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For all media inquiries please contact Breanna Olson at 912-354-6193 or beranna@homebuildersofsavannah.com.
ABOUT THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER SAVANNAH
The HBA is a non-profit professional trade association that promotes home ownership & represents the concerns of the building industry. The Association is dedicated to promoting the building industry through professionalism, community involvement, governmental affairs & education. www.homebuildersofsavannah.com.
LATEST NEWS UPDATES
December 2023
JOSH WATERS INSTALLED AS 67TH PRESIDENT OF THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, GA – Josh Waters, owner of Waters Building + Design was recently installed as the 67th President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah (HBA). Friend and mentor, Bryan Neal, officially installed Waters at a black-tie ceremony that took place at the Desoto Savannah with over 200 members, family, and friends in attendance.
Raised in Statesboro, GA, Waters graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Construction Management. Upon graduation, Waters worked as a Superintendent for Hallmark Homes of Savannah and then moved on to Green Choice Custom Homes.
Waters formed Waters Building + Design in 2017 and now with over 20 years of construction experience, Josh and his team have managed construction projects throughout the entire Southeast. With an incomparable reputation for excellence, Waters Building + Design excels in new home construction, remodeling, renovation, and additions, along with light commercial projects.
Waters joined the HBA of Greater Savannah in 2013 and became a Board Member in 2018. Josh took on a leadership role serving as the Associations Secretary in 2021, Treasurer in 2022, Vice President in 2023 and will now serve as the 2024 President. Josh is married to Brandi Waters, and they have two boys, Nathan and Tyler.
Other Officers installed at the annual event were Bryan Wardlaw of Landmark 24 Homes as Vice President; Tara Boyer of Logan Homes as Treasurer; Steven Smith of Smith Family Homes as Secretary and Rodney Rawls of Rawls Realty as Associate Vice President. Real Estate Broker, Priscilla Waldburg of Re/Max 1st Choice will serve as Chairman of the Sales & Marketing Council and Austin Amick of First Coast Mortgage will serve as Chairman of the Young Professionals Group.
2024 Board Members for the Greater Savannah HBA, Sales & Marketing Council, and Young Professionals Group were also installed at the event.
The James C. Wilson, Jr. Builder Member of the Year Award was presented to Candler & Corde Wilson for their continued support and dedication to the HBA. Outgoing President, John Mowry presented Presidential Awards to Breanna Olson of the HBA of Greater Savannah, Clay Price of Homes of Integrity, and Mark Konter of Konter Quality Homes. Rodney Rawls of Rawls Realty was awarded the Woody Woodward Memorial Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions by an Associate member. In addition, Rawls received the Sales & Marketing Council Member of the Year Award.
Patty Rietkovich, long time Executive Officer for the HBA of Greater Savannah, and retired builder, Mark Bouy were both presented with the coveted Hall of Fame Award for their lifelong contributions to the Building Industry.
December 2022
JOHN MOWRY INSTALLED AS 66TH PRESIDENT OF THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, GA – John Mowry Jr. of Homes of Integrity Inc. was recently installed as the 66th President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah (HBA). Beth Williams-Holley (52nd President) installed Mowry. The ceremony took place at the Desoto Savannah with over 200 members, family, and friends.
Raised in Deland, FL, Mowry is the son of Nancy Madigan and John Mowry Sr. He attended Deland High School and later, while serving in the US Army, was stationed at Ft. Stewart in 1996. Upon leaving the service a year later, he was hired by Ft. Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield Civilian Fire Department. He and his wife Meagan started Homes of Integrity Construction in 2004. Mowry continued to work as a firefighter while building Homes of Integrity until he worked his last day at Ft. Stewart in 2008.
Mowry joined the HBA in 2005. He became a Board Member in 2018 and was nominated to serve as an Officer in the Board of Directors in 2019. He has served as the Association’s Treasurer, Vice-President and will serve as President for 2023. Since owning Homes of Integrity Construction Co. Inc., he has been involved in building two St. Jude Dream Homes and one Habitat for Humanity Home. He has received recognition for community service during Hurricane Matthew from the City of Richmond Hill in 2016.
Mowry has been married to Meagan Mowry for 26 years, and they have two boys, Coleman (age 22), and Triston (age 18).
Other Officers installed at the annual event were Josh Waters of Waters Building + Design as Vice President; Bryan Wardlaw of Landmark 24 as Treasurer; Tara Boyer of Logan Homes as Secretary; Rodney Rawls of Rawls Realty as Associate Vice President; Priscilla Waldburg of Keller Williams the Trisha Cook Team as Chairman of the Sales & Marketing Council; and Stephanie Willingham of Coastal Custom Mortgage as Chairman of the Young Professionals Group.
2023 Board Members for the Greater Savannah HBA, Sales & Marketing Council, and Young Professionals Group were also installed at the event.
The Builder Member of the Year Award was presented to Jerry Konter of Konter Quality Homes for his outstanding support and dedication to the HBA. Presidential Awards were presented to Tracey Burdette of Renasant Bank and Byron Loomis of Yates-Astro. Carol Stone of Coastal States Bank was awarded the Woody Woodward Memorial Award which recognizes outstanding contributions by an Associate member.
June 2022
HBA OF GREATER SAVANNAH WINS AWARD FOR BEST MEMBERSHIP EVENT
SAVANNAH, GA – The HBA of Greater Savannah has been recognized for its outstanding Membership Event, Annual Summit Awards & Casino Night, with an Award of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
“It is truly an honor for the hard work and professionalism of the HBA of Greater Savannah staff and leadership to be recognized with this Association Excellence Award,” said Jeff Kramer, 2022 HBA of Greater Savannah President. “I applaud the dedication of our HBA for representing the home builder members and preserving the American Dream of homeownership for our community.”
The Summit Awards & Casino Night serves as a fun and rewarding event where sales & design awards are distributed to both builder and realtor members to recognize their accomplishments from the year prior. This event brings builder, associate, and realtor members together for the betterment of the home building industry, and the community as a whole.
The Association Excellence Awards is an annual program designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 650 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.
“It never ceases to amaze the work product that is created by local and state HBA’s throughout our NAHB federation. The shear cumulative effort embodied by all that submitted for AEA awards is beyond impressive,” said Brian Miller, EOC President and EVP of the BIA of Northern Kentucky.
“During these ever changing and challenging times in which we find ourselves it takes grit, determination, innovation, and a spirit of entrepreneurship to successfully navigate the headwinds that face associations today. The volunteers, leaders and staff teams that represent the 2021 winners should take pride in knowing that they embody the true excellence we see day in and day out to run a vibrant and successful association. Well done!”
The winning entries will be added to the NAHB website, so that other executives and associations across the country can access and learn from them in order to provide better service to their own members and community.
For more information on the HBA of Greater Savannah go to homebuildersofsavannah.com or call 912-354-6193 for more information. Learn more about the Association Excellence Awards.
February 10, 2022
GEORGIA BUILDER ELECTED 2022 CHAIRMAN OF NAHB
ORLANDO, FL – Jerry Konter, a Savannah, Ga.-based home builder and developer with more than 40 years of experience in the home building industry, was elected as the 2022 Chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) at the conclusion of this week’s NAHB Winter Leadership Meetings.
Konter founded Konter Quality Homes in 1977. His company is one of the largest home building firms in Savannah and has created 20 communities and built more than 2,200 homes and 700 apartments throughout the local metro area.
Konter has been active in the NAHB leadership structure at the local, state and national levels throughout his career. As a senior life delegate, he has served as a leader of the association for more than 20 years.
He has also chaired several influential NAHB committees, including the Federal Government Affairs Committee, the State and Local Government Affairs Committee, the Conventions and Meetings Committee and the Land Development Committee. In 2013, Konter served as the NAHB State Representative from Georgia. He also served two terms as the NAHB National Area 4 chairman and has been a BUILD-PAC trustee for over 15 years.
He was elected president of the Home Builders Association of Georgia in 1997. At the local level, he served as president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah in 1991. Konter was three times recognized as Builder of the Year by the HBA of Greater Savannah and was inducted into both the local and state Home Builder Hall of Fame. He also received several awards for outstanding service and leadership from both of the home builders associations.
Konter graduated from the University of Georgia in 1975 with a Bachelor of Business Administration from the School of Real Estate and Urban Affairs. Active from an early age in his local community, Konter was a member of the Jaycees, and served on the board of directors of the Savannah Humane Society. He served as president of the Jewish Educational Alliance, was a board member of the Savannah Jewish Federation and serves as a trustee of the Savannah Jewish Foundation. Konter was also a member of the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Planning Commission.
Konter’s wife, Marcy, is president of Konter Management Co. and director of customer service at Konter Quality Homes. They have two adult children, Mark Konter and Tess Konter Neudeck. Mark, who serves as vice president of the company, lives in Savannah with his wife Allison and their children, Brook and Reed. Tess lives in New York with her husband Albert and son Finn.
May 24, 2021
HBA OF GREATER SAVANNAH WINS AWARD FOR BEST REVENUE EFFORT
SAVANNAH, GA – The Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah has been recognized for its outstanding revenue effort with an Award of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
“It is truly an honor for the hard work and professionalism of the HBA to be recognized with this Association Excellence Award for our HBA Live & Silent Auction,” said HBA President Matt Byrd. “I applaud their dedication to representing the home builder members and preserving the American Dream of homeownership for our community.”
“The HBA came up with an innovative plan to make the 2020 Live & Silent Auction possible despite the challenges brought on by COVID. By switching to a hybrid format, with options for both in-person and virtual participation, there was an increase in participation. Those with conflicting schedules could also participate virtually. The HBA pulled off a fun and safe event for our members, while financially benefitting the Association.”
The Association Excellence Awards (AEA) is an annual program designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 650 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.
“The best of the programs and services local and state HBAs offer our members across our Federation are embodied in the AEA submissions,” said Brian Miller, EOC President and Executive Vice President of the BIA of Northern Kentucky.
“The award winners not only are deserving of the recognition given to their efforts but share their experiences across the NAHB Federation. One of the strongest attributes within the EOC is our ability and willingness to share our efforts and results as professional association managers with our counterparts across the nation. These professionals and their HBAs should be held in high regard given their accomplishments and rightful recognition,” Miller said.
The winning entries will be added to the NAHB website, so that other executives and associations across the country can access and learn from them in order to provide better service to their own members and community.
For more information on the HBA of Greater Savannah go to homebuildersofsavannah.com or call 912-354-6193. Learn more about the Association Excellence Awards.
August 27, 2020
PATTY RIETKOVICH WINS SELDON HALE CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
SAVANNAH, GA – Patty Rietkovich, Executive Officer of the Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah, recently received the Seldon Hale Career Achievement Award from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) located in Washington, DC.
The council represents the staff executives who manage the more than 650 state and local home builders’ associations that comprise the National Association of Home Builders.
The Career Achievement Award is in honor of Seldon Hale, a man truly dedicated to his family, friends, career and colleagues. Hale was a former executive officer who served as a field representative for NAHB, helping local associations better serve their diverse membership. The award pays tribute to EOs who exemplify the highest level of dedication, loyalty, and commitment and is the highest recognition that can be awarded in the EOC.
“I have watched the Seldon Hale Career Achievement Award be given for the past 24 years and I am so honored to be included in that list of individuals. Thank you to NAHB and the EOC for creating this amazing platform where Executive Officers from across the country can learn and grow together to make us stronger and better able to help our local and state HBAs. Secondly, thank you to the Home Builders Association of Georgia and the Georgia Executive Officers Council for creating a community and always being there to support Georgia members and leadership. Lastly, thank you to my local HBA, the HBA of Greater Savannah, for supporting all my ideas and allowing me the privilege of serving as your Executive Officer. I am proud to be the recipient of this prestigious award and thank you from the bottom of my heart for the incredible honor,” said Patty Rietkovich, 2020 Career Achievement Award recipient.
Rietkovich’s dedication and commitment to this industry serves as an inspirational how-to for other executive officers striving for excellence in association management.
“Laughter, warmth, intelligence, enthusiasm and complete dedication to her members’ success is what Patty Rietkovich is all about. I’ve known Patty for most of her career as the executive officer of HBA of Greater Savannah. There is no one more deserving today to be recognized with the NAHB Executive Officers Council highest recognition than Patty,” said Bryce Johnson, president of the NAHB Executive Officers Council and chief executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead.
“Patty’s servant leadership stands as an example for all Executive Officers across the country. Being chosen by her peers for this honor shows the profound impact she has had on her association.”
Patty has been at the helm of the HBA of Greater Savannah for 24 years. She fearlessly leads the HBA and has a passion for the home building industry. She persistently works hard to promote and protect a successful environment for attainable, affordable housing in order to benefit all citizens of Savannah and protect builder members from unnecessary regulations. Patty also serves as a leader and resource for other HBA Executive Officers across the country. Congratulations, Patty!
June 16, 2020
HBA OF GREATER SAVANNAH WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR DIAMOND EVENT
SAVANNAH, GA – The HBA of Greater Savannah has been recognized for its outstanding membership event with an Award of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The 2019 Diamond Event was entered into the Best Membership Event category and was chosen as the winner.
“It is truly an honor for the hard work and professionalism of the HBA staff & membership to be recognized with this Association Excellence Award for the 2019 Diamond Event,” said HBA President Robert Flanders. “I applaud their dedication to representing the home builder members and preserving the American Dream of homeownership for our community.”
“The purpose of the Diamond Program is to promote the sale of new homes constructed by the
HBA’s Builder members and to reward Sales & Marketing Council members who participate in this program by selling new homes. The program has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 5 years. We have increased participation by 70% and the Diamond Event gets bigger and better every year!”
The Association Excellence Awards is an annual program designed to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of the staff executives who direct more than 650 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.
“The programming and output of our local and state HBAs that make up the strength of the NAHB Federation are fully on display through the AEA Awards submissions,” said Bryce Johnson, EOC President and CEO of the HBA of Fargo-Moorhead.
“It is always impressive to see the innovation, stewardship and dedication demonstrated by the professional staff and member volunteers from the HBA’s across the country, fully knowing that HBA members and the industry benefit and coming full circle as it filters through the respective communities.”
The winning entries will be added to the NAHB website, so that other executives and associations across the country can access and learn from them in order to provide better service to their own members and community.
For more information on the HBA of Greater Savannah go to homebuildersofsavannah.com or call 912-354-6193. Learn more about the Association Excellence Awards.
December 16, 2019
ROBERT FLANDERS INSTALLED AS 63RD PRESIDENT OF THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER SAVANNAH
SAVANNAH, GA – Robert Flanders, Co-Owner of Horizon Home Builders was recently installed as the 63rd President of the Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah (HBA). Flanders was installed by his long-time friend and fellow HBA member, Joel Gerber of Brannen, Searcy & Smith. The ceremony took place at the Savannah Marriott with over 250 members, family and friends.
Born and raised in Savannah, Flanders is a 2nd generation home builder who graduated from the University of Georgia. Flanders opened Horizon Home Builders with his brother, Richard, in 2003. He has been involved with the HBA for many years where he has served in various leadership roles.
Flanders resides in Savannah with his wife Heidi and their son Alec.
Other Officers installed at the annual event were Matt Byrd of Matt Byrd New Homes as Vice President; Matthew Johns of Matthew Johns Construction as Treasurer; Jeff Kramer of America’s Home Place as Secretary; Carol Stone of CoastalStates Bank as Associate Vice President; and Rodney Rawls of Rawls Realty as Chairman of the Sales & Marketing Council.
Board Members for the Greater Savannah HBA and Sales & Marketing Council were also installed at the event.
The Builder Member of the Year Award was presented to Jerry Konter of Konter Quality Homes for his outstanding dedication to the HBA. Presidential Awards were presented to Priscilla Waldburg of Keller Williams, Bill Glass of Weiner, Shearouse, Weitz, Greenberg & Shawe, and Rodney Rawls of Rawls Realty by the 2019 President, Matthew Johns. Tracey Burdette of Renasant Bank was recognized as the Sales & Marketing Council Member of the Year and Mandy Grubbs of Atlanta Gas Light was awarded the Woody Woodward Memorial Award which recognizes outstanding contributions by an Associate member. The coveted Hall of Fame Award was presented to the very deserving Mr. Fred Buck.
November 21, 2019
HBA OF GREATER SAVANNAH PARTNERS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY TO BUILD 2 HOMES IN GARDEN CITY
GARDEN CITY, GA – The Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah and the Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity hosted a dedication ceremony on November 21st to honor the completion of two new homes built in Garden City.
HBA of Greater Savannah President Matthew Johns of Matthew Johns Construction and HBA Vice President Robert Flanders of Horizon Home Builders built the home where the dedication ceremony was hosted. HBA Treasurer Matt Byrd of Matt Byrd New Homes and HBA Past President Candler Wilson of Beacon New Homes built the second home.
These four HBA builders took the lead in mobilizing vendors and subcontractors to donate, or discount, materials that were used to construct these houses over the past 7 weeks. The new builds are located in the Rossignol Hill neighborhood of Garden City and form part of wider revitalization efforts already underway in the area.
They bring the total number of homes built by Habitat for Humanity since 1983 to 150.
Coastal Empire Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Harold Tessendorf and Garden City Mayor Don Bethune welcomed everyone to the event and thanked the HBA for the continued partnership. The builders then presented the keys to the new homeowners.
The HBA of Greater Savannah is proud to continue the tradition of building homes with the Coastal Empire Habitat and looks forward to next year.
Thank you to the following donors for partnering with the HBA and Habitat on the Home Builders Blitz Houses:
Matthew Johns Construction
Horizon Home Builders
Matt Byrd New Homes
Beacon New Homes
ABC Roofing
ABC Supply
Acme Brick
Allen’s Painting
Baca Concrete
Blu Site Solutions
Builders First Source
Builders Wholesale
Byrd Heating and Air
Carver State Bank
Chatham Nursery
Circa Lighting
Crowley Fencing
Davis Landscapes
ECI Solutions
Echelon Cabinets
Energy One
Envirofoam
Ferguson Enterprises
Garden City Housing Team
Gaster Lumber
Gary Brantley
GA Department of Community Affairs
Georgia Ports Authority
Grass Roots Turf Farm
Home Diagnostic Solutions
Howard Lumber Supply
Huber
Immaculate Lighting & Power
JCB Roofing
JB Star Construction
Jenkins Plumbing
Kirkland Flooring
Lowcountry Concrete
Lowcountry Lighting
Macon Area Habitat for Humanity
Majestic Cleaning
McDevitt Air
Mingledorff’s
Neal Landscaping
Port City Logistics
Pro Exteriors
Raul’s Pressure Washing
Raquel’s Cleaning
RDF-PE
Republic Services
Ro’s Home Exteriors
Savannah Drywall
Site One
SRI Coastal
SRM Concrete
St Jobain/CertainTeed
Tarkett
Terracon
Tripplett Inc.
Twin Drywall & Paint
Valspar
VH Plumbing
Wells Fargo Foundation
Whirlpool
Yates Astro
Young’s Electrical
May 15, 2019
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION PRESENTS $5,000 DONATION TO XCEL STRATEGIES
SAVANNAH, GA – The Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah will present a $5,000 donation to Savannah-based mentoring group Xcel during the 2019 Dust and Grain Woodworking Competition at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 18 at Maven Makers, 415 W. Boundary St.
“As homebuilders, we are delighted to take part in a project that draws attention to the value of careers in the trades,” said Patty Rietkovich, executive officer of the association. “We need to develop the skilled craftspeople who will build the homes, schools and businesses of the future.”
The May 18 event marks the culmination of a competition that began last month. Different teams got their assignment in April to build a stool using lumber from Emergent Structures, a local re-purposed lumber yard. Judges will select three winning teams, each of which will receive production opportunities from Maven Makers to produce a product for the local home, restaurant, hotel or furniture industry.
Additional competitions and displays of woodworking skills are scheduled prior to the announcement of the winning teams. The day’s activities, which are free and open to the public, are designed to appeal to families and will include Current Catering onsite for lunch, as well as raffles and giveaways.
Xcel is a Savannah mentoring nonprofit organization that concentrates on moving young men ages 15 to 25 into the workforce via the trades. It has partnered with such groups as Bethesda Academy and the Dream Campaign. Jay Thompson, founder and CEO of Xcel, has partnered with Maven Makers, a woodworking maker space, to inspire and train young men in woodworking professions.
Learn more about Xcel at xceltoday.com.
February 25, 2019
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA (HBAG) PROTECT PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS BY SUPPORTING HB 302
February 7, 2019
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER SAVANNAH FILES LAWSUIT AGAINST BRYAN COUNTY
SAVANNAH, GA – Bryan County recently passed two ordinances that go way beyond the government’s powers by restricting private property rights and making new homes unaffordable for teachers, first responders, military and other moderate income homebuyers in Bryan County. If home ownership is the American Dream, then these ordinances unnecessarily push that dream out of reach for too many Bryan County citizens.
The government’s job is to serve its citizens by passing regulations that promote and protect health, safety and welfare. The government’s job is not to design our homes or reset housing prices.
Under its newly enacted Interim Development Ordinance, Bryan County is telling private property owners how they must design their homes. For example, the County is requiring roof and garage designs that go far beyond the government’s role to protect health and safety. Instead of helping citizens, these requirements only serve to increase the cost of home ownership to the detriment of our citizens.
At the same time, the County has enacted an unlawful Impact Fee Ordinance, which charges new homeowners and businesses excessive fees for traffic improvements. On top of the substantial increases in cost caused by the development ordinance, under the impact fee ordinance, homebuyers will pay an additional $3,128 for new homes. For Bryan County citizens hoping to open their own businesses, the situation is even worse. A new fast food restaurant could pay $310,000 in impact fees, a gas station and convenience store could pay $500,000 in impact fees, and medical offices could pay between $70,000 and $115,000 depending on their size. There is a clause that allows the County to exempt some businesses from the ordinance, however, residential construction cannot be exempted. If the County gets its way, new homeowners will likely bear the brunt of the impact fees, which will make homes even less affordable in Bryan County. Such unequal treatment is unconstitutional and violates the terms of the Georgia Development Impact Fee Act.
The Home Builders Association of Greater Savannah works to promote, protect and preserve home ownership in the greater Savannah area, including Bryan County, Georgia. The HBA is dedicated to promoting home ownership for all citizens in Bryan County and we strenuously oppose any zoning codes or other regulations that diminish housing availability or affordability for moderate income homebuyers. For all of these reasons, the Home Builders Association has filed a lawsuit against Bryan County to prevent the government from overstepping its limited authority, to protect the rights of property owners, and to keep housing affordable for all Bryan County citizens.
Media to contact:
Bill Glass, Weiner Shearouse Weitz Greenberg & Shawe, LLP, (912) 721-2459
Matthew Johns, President, HBA of Greater Savannah (912) 356-0477
Patty Rietkovich, HBA of Greater Savannah (912) 354-6193
7116 Hodgson Memorial Drive
Savannah, GA 31406
Q & A
What’s wrong with the County publishing regulations that include design standards?
First of all, the government’s powers are limited for good reason. Citizens of Bryan County, Georgia, and the United States enjoy broad constitutional property rights. The government can take, deprive or diminish those rights only for very limited purposes – namely, the health, safety and welfare of Bryan County. If regulations are not rationally related to these goals, then the government should stay out of your business and off of your property.
Second, unless clearly and reasonably related to health, safety or welfare, the government should not discriminate against property uses or users, and the government should not take or infringe property rights without justification, due process or compensation. In this case, the government is taking away valuable fundamental property rights, including the right to build a good and safe house according to the owner’s specifications (and industry standards). There is no basis for this taking and no compensation offered for same.
What development ordinance restrictions are you talking about in particular?
The Ordinance (i) restricts building materials that are otherwise permitted under the International Building Code (e.g., vinyl siding and the use of more than two different materials on the front of a residence), (ii) promulgates architectural restrictions that increase the building costs without any benefit whatsoever to public health and welfare (e.g., requiring four roof planes to be visible from the front property line and restricting garages to less than 50% of the house façade), and (iii) places unreasonable restrictions on apartments (e.g., restrictions against more than 6 units in a single building and requirements that apartments must have private gardens, yards, patios or balconies), among other indefensible restrictions. These regulations have the effect of increasing home construction costs for the builder and the buyer, which makes home ownership more difficult (or unachievable) for moderate income citizens, without any reasonable justification related to public health, safety, morality or general welfare.
What’s wrong with assessing Impact Fees to pay for road and traffic repairs and improvements?
The critical problem with the Development Impact Fee Ordinance (DIFO) is that there is an insufficient nexus between the projected growth in Bryan County and the fees to be assessed against new permittees, including, in particular, homebuilders and home buyers. Impact Fees cannot be used to remedy already existing problems, such as lack of capacity on roadways. Instead, impact fees must be used to pay a proportionate share of the cost of system improvements needed to serve new growth and development. Although the County’s projections predict a 29% increase in the population by year 2030 (or a 10,000 person growth between 2020 and 2030), for purposes of the new ordinance, the County predicts an 80% increase in traffic in Bryan County during the same period owing to persons who do not live in Bryan County today. More particularly, the County projects an increase from 11,000 vehicles per day (VPD) to 57,000 VPD. The Capital Improvements Element (CIE) provides no source documentation for these increased traffic numbers. Rather, according to the Transportation CIE, “virtually all roadways and intersections in South Bryan County classified at or below the minimal service levels” already existing in 2015, three years prior to the DIFO passed on January 8, 2019.
The real question is whether a residential permittee’s fair share of the roadway improvements associated with a new house is $3,128; whether a grocery owner’s fair share associated with a new supermarket is $630,000; whether Chick-Fil-A’s fair share associated with the new fast food restaurant is $310,000; and so on. (See the Impact Fee Calculation Schedule for other uses and fees.) In our estimation, most, if not all, of these fees exceed the permittee’s fair share of the cost associated with the new or improved roadways that are necessary to serve the new development. As noted above, the projected 29% population increase does not comport with the 80% traffic increase necessary to justify these numbers.
Bryan County says that it afforded the HBA plenty of opportunities to participate in meetings and committees regarding the new ordinances before their passage.
That is not true. Bryan County did not afford the HBA time or opportunities to participate in meetings or discus-sions regarding these ordinances. If they had, the HBA would have been actively involved in the pro-cess. Moreover, once published for consideration and commentary, the County did not allow HBA Members to participate on committees that were intended to represent their industry, notwithstanding commitments to do so and emails, phone calls and other correspondence from the HBA to the County recommending members for participation.
Are you accusing Bryan County of intentionally discriminating against certain classes of persons?
The Commissioners can speak for themselves regarding their intentions. At least one Commissioner has already made plain his view that Bryan County is like an exclusive club, where members should pay to play. The HBA is not prepared to speak for all of the Commissioners, however, we would note that, whatever their intentions, the impact of the ordinance is the same – it unfairly and unnecessarily excludes certain persons and housing products from the market without any justification related to health, safety or welfare whatsoever. The County should not be in the business of writing or enforcing design and architectural standards. That is not their exper-tise or their mandate. Their powers are limited to promoting and protecting health, safety and welfare. When they exceed their mandate, they take away the rights of citizens and start down a slippery slope that encroaches on our freedoms.
You may view the video from the Press Conference held on Thursday, February 7th by clicking on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/Homebuildersassociationofgreatersavannah/videos/371099103682571/