St. Mary's board hears about housing woes

Construction codes they are a-changing, and residents had a chance to voice their opinions during a St. Mary’s commissioners’ meeting Tuesday that turned into a discussion on affordable housing.

In compliance with state law and the code regulations, the St. Mary’s County Department of Land Use & Growth Management is beginning the adoption process for Maryland Building Performance Standards.

The initiative includes the incorporation of the International Code Council’s 2021 version of the International Building Code, the International Energy Conservation Code, the International Residential Code and the International Green Construction Code, as modified by the Maryland Department of Labor.

St. Mary’s government is obligated by law to ensure that the implementation and enforcement of the building standards includes the review and acceptance of appropriate plans for permitting, issuance of building permits, inspection of work authorized by building permits and issuance of use and occupancy certificates.

The land use department will also review additional codes drafted by the International Code Council, such as the National Electrical Code and the Maryland Swimming Pool and Spa Standards, which have been amended by various state agencies.

“It’s heartbreaking to me as a builder to watch everything get added in and added in,” Rodney Gertz of Quality Built Homes said to the county commissioners. “I have my home and a lot of my homeowners do [have theirs], but a lot of people still don’t and it’s sad when you watch steady things getting added in and get pulled away.”

Higher building standards could lead to higher home costs.

Gertz said the 2021 national energy code has to be implemented and that there’s “no way around it. You could take things one way or another which could make it harder for people to own homes and more expensive or it can go another way.”

Gertz also thanked the department’s staff for “keeping St. Mary’s home ownership possible. The dream’s still alive.”

Commissioner Mike Hewitt (R) noted there has been a lot of home building in the county, but wondered why “affordable housing” was still difficult to come by. He asked Gertz why the county was unable to get $200,000 to $300,000 homes that average people can afford.

“Do you think it’s a question of over regulation,” Hewitt askled, “or is it a question associated with doing that type of home?”

“Right now it’s a combination of both,” Gertz said. “Obviously COVID made all the materials ridiculous [costs] and still are. The only thing that’s really come back is raw lumber. You can buy raw lumber for close to what you could in 2018-19, but that doesn’t include trusses, joists or anything engineered. Right now we have people stuck in houses at mortgage rates that they could get at 3%, so the existing house market’s not there, so it’s still putting demand on new house construction, which is keeping prices up.”

He added suppliers are currently getting double for what they used to and added that “unfortunately it’s going to take a recession to help that.”

The other speaker to take the floor was former planning commission member Merle Evans of Tall Timbers.

“St. Mary’s, as well as the rest of the country, is struggling right now with affordable housing,” he said. “Our service industry folks that live here have no place to live. I asked some realtors the other day, ‘Where in St. Mary’s can I rent something that’s under $1,000,’ and they said, ‘No way, it doesn’t exist.’”

He noted he knows where three families reside in each of three, 3-bedroom ramblers.

“Unless we find a place for them to live, they’re not going to live here,” Evans said. “They’re going to go someplace else, and that’s a kiss of death for any community.”

The public comment period on the building codes is open until June 7. For more information, go to www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/build/buildcodes.shtml.

Settling service awardsThe county recognized 57 employees with continuous service of 10 years or more.

Garry Holley was recognized for 35 years of service, while David Oliver was feted for 30 years of service.

Employees reaching the 25-year milestone included Robert Bailey, Mary Bell, David Corcoran, Kelly Crosby, Lorna Cudmore, James Farren, Valerie Hayden, Mark Howard, Mark Miller and Douglas Mills.

Twenty-year employees included Linda Baird, Kathryn Chaney, Joann Copsey, Melissa Green, Lisa Ledman, Keith Moritz, Jennifer Talton and Michael Thompson.