It’s easy to understand why such spaces are often forgotten. The original Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) passage of the law inadvertently omitted such facilities to fall under its purview, and the topic was inadvertently not addressed. As a result of this accidental neglect, the ADAAG Review Advisory Committee issued a recommendation to insert provisions into the law to cover self-storage facilities.

Consequently, storage facilities must have a set number of spaces that are accessible to their physically challenged customers. To that end, regulators set a percentage of such facilities to ensure accessibility. Generally speaking, 5 percent of the total area of a storage facility with up to 200 storage units must adhere to ADA accessibility standards. A full 10 percent of total space must be ADA-compliant for facilities having 201 storage units. A facility with less than 1 percent of such accessibility guidelines is thus deemed noncompliant.

The office portions of storage facilities are clearly explained in the original legislation, with guidelines set forth for such elements as ramps and door size. However, complying with ADA building guidelines as they relate to individual storage units can be a bit more confusing because some of the safeguards set forth by ADA for general construction are often at odds with the layout of a typical storage facility. Take slopes, for example. In typical construction, self-storage facilities must allow for a slope to be built into the grading that allows for water run-off away from the building. However, by one interpretation, ADAGG guidelines bar such slopes within five feet of each unit. Naturally, this creates special challenges in terms of the design of self-storage facilities.

To ensure compliance, some facility operators go through considerable expense, such as outfitting some units with electrical door openers in lieu of roll-up doors requiring manual operation.

Given the inherent confusion in the ADA verbiage, it is critical for storage facility operators to ensure they are in compliance with the law. The urgency is heightened in light of steep fines associated with non-compliance. Civil penalties for noncompliance begin at $50,000 for the first infraction and could top $100,000 for subsequent violations. Then, of course, there are attorney’s fees to consider.

In July of 2010, addressing the original neglect of storage facilities, the U.S. Department of Justice issued revamped regulations for commercial buildings built or substantively altered before January 1991. The new regulations—this time also addressing self-storage facility compliance—went into effect in January of 2012.

The new regulations cover areas once at odds with mainstream construction, such as entry lips, required at commercial buildings but at odds with self-storage design. The updates detail the need for entry lips not to pose as a hindrance to a person in a wheelchair that might impede that person from entering a storage unit. Rental offices, bathrooms, and parking areas are also now more expansively covered with revamped guidelines to clear up lingering confusion on what constitutes accessibility.

Those confused about such ADA requirements are urged to contact regulatory agencies to clear up any issues. The U.S. Department of Justice has set up an office specifically dealing with ADA issues housed in its Civil Rights Division. The telephone number for the agency is (202) 514-0301. The snail mail address: P.O. Box 66118, Washington, D.C. 20035-6118. Another source of information is the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, reachable at (800) 872-2253. The physical address is 1111 18^th Street NW, No. 501, Washington, D.C., 20036.

However, if all of this seems a bit overwhelming and confusing, why not contact Burnham Nationwide? Our experienced staff can help you navigate the laws and codes and find out just which ones are pertinent to your project and how to go about following them.

Such “e-permit” capabilities are in keeping with a technology-based 21^st century, and can shave months’ worth of time from design to build.  However, unsavory practitioners also can misuse such applications. Availability of these streamlined options, and their tacit promise of savings in precious time, should never pose an invitation to cut corners.

Ever the leader in many areas of American life, New York City was an early proponent of such technology, its Department of Buildings launching a self-certification site in 1995. Quickly after its inception, architects and engineers availed themselves of the service, while authenticating their plans as being code-compliant. However, as with most endeavors, the initiative emerged as something of a Pandora’s Box. Without direct contact with city building officials, some users took advantage of the lax system of checks and balances inherent to the self-certification model.

One architect manipulated the data input into the system to circumvent height requirements, categorizing entire floors as mezzanines. His ruse exposed, a subsequent investigation revealed further transgressions that prompted city officials to shelve more than 50 of his projects.  Digging further, city officials found that nearly 60 percent of all self-certified plans were actually out of compliance with local building codes. The city later moved to restrict repeat-offending architects from self-certification as a result of the scandal.

Why is it that in many endeavors it only takes a few rotten apples to spoil the entire crop? This is a philosophical question to be sure, but the reality highlights not only the potential for abuse, but also the real damage to reputation that results in succumbing to shortcuts.

Despite all of these transgressions, the news is not all bad, with the virtues of the electronic effort spotlighted elsewhere.  Portland and Los Angeles have emerged as big self-certification practitioners with minimal disruptions due to fraud. In Hawaii, officials have inserted a third-party review to their own version as a safeguard against abuse.

For the ethical industry players, e-permit options truly make life easier in meeting crucial deadlines. Such programs allow architects to be issued permits within a week of submitting plans electronically, a process that would take months under old-school methods. As many readers of this blog are aware, these time savings are a welcome development in light of the dizzying number of city codes and ordinances to which one must adhere.

Rising from the ashes of such scandalous behavior, the city of Phoenix has emerged as another bright example of electronic self-certification done right. A February report in the Ahwatukee Foothills News cast a spotlight on the various e-certified success stories, detailing the measurable benefits to those opting for the electronic permitting route. Led by City Councilman Sal DiCiccio, the city long sought to help developers eliminate pesky red tape through self-certification options. So in 2009, the city assembled a committee to explore the idea of self-certification to allow architects to secure needed permits within one to five days of their submissions.

By all accounts, the process is a big success, free of scandal. One local businessman was quoted as saying self-certification allowed him to open his pizza shop 45 days faster than would have been accomplished with conventional methods. Another project would have taken 60 days were it not for self-certification, the newspaper reported.

In our industry, as in so many other areas of human endeavor, it’s a brave new world. With or without the simplicity and ease of technology, it’s still a jungle out there, what with deadlines and all. However, in doing the right thing, one might heed the words of Albert Camus: “A man [or woman] without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.”

 This year, the USGBC is set to update its standards, dubbing the effort LEED 2012. The LEED certification process developed in 1998 provides independent, third-party verification that a single structure—business or residence—or an entire community was designed and built employing strategies to achieve high performance in key areas including: human and environmental health, sustainability, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. Achieving credits based on a 100-point system determines the four levels of LEED achievement: Certified (40-49 points); Silver (50-59); Gold 60-79); and Platinum (80 points and above).

 There are now some 7,000 LEED-approved projects throughout the United States and 30 other countries, covering more than one billion square feet of space. Of those, just over 1,000 have been able to achieve Platinum status. In our home state of Illinois, roughly 30 projects represent a cross-section of building uses — from a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant in Gurnee Mills to the University of Illinois-at Urbana-Champaign campus boasting of its business instructional facility being so rated.

 Simply put, the reason there are so few Platinum-level buildings to be found is that getting to that level is hard! It’s so hard, in fact, that sometimes one wonders if divine inspiration and intervention might be required to achieve the coveted LEED standard.

 Here in Burnham Nationwide’s home state, one Platinum project extends that concept. In Evanston, Illinois, the Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation became the first to attain LEED Platinum rating. The American Institute of Architects and the group’s Committee on the Environment also has named it as one of the top green buildings.

 In neighboring Wisconsin, a monastery in Madison displayed its own commitment to Platinum-level standards. The different elements installed in achieving the high designation hint at the breadth of design needed to be called a green building. The centerpiece of such design was the monastery’s geothermal heating and cooling system that was approved for construction by the Benedictine women of Madison. The system uses roughly 40 closed-loop wells at a depth of 300 feet each.

 In addition to the Chipotle’s eatery, synagogue, and five private homes in our home state—three in our Chicago base and one apiece in Elgin and Glencoe—just a few projects have managed to achieve Platinum. Looking through the list gives one the sense of the possible in achieving the coveted standard given the sheer scope of projects. Among those achieving Platinum LEED in Illinois are:

• The 550 West Washington building – Chicago
• The Center for Neighborhood Technology Renovation – Chicago
• Christy Webber Landscapes, Greenworks Office & Storage Building – Chicago
• The office interiors at the Environmental Law and Policy Center – Chicago
• Erin’s Pavilion – Springfield
• The Evelyn-Pease Tyner Interpretative Center – Air Station Prairie, Glenco
• Headquarters of Exelon, including the 55^th floor – Chicago
• The FBI regional office – Chicago
• The Gensler office – Chicago
• The Hidden Oaks Nature Center – Bolingbrook
• The HOK office – Chicago
• Hyatt Center – Chicago
• The Kenmore Senior Apartments affordable housing complex – Chicago
• The McDonald’s corporate world headquarters campus office building – Oak Brook
• McGuire Engineers – Chicago
• Other World Computing – Woodstock
• The Pepsico Chicago Sustainability Center – Chicago
• An office renovation project at Perkins+Will – Chicago
• The Richland Community College Center for Sustainability and Innovation – Decatur
• The Ryerson Woods Conservation Area Visitors Center – Lake County Forest Preserve District, Deerfield
• The Shaw Technology and Learning Center – Chicago
• Tesla Produce – Chicago

With Burnham Nationwide as your trusted partner, you won’t need supernatural guidance in your own quest for LEED designation. Our team of professionals is well versed in all things LEED-related and can help you achieve your own level. Who knows? It might even be LEED Platinum! Contact us via Burnhamnationwide.com or by calling toll free at 800-407-7990, and don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook!

Storm water discharges originating from construction—resulting from grading, excavation, stockpiling, and the like—that disturb the environment on one or more acres that are part of a larger common plan of development or sale, are regulated under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) storm water program. Before discharging, construction operators must first obtain coverage under an NPDES permit.

Some in the construction industry view a construction general permit as a draconian measure, but it is an important safeguard to protect the environment. The main compliance issue inherent to a construction general permit centers on effluent limits and related permit requirements. Contractors seeking coverage under the EPA’s construction general permit requirements must submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) that certifies they have not only met the permit’s eligibility conditions but intend to adhere to established effluent limits and other requirements. In seeking a permit, operators are required to use the EPA’s electronic NOI system.

In March, the EPA hosted two webinars designed to provide members of the public an overview of the revamped construction general permit updated for 2012 that included a Q&A session to ask questions of EPA officials. If you missed it, it’s available for download at the EPA website.

Not to add to the pressure, but there are also a series of deadlines associated for submitting a NOI and dates of permit coverage. For a new project, for example, the deadline to submit is at least 14 days prior to the beginning of construction. The accompanying date of permit coverage is 14 calendar days after the EPA has acknowledged receipt of a NOI. This assumes, however, that the EPA has not notified that an authorization has been delayed or denied. The same deadline timelines exist for a new operator of a new or existing project. For an existing project (defined as one that began before Feb. 16, 2012), the deadline to submit is no later than May 16. There’s also a deadline related to emergency-related projects, required no later than 30 days after construction start. For such projects, permit coverage is offered provisionally on an immediate basis.

In seeking information related to a construction general permit, a visit to the EPA website is highly advisable. Contractors can reach the site at www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgpnoisearch.

A plethora of information on the construction general permit can be found at the website, including information on states, Indian country, and territories where such requirements apply. Also, you can find a primer on the type of operator that would need such coverage. Storm water pollution prevention plans and other helpful resources are also available, as well as a review on the Endangered Species Act. There’s even a nifty portion designed to help find a construction site’s latitude and longitude coordinates.

To be sure, dealing with federal agencies can be somewhat anxiety-inducing. However, at Burnham Nationwide, a seasoned array of professionals are well accustomed to dealing with regulators at the highest levels and are happy to help you navigate these regulatory waters. Our professionals are not only conversant in the nomenclature of the federal government, but are familiar to regulators given their many encounters on behalf of our clients. We would be happy to lend that expertise toward the end of achieving a comfort level in obtaining a construction general permit for your next project. Burnham can be reached toll-free at 800-407-7990. For those of you engaged in social media, we can be reached via Facebook as well. Once you find our page, we’re hopeful you’ll hit the “like” button.

As we celebrate our first 20 years, we can’t help but wonder what’s in store for the next 20? Our valued clients associate Burnham with the uniform, a tailored blue button down with an orange Burnham logo. With confidence, we can say this branding effort has made us a fixture in City Hall, in Chicago where it all began and in thousands of municipalities nationwide. Efficiencies will be created and processes improved as we continue to leverage existing and new technologies. Our commitment to the global adoption of sustainable building and development practices will bloom bigger and brighter.

 We do know that the next 20 years will go by faster than our first – and we have already initiated efforts to improve our process and systems to enable everyone to be more productive:

 > All of our teams are utilizing iPhones, equipped with the best applications to simplify efforts in exchanging and processing information timely.  

> We have partnered with Avolve Software, Inc. and their ProjectDox™ application that will allow us to process electronic drawings, perform plan reviews, and deliver information more efficiently and effectively.

Through our Nationwide division we’ve helped companies such as Chase Bank, T-Mobile, Walgreens, Marriott, Starbucks and many others with their multiple location construction agendas. Our permit technicians have helped normalize the disparate permit processes for thousands of unique municipal authorities and construction projects throughout the country!

“I was contacted by Burnham Nationwide’s San Jose office and met with Greg Sellers during a Solar convention he was attending. I had started a company 18 months prior, specializing in gas station permitting work throughout California based on a mandate of enhanced vapor recovery, from state air quality folks. With a fueling background from Mobil Oil and Hertz Corporation, I was able to help over 130 independent dealers pull their needed permits to achieve compliance.

Greg mentioned the parent company, Burnham Nationwide, specialized in building permitting services, and while his office was focused on solar efforts, he asked if I would be interested in helping out the Chicago office with permitting projects for several Chase bank branches in the Los Angeles area. The projects were a great success and we decided this could be a permanent thing. I returned home, found a small starter office and Burnham Los Angeles was born.

While we are fairly new to the Burnham family, we have moved, doubled office space and are poised for growth and market share in Southern California. Happy 20th Anniversary Burnham, it’s great to be here.”

- Fred Weaver, Burnham – Los Angeles

Shortly thereafter Carson approached my company in an effort to convince them to utilize Burnham’s services, as opposed to performing the work in-house. I was impressed by Burnham’s services as well as Carson’s enthusiasm and drive.

At the same time I was planning a move to Denver,Colorado. I reached out to Burnham to inquire about opportunities in their Denver office. During that meeting Carson informed me that – while Burnham did conduct business nationwide – they did not possess a physical office in Denver. 

In that moment, a light bulb went off in both of our heads simultaneously. Later, I helped launch Burnham’s Denver office and proudly became a Burnham colleague.

Several years later, the Burnham Denver office has made its presence felt in Denver and throughout the west, having expedited permitting for hundreds of clients along the Rocky Mountain Front Range and from Arizona to Nevada.”- Lindsey Fleener, Burnham -Denver

 As the new guys in town, our early years in NY were challenging. Mike Gaynor even spent a couple years working the streets trying to land new clients. Now we have a staff of 15 and in the past year alone secured permits for ABS Partners Real Estate, Brookfield Properties, CB Richard Ellis, Park Tower Management, Tribeca Green & The Veneto. It’s been a wild, crazy and rewarding ride. Here’s to another 20.”

-        Tom Walsh, Burnham -New York