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Architects Push For Long-term Katrina Recovery, Permanent Solutions
Key Proposals Include Model Communities, Good Samaritan Law, School Construction, Historic Preservation, Brownfield Cleanup, Long-Range Planning
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For Immediate Release |
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Washington, D.C., September 20,
2005 — In response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the need for
massive rebuilding, The American Institute of Architects has
launched a nationwide push for federal legislation that makes sure
taxpayer dollars are well spent through redevelopment efforts that
are well-planned, well-designed, and geared toward permanent
solutions for the affected communities.
Ron Faucheux, vice president of Government Advocacy for the
75,000-member AIA, said federal recovery efforts in affected areas,
“need to ensure that long-term community planning and design
quality are incorporated into every step of the rebuilding
effort.”
“Even as emergency recovery and relief efforts continue,”
he said, “there is an urgent need to begin planning for an
orderly transition from temporary solutions – such as
locating people in mobile homes, tents and shelters – to
permanent solutions.”
“America is about to launch the largest rebuilding effort in
history,” said Faucheux, a New Orleans native and former
Louisiana legislator. “It must be done right from the start if
taxpayer dollars are to be wisely spent and people’s lives and
communities are to be rebuilt.”
Faucheux outlined the AIA’s legislative
proposals:
• A $50 million federal grant program to fund ten "New
Community" demonstration projects in the impacted areas. These
grants would be packaged with other incentives in the proposed Gulf
Opportunity Zones to finance immediate construction of a variety of
mixed-use developments designed to serve as models of quality
design and to spur job creation, new housing, and business
opportunities in the hardest hit areas
• A $200 million "21st Century Schools: Demonstration Projects
for Construction, Repair and Modernization." A proper built
environment is vital to the health and safety of children in
elementary and secondary schools. New, repaired and modernized
educational facilities the region would serve as a catalyst for
nearby economic and community development -- crucial to rebuilding
and reinvestment
• New tax incentives and federal grants to assist in the
preservation and rebuilding of damaged historic structures and
homes
• Passage of federal and state “Good Samaritan”
legislation that protects architects and other design professionals
from tort liability during the voluntary provision of free services
to governmental authorities in times of disaster and catastrophic
events
• Incentives to encourage cleanup and redevelopment of
contaminated brownfield sites through liability relief and tax
breaks in the hurricane-impacted area
• Federal grants for local community planning efforts directed
by local citizens and governments with involvement from architects
and planning professionals
• Use of federal royalty payments from the leasing of offshore
oil and gas concessions to acquire and maintain lands in areas
impacted by Katrina as natural flood protection barriers and
wildlife refuges
• A two-year property and sales tax holiday for residents and
businesses in the affected counties, and parishes along with full
federal reimbursement of lost revenues to local tax-recipient
governmental bodies pegged at pre-Katrina levels. This would
efficiently channel federal assistance to the affected areas by
helping local governments provide basic services; avoid massive
legal disputes involving property tax reassessments; protect
governmental bond ratings; spur economic development through lower
sales taxes on machinery, materials and equipment; and attract
taxpayers and job creation through a stable business climate.
About The American Institute of Architects
Since 1857, the AIA has represented the professional
interests of America's architects. As AIA members, nearly 75,000
licensed architects, emerging professionals and allied partners
express their commitment to excellence in design and livability in
our nation's buildings and communities. Members adhere to a code of
ethics and professional conduct that assures the client, the
public, and colleagues of an AIA-member architect's dedication to
the highest standards in professional practice.
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