxton Creek flows through Wildwood Lake, a pristine nature preserve, however in the city, the creek is a concrete channel with combined sewer overflows. A drastic contrast in environmental quality that would not be fixed or changed at all by the methods EPA & DEP were proposing. We used photos of this contrast at the SAB hearing to show our Federal and State Government why the TMDL was the wrong solution to fix our environmental problems.