tltlt interviewed bv N chole L, Reber
L:"f'S ffif tr*ffi%Wffi'Xmfu$W
'-
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"?"
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3 object to.
,!,
€-
% to build more affordable
STRETCHEDTHIN
*:::;::;:::.:' E skilled labor and supply
paying more than they can
afford fe.r a home.
% z,
.'i i i:1: 611511nation is more of a give-and-
1,:, , take industry than many might
',,,: :lr' recognize, according to Gr-rlf
Coast Builders Exchange executive direc-
tor Jay Brady. Though rnany may assume
that the industry would like less govern-
n'rental interference, Brady says the right
type of government interaction could be
quite helpful by spurring the development
of affordable housing, keeping building
costs down and ensuring that zoning is
beneficial for all involved.
How does NlMBYism affect the
struction industry? r{/hen people work to
"close the door behind them," they restrict
housing supply and increase the price of
their little corner of the world. All that
accomplisl'res is an acceleration of urban
sprawl, a leapfrogging to rural areas more
removed from urban services, faster loss of
agricultural and environmental lands, lon-
ger commuting and more people becoming
NIMBYs. It's a vicious cycle. People voted
for the green lands referendum in Novem-
ber thinking that would help stop or slow
R,,il-^-.^^t.^.-.^
uullusr t.
)PUr\E)r t'at | )a/ Rr;dv on rhc
pitfal ls of over-regu lation.
development. However, it
rJLr L-l^.-^
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lilJ)
t--t-
uarr i.rL. ailu
ilcrp ((JnCen-
--,t k.,..1^r:
r') !lcunltlon
thatt what NIMBYs most
What's the most reliable
way to get the industry
housing? It's a combina-
tio",rf merrv rlrino'
......_i.
cluding building codes,
it, shorrage:. The anrwer it
H not more regulation. Gov-
j errrrnerrt leaders [e.rn'L]
solve a problem by throw-
ing a few dollars at it or adding more
regulations. Outdated zoning codes with
long permitting times and excessive fees
are also problems. Comprehensive zon-
ing reform is the only real solution in the
long run, but it will take other actions
like eliminating [federal] tariffs on the
importation of Mexican cement.
Should county government mandate
inclusionary zoning to create affordable
housing? Abrolutely nor. The counry
would not need to mandate anything if
con- our inadequate land use and zoning sys-
tem had not collided with higher con-
struction costs, tougher building codes
and skilled labor shortages. It's a per-
fect-storm situation. Since the advent
of zoning, it's never been purely up to
the developer or builder. 'We just r.reed
reasonable zoning with higher densi-
ties for these new times to offset these
other factors. Zontng is more than just
higher density; it's also setbacks, build-
ing height, open space and storm water
regulations and fees.
Sarasota County is collecting affordable
housing funds. Will this pot of money
'
realize its purpose? It's probably the
most inefficient way to solve this prob-
lem. Yes, it will address it somewhat, but
there will never be enough money rhat
can even come close to solving it. There
are 41,000 cost-burdened households in
Sarasota County now and it is projected
by state housing experts to grow to about
lll_ 47,000 in the next 10 years.
How do you foresee the price of build-
ing-material costs changing over the
next year, given the damages and needs
of rebuilding after Hurricanes Katrina,
Rita and Wilma? Prices will moderate
sornewhat if oil prices stay lower than $2
per gallon. However, when the rebuild-
ing of the Gulf Coast really kicks in we
can expect materials prices to be pushed
back up. Eliminating tariffs on imported
cement would definitely help. \7hat we
really need is incentives and fewer disin-
centives to produce more cement in Flor-
ida and elsewhere in the United States.
What is the local building industry
doing to combat the lack of skilled la-
borers? The Construction Technology
Careers pre-apprenticeship programt
founded in 2001 through a partnership
of construction companies, Sarasota and
Manatee school districts and the Sun-
coesr Workforce Board. is growing every
year, and it's being well received by the
contractors who hire these kids. It's a
900-hour program, so by the time they
get hired they've had 450 hours by going
through the courses and taking safety
training, and they can deal with work-
ers' compensation issues on job sites at
16 years of age.
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cal rate for workers who've trained Longboat Key ....... 383-5577 Myakka City ........ 322-1661
rvith CTC. Palmetto...............722-2246 Parrish.................776-3300
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Lynn Parker, CRB
Broker Associate . Vice President
WAGNER REALTY
l94l)727 2800 . (BBB) 691-1245
Licensed to sell real estate in the State ol Ftorida

BRrcK/BLocKMAsoNs: $r4.29 per hour,

entry $11.5o
cARPENTERS: $t4.7t, entry $ro.z6
CEMENT MASONS AND CONCRETE FINISHERS:

$8.23, entry $9.72

coNsrRucnoN MANAGERS: $rr.s g,
entry $r9.64
DRYWATL AND CEILING TILE INSTALLERS:

$g.zg, entry $11.18

ELEcrRrctANs: $t4.t7, entry $:o.82
TIRST-LINE CONSTRUCTION SUPERVISORS:
$zz.5o, entry $r5.42
Real Estate Courses
HVAC INSTALLERS AND MECHANICS:
r 63 hour Pre-License Course ( Sales Associate)
$r5.27, entry $ro.95
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT OPERATORS:
r 1 Week Glasses Begin November 1"t
$t.g+, entry $ro.54 r I Week Classes Begin November 156
PAtNTERS: $r3.o9, entry $9.6o
PLASTERERS AND STUCCO MASONS: Brokers are encouraged
$ts.S+, entry $rz.3B to call and discuss affiliation
PLUMBERS/PTPEFTTTERS: $rs.sg,
enLry $n.77
RooFERs: $r3.9o, entry $rr.45
sHEET METAL woRKERs: $ra.Br,
entry $ro.z8
STRUCTURAT IRON AND STEEL WORKERS:

$t6.zz, entry $ro.78

METAL FABRICATORS AND FITTERS:
$n.72, entry $9.74
wELDERS: $rl.4o, entry $ro.68
Source: Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation,
Oct 2oo4, www.workforceflorida.com/wages

Sarasota/l\4anatee BUS NESS r MaRcH 2005 53