The Building Beat

Host Nicholas Wardroup interviews Office of Sustainability & Resilience (OSR) Administrator Leigh Huffman Moyer and Shelby County Department of Housing Planning and Programs Manager Dana Sjostrom about recent improvements made to parks in Memphis and Millington that were heavily affected by the historic regional flooding in 2011.Updating park infrastructure involved working with community and government stakeholders on engineering and design, having publich outreach for project input, and applying for and managing federal disaster recovery grant funds. But the sum of this work continues to be evident in scenic parks with amenities that are prepared for future flooding issues.Have questions for Nicholas, Leigh, or Dana? Email them to [email protected], and you'll get an answer on a future episode. 

Land Use Planner Nicholas Wardroup interviews Preservation Planners Ayse Penzes and Margot Payne about the role of the Memphis Landmarks Commission and the purpose of locally recognized historic district designations for residents in those districts. Ayse and Margot also share how the Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) approval process works and what residents can do to become more involved in their historic districts.Have questions for Nicholas, Ayse, or Margot? Email them to [email protected], and you'll get an answer on a future episode. 

For the conclusion of this two-part series on tiny homes, Building Official Rita Anderson interviews Land Use and Development Services Manager Lucas Skinner to discuss zoning compliance and historic district guidelines as they apply to tiny homes, manufactured homes, and modular homes.This episode complements part one in the series focused on local, state, and federal building code compliance related to modular and manufactured homes.Have questions for Rita or Lucas? Or maybe you have a request for a multiple-part episode series? Email them to [email protected]!

Building Official Rita Anderson interviews Director Jim Hightower of the Manufactured Housing, Modular, and Licensing section within the State of Tennessee's Department of Commerce and Insurance. Jim expands upon the popular term "tiny home" and shares the distinct differences between manufactured and modular housing, along with the federal and state standards that apply. Rita and Jim share what options are available for property owners and contractors within the State of Tennessee and what code standards the different housing types.This episode is the first in a two-part series focused on tiny homes and manufactured and modular housing in Memphis and Shelby County.Have questions for Rita or Jim? Email them to [email protected], and you'll get an answer on a future episode. 

Deputy Building Official Mario Moton interviews Senior Plans Examiner John to discuss the goals, responsibilities, and expertise of Plan Review, a team that reviews building plans to ensure they are code compliant long before any building permits are issued. Mario and John talk about what the plan review process looks like and what it actually involves, including how applicants can make their review time even shorter!Have questions for Mario or John? Email them to [email protected], and you'll get an answer on a future episode.