Podcasts about Zoning

Gil Villegas is the alderperson of Chicago's 36th ward and has focused on generating opportunities for economic and business development to best serve the constituents of his ward! Alderman Villegas starts by discussing how zoning changes can be utilized to create win-win situations for investors and members of a community or ward! He talks about how he and his fellow members of City Counsel were able to influence the city's approved budget with the needs of their constituents at the forefront. Alderman Villegas breaks down why he chose to withdraw his Ward from the Northwest Housing Ordinance. He closes with an extremely bullish outlook on Chicago leaving us motivated to continue doubling down on our great city! If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! ============= Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Properties for Sale on the North Side?  We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com ============= Guest: Alderman Gil Villegas, City of Chicago's 36th Ward Link: Alderman Villegas' Facebook Link: Alderman Villegas' Instagram Link: The 48 Laws of Power (Book Recommendation) Link: NBOA Chicago (Network Recommendation) Guest Questions:  03:31 Housing Provider Tip - Understand lease renewal notices to remain compliant! 05:28 Intro to our guest, Alderman Villegas! 07:19 Zoning changes to create affordable housing. 18:48 City council's involvement with the city's approved budget. 25:45 How Aldermen work together to make positive impacts! 35:05 Drawbacks of the Northwest Housing Ordinance. 43:34 How Aldermen utilize facts and community input to make decisions. 45:39 Exciting developments in the 36th ward! 48:28 Alderman Villegas' outlook on Chicago. 51:41 What is your competitive advantage? 52:11 One piece of advice for new investors. 54:26 What do you do for fun? 55:46 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?  56:08 Local Network Recommendation?  56:31 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

In this conversation, Reggie St. Louis shares his journey as a real estate investor and entrepreneur, detailing how he transitioned from a technology background to leveraging AI in real estate. He discusses his first property deal, the lessons learned, and how AI can enhance deal flow and investment strategies. Reggie emphasizes the importance of understanding local markets and zoning laws, and he introduces his current projects involving AI tools designed to assist investors in finding and evaluating real estate opportunities.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Stella Maria Baer is a Santa Fe–based painter whose work is deeply rooted in land, light, and place. Known for her luminous depictions of moons, desert skies, horses, and wide-open Southwestern landscapes, Stella often makes her own pigments by hand—grinding rocks, dirt, and minerals into paint that quite literally contains the places she portrays. In addition to her studio practice, she teaches intimate workshops on natural pigment painting for land-based artists on her New Mexico property, creating space for people to reconnect with their creativity, their hands, and the earth itself. Stella grew up in New Mexico in a family of artists—her mother was a weaver, her grandfather a photographer, her grandmother a sculptor—and spent summers on a Wyoming ranch that shaped her lifelong love of horses and open country. Though art was always around her, she initially pursued religion and philosophy, studying questions of desire, goodness, and the inherent value of land. Painting began not as a career move but as a private, prayerful practice—drawing birds in journals to quiet a busy mind. Over time, that contemplative discipline evolved into a full-time vocation, one that ultimately drew her back home to New Mexico after years on the East Coast, where she had found herself painting the desert from memory and longing. In this conversation, we talk about that journey—from philosophy classrooms and sacred poetry to moon paintings and hand-ground pigments. Stella shares how critique shaped her work in unexpected ways, how motherhood has influenced both her art and her priorities, and the powerful story behind rescuing her horses from kill pens—animals that now carry deep personal meaning connected to her late mother. We also discuss the importance of play, silence, and being a beginner in a screen-saturated world. Stella rarely does interviews, so I'm especially grateful for her willingness to sit down and speak so thoughtfully and authentically about her life and work. It's a reflective conversation about creativity, land, faith, and following one's unique artistic curiosity. I feel like Stella and I only scratched the surface of her curiosity, land ethic, and artistic journey, so I'll look forward to having her back for another conversation in the future. But for now, I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. --- Stella Maria Baer Moon Horse Ranch Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/stella --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Intro and sponsor highlight 7:50 - Stella's origin story 12:00 - Art in Stella's childhood 14:35 - Zoning in and drawing birds 19:39 - Religion and philosophy degrees 21:58 - Wendell Berry and the Bible 25:07 - Responding to critiques 27:42 - New Mexico love 33:01 - Why moons? 36:07 - Importance of play 44:12 - How having kids changed things 50:54 - Stella's horses 55:28 - Stella's workshops 1:02:08 - Book recs 1:06:00 - Wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Whisp Turlington is salty. And for once, it's not because Bastrd AI is generating “Hogan's Heroes” deepfake erotica.No. Today, the Val Verde City Council has declared war on Turlington Manor (the dead mall that Whisp lives in), and they're doing it the only way Val Verde knows how:Through zoning.A new councilman, Edmund Sullivan (Eric Cunningham), comes into the Rock & Roll RV to explain why Whisp's home has been rezoned into a high-density industrial zone… which means Captain D's Pretzels can legally open inside Whisp's bedroom.Meanwhile:Whisp and Geoff debate whether “Truth Social” proves things are getting better (spoiler: bread lines are longer)Art Spart reveals he's now teaching Intro to Cryptozoology at Val Verde Community College“Larfs and Barfs” returns to calm Whisp down (it almost works) Guest Starring: Eric Cunningham (Night Late, The Kids Tonight Show)Soar Through The Skies of Classic Rock With The HawkSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube — wherever you listen.Join the Rock Battalion at 1089thehawk.comSupport the station on Patreon: patreon.com/1089thehawkWatch full broadcasts, clips, and ongoing radio hostilities on YouTube. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've led the way in reporting the NDP's attempts to impose a "safe consumption" facility in Winnipeg - and the questions posed by residents to City Council about its responsibility to address concerns about public safety in the targetted neighborhoods. In Episode 8, Transcona councillor Russ Wyatt provides his views on Council's role, the shortcomings of the Province's 'harm reduction' approach, and why City officials are obliged to step into the fray and not turn away.5.44 Part 2- With personal, lived experience with addiction and recovery, Russ Wyatt didn't hesitate to agree that Winnipeg council has to ask the NDP government to specifically exclude youth under 18 from utilizing the SCS proposed for 366 Henry Avenue. (See- NDP under fire for allowing minors at drug consumption site)He addresses the broader issues about overall government policy- "when it comes to mental health and addiction, you might as well call us Mississippi Manitoba, because we're not only one of the poorest provinces in Confederation today, when it comes to health care, it seems we're kind of the most backward as well."Wyatt believes that the Wab Kinew government needs to look towards the model implemented in Alberta, that prioritizes prevention, detox facilities, rural healing centres, court-ordered rehabilitation and private-sector participation. "You put a plan in place for the over-all healing to start." He criticizes the layout of the sobering centre on Disraeli and says the addictions file "should almost be taken away from Shared Health" because that bureaucracy has an "ass-backwards" approach to mental health, with addicts seeking help facing long waits to get into recovery programs. 19.40 Part 3- Coun. Wyatt sees similarities between the NDP's intention to drop a drug user site into North Logan/Point Douglas, and the controversy 20 years ago about a plan for a hog processing plant in his Transcona ward. In the present day, he's concerned that city planners aren't doing their job and are "more concerned about how to establish a bike path or how to take Graham Avenue out of circulation for downtown traffic."Wyatt calls for intervenor funding for the neighborhood groups "to research and double-check our facts and bring their own experts to the table" and there should be a hearing process. "Zoning has fallen behind but that doesn't prevent the area councillor (Vivian Santos) to start moving motions and raising the issue" instead of "leaving it at the Province... she can get a legal opinion on behalf of the residents to challenge that.""There's nothing preventing a member of Executive Policy Committee like Vivian Santos, or the Mayor, from sending this off to the Director of Planning Hazel Borys and asking her to look into this ... they're not blind to what's happening out in the community right now, they can read the same newspapers I'm reading."Wyatt added that "there's nothing preventing the residents also from approaching the public service and saying "where are you professionally on this issue. You're the ones who are supposed to be looking over the whole zoning regimen of the city."""It comes down to political courage and the willingness to represent your community," Wyatt asserts. "I think the resident's concerns are legitimate, that they should be taken seriously, and the local representatives - at every level of government - should be working with them to address their concerns."****Today in the Winnipeg Sun - Coun. Russ Wyatt says that Mayor Gillingham and EPC iced a proposed bylaw to restrict protest demonstrations that harass community groups and facilities "to save their own skin."https://www.winnipegsun.com/opinion/gold-wyatt-accuses-epc-of-self-preservation-in-by-law-vote/article_6950e52b-8241-49cb-9ad5-ec207e527c63.html

On today's show, we tune into this week's Cheyenne Roundup, where Chris and Maggie catch us up on where the state budget's at. We meet a goat named Porsche Lane, who was at the center of a lawsuit over constitutional rights. And we hear from a Wind River artist featured in a new Ucross exhibit. Those stories and more.

In this in-depth episode of the Whole Body Detox Show, David DeHaas sits down with Charles Froman to unpack one of the most controversial infrastructure debates in America today: 5G expansion vs. fiber optic broadband, copper landline removal, and federal telecom policy.The discussion explores allegations of diverted landline surcharges, BEAD taxpayer funding, and whether wireless deployment is being prioritized over long-term fiber solutions. They examine concerns surrounding FCC preemption laws, state zoning authority, and proposed federal bills that could limit local control over cell tower placement.Key topics include:• Fiber optics vs. wireless broadband performance and longevity • Copper landlines as critical emergency infrastructure during disasters • 4G/5G tower proximity to homes and schools • Energy consumption and the environmental footprint of wireless networks • Precision agriculture, RFID livestock monitoring, and rural transmitter expansion • Reported impacts on dairy farms, pollinators, forests, and wildlife • Data monetization, telecom profits, and infrastructure replacement cycles • RFK Jr.'s ordered HHS study into wireless health effects • Property rights, informed consent, and community safetyThe core issue: Can we have modern broadband convenience without sacrificing public health, environmental stewardship, agricultural stability, and local governance?This episode highlights the ongoing debate over safe technology deployment, rural broadband policy, and the future of wired vs. wireless infrastructure in America.DM “SAFE TECH” to learn how to stay informed and protect your home, family, and community.

Host Paul Pacelli opened Tuesday's "Connecticut Today" looking at a controversial state Senate bill that could drastically reduce municipal residential planning and zoning control (00:35). We also heard thoughts on that same bill from GOP State Rep. and Housing Committee member Steve Weir (16:34) and Yankee Institute blogger Meghan Portfolio (26:47). CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro also updated us on the current funding shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security (36:48)

A request for a commercial zoning change has been denied by La Vernia City Council. A public hearing was held during the city council meeting Feb. 12 to consider a request to change zoning for 13378 U.S. 87 from C-1 Retail District to C-2 General Commercial District. The request was made by Don Rackler, who owns the property, and On the Grind, a coffee franchise based in New Braunfels that hopes to build on the site. The property is the V-shaped site where Chihuahua Street joins U.S. 87, adjacent to Buffalo Joe's Sandwich Shop. Mayor Martin Poore opened the hearing...Article Link

Reddit Stories - OP was resting between sets on a machine facing a trainer's workspace when she accused him of staring and labeled him a perv in front of others. The confrontation escalated, leaving OP questioning whether snapping back went too far.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/lost-genre-reddit-stories--5779056/support.

Growth may be booming across Georgia, yet getting new housing approved often feels like running an obstacle course designed by politics, not policy. Simon Bloom, founding partner of Bloom Parham LLP, joins Host Carol Morgan on the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to pull back the curtain on the zoning battles shaping what gets built, where and at what cost. During this episode on “Unbridled Politics,” he will discuss the political and procedural challenges shaping zoning and land use in Georgia. Drawing on decades of experience representing builders and developers, he explains why projects often get caught in red tape, why build-to-rent (BTR) housing is targeted and how Georgia's fragmented local government contributes to inefficiency and higher housing costs. How Politics and Public Input Affect Development Bloom emphasized that zoning decisions in Georgia are driven less by technical merit than by politics: “If a politician or public official wants your project, it’s going to go forward,” said Bloom. “And if he or she doesn’t, it isn’t. The merits sometimes get lost in just a matter of pure politics.” Developers face a range of hurdles, from rezoning denials to conditional-use permits and administrative slowdowns. Routine actions, such as delaying final plats or withholding building permits, can derail projects entirely. Litigation is sometimes necessary, not as a first resort, but to ensure local governments follow proper procedures. Public opposition adds another layer of complexity. Organized neighborhood groups and homeowners now have unprecedented access to local meetings through streaming platforms and social media. While this transparency increases accountability, it can also make officials more cautious, further complicating development efforts. Why Build-to-Rent Projects Face Extra Hurdles Build-to-rent (BTR) projects face particular scrutiny, even as the demand for affordable rental housing continues to grow. “The cities and counties that say they need affordable housing are doing everything in their power to make it unaffordable and causing gentrification,” said Bloom. “They are driving the folks that they want to be living in their communities out into ‘the sticks.'” Part of the paradox lies in administrative inefficiencies and local mandates that increase cost and complexity. For example, some counties require side-entry garages in high-density developments—a design choice that increases lot sizes and, in turn, raises prices for buyers and renters. Add to that the need for detailed engineering studies, repeated public hearings and permit fees, and BTR builders and developers face substantial “chase costs” long before construction begins. Legislative solutions to streamline zoning and clarify local requirements have progressed slowly. Efforts to limit local control over architectural standards or to prevent bans on BTR have made modest gains. State lawmakers often consider input from local governments, which influences the pace and scope of reforms. Meanwhile, impact fees—sometimes adding thousands of dollars to individual projects—remain a factor that can increase costs and create differences across communities. On a larger scale, Bloom identifies Georgia's large number of local governments as a source of inefficiency. The state has 159 counties and 500 cities, each with separate planning departments, zoning boards and codes. This patchwork of rules forces engineers, lawyers and developers to navigate vastly different requirements across municipalities, slowing housing production and driving up costs. Navigating the Zoning Landscape Bloom encourages builders and developers to engage early with district commissioners or council members and maintain transparent communication with neighbors and planning staff. Understanding how “district-friendly” voting works, where council members often follow the lead of their district commissioner, can help projects move forward more efficiently. Bloom said, “Without your district commissioner championing your rezoning, your chances of success are much lower.” Tune in to the full episode to hear Simon Bloom discuss how politics and local regulations shape Georgia housing zoning and to learn what builders and developers can do to navigate these challenges. Learn more about Bloom Parham LLP at https://BloomParham.com. About Bloom Parham LLP Bloom Parham provides business owners with the litigation and counsel needed to succeed in real estate and related business disputes, including property development, leasing and commercial transactions. Founded in 2007, the firm delivers high-quality legal support with the full range of services clients expect from a large firm, but in the accessible, personalized environment of a boutique practice. Clients build long-term relationships with trusted advisors who understand both their real estate ventures and unique legal challenges. With a commitment to exceptional results and a supportive workplace, Bloom Parham empowers clients while maintaining a strong presence in the community. Podcast Thanks Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com. About Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week's show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot's Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. The post Simon Bloom: Unpacking Georgia Zoning Politics appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

In this episode of the Real Estate Pros podcast, host Michelle Kesil speaks with Rob Cheszes, a mortgage broker and real estate investor specializing in multifamily conversions. Rob shares his journey into real estate, the importance of understanding market needs, and the systems that have helped his business grow. He discusses the challenges of construction, the significance of investor partnerships, and the lessons learned from navigating zoning changes and market trends. The conversation highlights the critical role of underwriting in real estate investments and concludes with Rob's insights on connecting with the community through his projects.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Host Nicholas Wardroup interviews Comprehensive Planning Administrator Christina Edingbourgh and Project Manager Isaac Bacon about infusing community voice into land use planning in Memphis and the upcoming Unified Development Code update affecting Shelby County. They discuss the differences between the future land use map and the zoning map and how their work is considering the future of Memphis and Shebly County.This episode is the first part in a two-part series about the upcoming Unified Development Code (UDC) update and adoption process.Have questions for Nicholas, Christina, or Issac? Email them to buildingbeat@memphistn.gov, and you'll get an answer on a future episode.Memphis 3.0 website: www.memphis3point0.comUnified Development Code (UDC) Update website: https://www.901udcupdate.com/

Sacramento's housing market has slowed in pace, yet prices remain supported. This episode explains why.Inventory in Sacramento County remained between 1.7 and 2.5 months for most of 2025. Even as days on market increased, overall supply never expanded to levels that typically produce broad price declines. New construction continues at a measured pace. Land availability is limited. Zoning changes take time. Labor and material costs remain elevated. These structural realities keep supply constrained.At the same time, demand has not disappeared. Household formation continues. Sacramento has experienced steady in-migration from higher-cost regions. A large share of the population remains in prime household-forming years. The region's employment base supports income stability, reinforcing long-term housing demand.This episode walks through:What supply actually means in practical housing termsWhy limited inventory continues to support pricingThe difference between longer days on market and price weaknessHow scattered-site development and infill contribute graduallyWhy demand remains present even when rates shift behaviorHow pricing adjusts within a constrained marketUnderstanding how supply and demand interact provides clarity. Housing markets adjust through time and negotiation before they adjust through price.The objective is informed expectations grounded in structure, not headlines.Next week's episode:Housing Policy Shapes Availability Before It Shapes Price

Part two of our segment with Knoxville Planning and Zoning Administrator Nathan Parch as he discusses Knoxville project updates.

The Missoula City Council Monday approved sweeping new rules for residential development within the city. The major overhaul will allow developers to build more and larger apartment complexes, and loosen rules for how many housing units can sit on a single plot, among other changes.

Our Planned Party miniseries returns for Season 2! Peyton is in the host chair, talking with guest co-host Alex about setbacks -- what they are, why they matter and how they determine where you can put things on your land. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Knoxville Planning and Zoning Administrator Nathan Parch discusses current and upcoming projects in part one of a two part segment.

Of course it's madness.   “The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life.” - John 5:28-29 (KJV)

In this episode, we explore the strange signals people use to interpret global events, from Pentagon pizza orders and satellite data to the Big Mac Index and other unconventional measures of economic reality. We examine the decline of Google search, the rise of AI-powered alternatives, and why new tools are changing how people actually find information. For the “foolishness of the week”, we detail an unfortunate incident involving a piece of World War I artillery, before turning to a broader cultural debate about nostalgia for the 1950s. With guest Andrew Heaton, we unpack myths about work, gender roles, housing, healthcare, and prosperity, comparing mid-century life to modern standards of living. Along the way, we discuss food abundance, technological progress, wage compensation, inequality, and whether people genuinely want to return to the past or simply romanticize it from a distance. 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:28 Pentagon Pizza Orders and “Pizza Intelligence” 02:51 Proxy Signals, Satellite Data, and the Waffle House Index 04:25 The Big Mac Index and Measuring Cost of Living 05:00 The Decline of Google Search and Sponsored Results 07:19 Switching Search Engines and the Myth of Google Monopoly 09:54 AI Search Tools and Why They Actually Work 11:28 Foolishness of the Week: World War I Artillery Incident 13:43 How Bad Ideas Escalate at Parties 15:51 Introducing Andrew Heaton 16:39 Was the 1950s a Time or a Place? 18:43 Economic Reality vs 1950s Nostalgia 20:58 Women's Work, Household Labor, and Misleading Myths 23:56 Food Costs, Eating Out, and Modern Abundance 25:46 Medicine, Lifespan, and Why 50s Healthcare Was Worse 27:57 Housing Size, Zoning, and the Cost of Homes 30:01 Cars, Air Conditioning, and Quality of Life Improvements 31:17 Mortgage Rates and Why Housing Feels Unaffordable Now 34:02 Manufacturing, Exports, and the “We Don't Make Anything” Myth 35:35 Agricultural Productivity and Modern Farming 37:19 Food Waste as a Measure of Prosperity 37:42 Great Depression Scarcity and Generational Habits 39:59 Transportation Costs and Higher Quality Modern Vehicles 42:50 Car Safety, Seatbelts, and Survival Rates 43:42 Wages, Benefits, and What “Compensation” Really Means 45:29 What the 1950s Actually Did Better 47:52 Inequality, Community, and Social Capital in the 50s 49:44 Technology, Isolation, and Choosing Modern Life 52:05 Longing for Silence from Technology 53:18 The Mythology of Happy Days Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Housing has become one of the most urgent—and complex—challenges facing economic developers today. In this episode of Develop This!, host Dennis Fraise sits down with Michael Mohrfeld, Owner and President of Mohrfeld Electric, Green Oak Development, Mohrfeld Solar, and a housing developer. Speaking candidly from a developer's perspective, Michael shares what it really takes to make housing projects work in small and mid-sized communities—and why so many well-intentioned plans never move from concept to construction. Drawing on his diverse portfolio across construction, real estate, energy, and community-focused development, Michael explains how housing challenges are deeply intertwined with workforce availability, zoning, financing, and local leadership. Dennis and Michael explore: Why housing is now a top economic development constraint The growing difficulty of delivering affordable and workforce housing How labor shortages in construction are impacting timelines and costs Regulatory and zoning hurdles that can stall or stop projects entirely The differences between new construction and renovation-based development Opportunities in both multifamily and single-family housing markets Why small communities must rely on local leadership—because "there's no cavalry coming" Key Takeaways Housing is one of the most critical issues facing economic developers Developers bring practical insight into what makes projects viable Small communities face unique housing and financing challenges Workforce shortages significantly affect construction feasibility Affordable housing is increasingly complex to build Zoning and regulatory processes can impede development New construction and renovation projects require different strategies Strong community leadership is essential for success Both multifamily and single-family housing present opportunities Local champions are key to driving meaningful progress

Hey guys, Here is my complete method! Prep  Plan-Room & scheduling map-Zoning & destination boxes  List - get your task list Progress Nervous system regulation Breathing Somatic grounding Spatial grounding  Routing objects Task list  Process Clean up Take boxes to destinations Batch and schedule tasks Protect Protect your space Protect your energy Protect your capacity If you want to go deeper and have support decluttering your home consistently, the year-long program is open. You can find all the details at declutteryourchaos.com. ✨Come home to yourself. ✨ Head to Cozy Earth and use my code DECLUTTER for 20% off and experience the softest sheets you can find: https://cozyearth.com/ If this episode helped you, please leave a review or share it with someone who needs it. Looking forward to seeing your progress in the free Facebook group.  To join click below... https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutteryourchaos/ Download my free decluttering planner here: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner Let's connect:

Hey guys, Here is my complete method! Prep  Plan-Room & scheduling map-Zoning & destination boxes  List - get your task list Progress Nervous system regulation Breathing Somatic grounding Spatial grounding  Routing objects Task list  Process Clean up Take boxes to destinations Batch and schedule tasks Protect Protect your space Protect your energy Protect your capacity If you want to go deeper and have support decluttering your home consistently, the year-long program is open. You can find all the details at declutteryourchaos.com. ✨Come home to yourself. ✨ Head to Cozy Earth and use my code DECLUTTER for 20% off and experience the softest sheets you can find: https://cozyearth.com/ If this episode helped you, please leave a review or share it with someone who needs it. Looking forward to seeing your progress in the free Facebook group.  To join click below... https://www.facebook.com/groups/declutteryourchaos/ Download my free decluttering planner here: https://declutteryourchaos.com/decluttering-planner Let's connect:

Today, we take a look at what why it's so important to be responsive and adaptable on a bike and show you how to build those skills.  We dive into the importance of having a cadence range and the ability to respond on a dime. We talk about what it means to ride your bike vs. letting your bike ride you. We look at trainer vs. outdoor riding and why you're probably not getting as much out of trainer rides as you should. We talk about distractions and how it may be affecting your ability to improve on the bike. Why Netflix could be holding you back. And, finally we talk about multi-tasking and how it is ultimately taking away from your ultimate goals. Topics: Friday Night Loser's Club The ability to change cadence Creating range of ability in cycling Outside vs. The Trainer Being Responsive on course Ability to increase cadence on a dime Ride your bike, don't let your bike ride you Distractions on the trainer Conditions matter Zoning out during rides Being Committed to getting better Are you really focused? What are you looking at while on the bike? Neuro-muscular fatigue Watching the news Becoming dependent on distractions Why do we glorify multi-tasking? Reduce distraction gradually Addicted to stimulation   Mike Tarrolly - mike@c26triathlon.com Robbie Bruce - robbie@c26triathlon.com

Send us a textADHD is not just about challenges to do with shifting attention or hyperactivity, there is so much more to it than that.In this episode I cover the A-Z of ADHD, talking about the major symptoms that occur when you are living with this and how they impact your life. This list of course is not exhaustive, rather its a starting point to understanding and normalising the way ADHD behaves so that people living with ADHD can feel seen and validated. I'm an adolescent and adult chartered psychologist for the past two decades. This is a completely free and independant podcast, non-sponsored and ad-free to support you with your mental health. Please support this podcast by sharing and rating it. We all have issues, so let's talk about them.

Today on Beating Cancer Daily, Saranne reflects on her visits to various Blue Zones and their lessons for combating cancer. These Blue Zones, identified by Dan Buettner and Sam Skamp, are regions where people live exceptionally long lives, often surpassing 100 years. Saranne explores how the lifestyles and habits of these centenarians can offer valuable insights for cancer patients and survivors. She emphasizes practical steps such as moving naturally, finding purpose, and maintaining a plant-based diet as strategies that can be integrated into daily life to improve health and longevity, even while facing Stage IV cancer.2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards Best Health Series FinalistRanked the Top 5 Best Cancer Podcasts by CancerCare News in 2024 & 2025,and #1 Rated Cancer Survivor Podcast by FeedSpot in 2024 to 2025. Beating Cancer Daily is listened to in 140 countries across 7 continents and features over 400 original daily episodes hosted by Stage IV survivor Saranne Rothberg. To learn more about Host Saranne Rothberg and The ComedyCures Foundation:https://www.comedycures.org/ To write to Saranne or a guest:https://www.comedycures.org/contact-8 To record a message to Saranne or a guest:https://www.speakpipe.com/BCD_Comments_Suggestions To sign up for the free Health Builder Series live on Zoom with Saranne and Jacqui, go to The ComedyCures Foundation's homepage:https://www.comedycures.org/ Please support the creation of more original episodes of Beating Cancer Daily and other free ComedyCures Foundation programs with a tax-deductible contribution:http://bit.ly/ComedyCuresDonate THANK YOU! Please tell a friend whom we may help, and please support us with a beautiful review. Have a blessed day! Saranne  

#ThisMorning | The #Lessons #Learned from #Caregiving | Shane Grimm, Zoning & Planning Consultant and #Caregiver | #Tunein: broadcastretirementnetwork.com #Aging, #Finance, #Lifestyle, #Privacy, #Retirement, #wellness

Auckland's upzoning reforms have become a global case study in housing policy. Gene Tunny and John August dig into the data behind claims that loosening zoning rules boosted housing supply and eased rent pressures. They explore the statistical methods used, the critiques raised by sceptics, and the limits of zoning reform on its own. The episode also examines infrastructure constraints and whether complementary policies are essential for real housing affordability gains.Gene would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. You can email him via contact@economicsexplored.com. TimestampsAuckland Upzoning and Housing Affordability (0:00)Introduction of John August and Initial Discussion (3:41)Statistical Analysis and Critiques (3:59)Cameron Murray and Tim Helm's analysis (7:33)Broader Economic Context and Infrastructure (25:23)Conclusion and Future Directions (46:23)TakeawaysRigorous statistical studies find a strong link between upzoning and increased housing consents in Auckland.Critics argue that zoning reform alone cannot overcome development cycles, infrastructure bottlenecks, or land banking.Development approvals are a useful, though imperfect, proxy for actual housing supply growth.Infrastructure provision is crucial—densification without follow-through can reduce amenity and limit affordability gains.Zoning reform works best as part of a broader policy package, potentially including land value taxation to fund essential infrastructure.Links relevant to the conversationThe impact of upzoning on housing construction in Auckland by Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy and Peter C.B. Phillips:https://cowles.yale.edu/sites/default/files/2024-02/p1863.pdfZoning and housing supply: empirics in search of a theory by Tim Helm and Cameron Murray:https://ace2025.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/01-Tim-ACE-2025-Tim-Helm-TAKE-II.pdfLumo Coffee promotion10% of Lumo Coffee's Seriously Healthy Organic Coffee.Website: https://www.lumocoffee.com/10EXPLOREDPromo code: 10EXPLORED 

Welcome to the CRE podcast. 100% Canadian, 100% commercial real estate. What if the biggest barrier to solving Canada's housing crisis isn't capital or construction capacity, but zoning itself? In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, hosts Aaron Cameron and Adam Powadiuk sit down with Dermot Sweeny, Founding Principal at Sweeny&Co Architects, for... The post Rethinking City Building: A Radical Case Against Zoning with Dermot Sweeny, Founding Principal at Sweeny&Co Architects appeared first on Commercial Real Estate Podcast.

Replay!On today's Architectette podcast we welcome planner Martha Cross, the Deputy Director of the City of Philadelphia's Division of Planning and Zoning. Martha started her education in architecture school, but then pursued a career in planning, development, and non-profit work. Her experience and her path are truly inspiring.We talk about:- Martha's realization, during architecture school, that she wasn't interested in architecture.- The scary part of leaving architecture behind, but how an architecture degree is a great foundational education.- What it's like to be a planner and how her projects are changing lives and impacting generations.- The sacrifices and benefits of working for a non-profit developer.- The most important things for architects to consider to think like planners.- The City of Philadelphia's new Cultural Resources Plan and Pilot Project.>>>Connect with Architectette:- Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.architectette.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Learn more)- Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @architectette⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (See more)- Newsletter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ www.architectette.com/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Behind the Scenes Content)- LinkedIn:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Architectette Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Page and/or⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Caitlin Brady⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠>>>Support Architectette by leaving us a rating and review!>>>Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AlexGrohl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

01/08/26 Board of Zoning Appeals by City of Lawrence

Chargers vs. Patriots: The Tale of the Tape // Ravens fire head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons // What's wrong with the Boston Bruins? //

Join host Doria Fleisher in conversation with Tony Felts, Assistant Chief of Planning, and Elizabeth D. Theobalds, County Attorney, as they break down Charles County's comprehensive zoning code update. Learn how these changes will shape the future of our community and how you can get involved.Learn More:

In this episode, Dr. K reframes “zoning out” as your brain's attempt to restore attention and reclaim cognitive bandwidth—not just a bad habit to eliminate. He explains how zoning out increases when you're tired, overwhelmed, bored, or carrying unresolved emotional stress, and uses a patient example (ADHD feeling like it's “getting worse”) to show how hidden mental load and emotional uncertainty can drain working memory. He introduces insights from attention restoration theory, then breaks down how multitasking and “just get started / take small steps” advice can backfire by keeping you stuck in constant task-switching. The takeaway is a productivity reset: prioritize finishing tasks, reduce multitasking, and deliberately schedule true non-productive time so your brain can process internal problems instead of forcing them to surface during work. Topics covered include: Why zoning out happens and how it restores “cognitive RAM” How unresolved emotional stress increases distraction and task-switching Attention Restoration Theory and why nature/rest can replenish focus Why “just get started” + multitasking can sabotage productivity Practical fixes: focus on task completion, minimize multitasking, and plan real downtime HG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3Szt HG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest host Bruce Claggett talks to Mark Sager, Mayor of West Vancouver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec. 31, 2025: Guest host Bruce Claggett in for Jas Johal Calgary moves to repeal multi-unit zoning; should B.C. to do the same? (0:00) Guest: Mark Sager, Mayor of West Vancouver How to achieve your health and diet goals in the New Year (13:16) Guest: Dani Renouf, Registered Dietitian at St. Paul's Hospital The State of the DTES heading into 2026 (22:45) Guest: Sarah Blyth, Advocate for the DTES and Executive Director of the Overdose Prevention Society Vancouver The biggest entertainment and pop culture stories of 2025 (35:09) Guest: Dana Gee, Arts reporter for Vancouver Sun and The Province Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The YM Show, we sit down with Daniel Gibbons, founder of G6 Development, to break down an incredibly real and inspiring journey through construction, entrepreneurship, and real estate.Daniel didn't start at the top. He began doing labor work for a construction company, worked his way into an electrical apprenticeship, and spent 13 years working with FPL, mastering his trade. Through patience, discipline, and calculated risk-taking, he pushed through setbacks and eventually began building homes of his own.Today, Daniel has built well over 100 homes, owns income-producing rental properties, operates his own construction and development company, and has achieved financial freedom through real estate.In this conversation, we cover: • Starting from humble beginnings in construction labor • Apprenticeships, skill-building, and long-term patience • Transitioning from tradesman to builder and developer • Using rental properties to create financial freedom • Lessons learned from building 100+ homes • What it really takes to grow in real estate and developmentThis episode is a must-watch for anyone in the trades, construction, or real estate who wants to see what's possible with discipline, consistency, and vision.⸻YouTube Chapters (Timestamps)00:00 – From Framing Houses to Becoming a Developer02:30 – Working Hurricanes & Blue-Collar Jobs to Get Ahead05:15 – Making $120K W-2… and Still Feeling Stuck07:45 – Selling the Nice Car to Change His Life10:05 – First Rental Ever: $20K Lot + Mobile Homes12:40 – Mobile Home Costs: Pre-COVID vs Today15:10 – Using a Private Lender for the First Deal17:30 – Finding Tenants & Creating First Cash Flow19:55 – Scaling Rentals While Working Full-Time22:30 – Getting the General Contractor (GC) License25:10 – Quitting the Job & Going All-In27:45 – Disaster Work That Changed Everything30:10 – Doing $1M+ in Renovations in the First Year32:40 – Reinvesting Profits vs Lifestyle Inflation35:05 – Buying Off-Market Land & Building Duplexes37:45 – Building 12 Units in Under 4 Months (Real Numbers)40:15 – Construction Loans vs Permanent Financing42:40 – Land, Zoning & Entitlements Explained45:05 – What Cities Want (And How to Work With Them)47:10 – Cap Rates, Cash Flow & Underwriting Deals49:30 – Advice for Young Guys With Limited Capital51:10 – “The Only Thing Stopping You Is You”⸻

PIO TANATH BRADLEY. DIRECTOR OF PLANNING & ZONING ERIK MACK TRT: 18:08 PUBLIC INPUT/GROWTH POLICY/UNZONED LAND/LAKESHORE PERMIT

Colleen is a Partner at DSD Advisors LLC, the government relations consulting affiliate of Dinsmore & Shohl LLP that partners with public, private, and nonprofit clients to achieve their public policy goals at the local, state, and federal levels. She is responsible for advocacy and communications strategy development and execution on behalf of all DSD clients.Before joining DSD Advisors, she served as director of communications & community affairs for a Cincinnati City Council Member. Her experience includes shaping and guiding the city's $1.4 billion annual budget, managing constituent services and internal stakeholder relationships, directing both internal and external communications, and advising on legislative policy and issue management. She also created, executed, and oversaw office initiatives that received national recognition.Colleen holds an Honors B.A. in the Philosophy, Politics, and the Public Program from Xavier University, where she served as student body president. She also holds a B.A. in Theology with minors in History and Peace Studies. She is active in the community, serving as President of the Oakley Community Council Board of Trustees, Vice President of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Library Board of Trustees, and Member of the Groundwork Ohio River Valley Board of Directors. She is also an elected Precinct Executive serving on the Hamilton County Democratic Executive Committee. She resides in Oakley. 

If you're trying to understand why starter homes have vanished, why marriage and birth rates are falling, or why your kids can't afford to move out, you won't find a clearer guide than Dr. Emily Hamilton. Her latest piece in Governing, “To Support Families, Repair the Housing Ladder,” is a must-read. It makes a simple but devastating point: We've eliminated the low rungs of the housing ladder—and now we're shocked people can't climb it.Starter apartments? Outlawed. Manufactured housing? Zoned out.SROs? Gone. Family-friendly rentals? Blocked by NIMBY politics. And now the U.S. is flirting with population decline for the first time ever. This conversation explains why—and what to do about it.

San Francisco could see taller and more dense buildings in the city's north and west side after the Board of Supervisors approved Mayor Daniel Lurie's ‘Family Zoning' plan last week.  Some believe it will lead to more housing and lower rents, while others worry that new construction will change their neighborhoods and lead to displacement. But how soon — and how much — could it really change the city?  Links: San Francisco Supervisors Pass Rezoning Plan, Making Way for Taller, Denser Housing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Utah wants to override local zoning to boost housing supply, but allowed by right doesn't mean possible in practice. Abby and Edward dig into the hidden barriers — complicated permits, scarce financing, and broken systems — that stop housing from actually getting built. ADDITIONAL SHOW NOTES "Utah's Governor Suggests Overriding Local Zoning. Could His Plan Solve—or Shatter—the State's Housing Future?" by Allaire Conte, Realtor.com (November 2025) "Why State Housing Reform is Failing (and What We Can Do About It)" by Edward Erfurt Abby Newsham (X/Twitter) Edward Erfurt (LinkedIn) Theme Music by Kemet the Phantom.   This podcast is made possible by Strong Towns members. Click here to learn more about membership.

Jay Knight, managing member of Templar Development and co-founder and chair of the Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC), joins Host Carol Morgan on the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to discuss Georgia's housing challenges, including affordability, land-use policy and strategies to support first-time homebuyers. Housing Affordability Challenges Knight said, “70% of Georgians who would like to buy a house cannot afford one.” Affordability remains a central concern across Georgia. Rising construction costs, high interest rates and restrictive zoning have constrained the supply of homes for first-time buyers. Knight highlights one municipality where public employees earning an average of $54,000 could afford only a home priced around $206,000. Yet the market offered just 13 homes under $250,000, most of them older modular units. Where are the “missing middle” options? These smaller, attainable homes often bridge the gap between entry-level and higher-end properties but are difficult for homebuyers to find. Zoning restrictions often prevent these homes from being built, delaying household formation and limiting wealth-building opportunities for younger buyers. While demand is strong, builders face restrictions on where they can place this product. The margins may be solid, but accessing the land needed to make these homes profitable often discourages newer builders from pursuing them. “‘Can you just build a smaller house?' That's not always an option,” Knight said. “A neighborhood may have zoning conditions that don't allow smaller homes.” GRLDC and Legislative Advocacy GRLDC was founded to address shared industry challenges and promote access to quality, affordable housing across Georgia. A key initiative is House Bill 812, which aims to streamline permitting processes and reduce unnecessary delays. In many jurisdictions, development approvals can take up to a year, limiting supply and increasing costs. HB 812 calls for shorter review timelines and clearer procedures, which could significantly increase the number of lots available without compromising safety standards. Knight highlights the value of collaboration between private developers and local governments to advance housing affordability concerns. When municipalities actively engage developers in shaping policy, practical and effective solutions often emerge. Renting vs. Buying High rents present a barrier for prospective homeowners. While renting can provide flexibility, it often limits the ability to save toward a down payment. Knight explains that increasing housing supply and allowing more flexibility in lot and home sizes could ease rent pressures and expand homeownership opportunities for working Georgians. “The answer to everything in housing is supply,” Knight said. “If we had enough supply and flexibility in house size, it would create pressure on apartment owners to lower rents and give more Georgians—especially younger ones—the option to buy a home.” Education Through Build Baby Build Knight also hosts the Build Baby Build podcast, an educational platform for the residential development community. Episodes address issues facing today's homebuyers and work to bridge the gap between industry expertise and public perception. The goal is to help listeners better understand the operational and financial factors that shape housing affordability. A recent episode examined the “land-light strategy” used by many builders. Despite national claims that large builders hoard land and worsen the affordability crisis, Knight said the opposite is true. Knight said, “They want to be light on land and on time for the delivery of houses.” Outlook for Georgia Housing Despite ongoing challenges, Knight expressed cautious optimism about Georgia's housing future. Growing attention to affordability issues—among policymakers and community leaders—signals a willingness to address long-standing obstacles. Knight said efforts such as HB 812 could streamline permitting and reduce regulatory delays, potentially doubling the number of lots brought to market in the near term. Tune into the full episode for deeper insights into Georgia's housing affordability challenges and the policy solutions shaping the future of development. For more information about Templar Development, visit www.Templar-Dev.com. About Templar Development Templar Development is a residential land development and general contracting firm specializing in planning, entitlement, acquisition and construction of new home communities across Georgia and Alabama. The team brings more than 46 years of combined experience and has overseen the development of over 10,000 homes and more than 50 communities. Podcast Thanks Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com. About Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week's show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot's Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 16th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. The post Attainable Homes, Smarter Development: Breaking Down Georgia's Affordability Gap appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.

Cam highlights an ongoing issue in anti-gun locales; using municipal zoning laws to ice out gun stores and chill the exercise of our Second Amendment rights.

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Aaron Stanski, founder and CEO of Risepointe, a firm that partners with churches across the country to design and build facilities that amplify ministry impact. With more than 15 years of experience in church architecture, project management, and ministry leadership, Aaron and his team help churches navigate complex building challenges while staying focused on mission. Is your church facing growing pains—crowded lobbies, full parking lots, or overwhelmed kids' spaces—but unsure how to move forward? Aaron shares practical insights on how to approach facility planning strategically, align vision with budget, and avoid the costly mistakes that can slow down momentum. Overcoming the overwhelm. // When churches consider expansion or renovation, leaders often feel paralyzed by the process. Questions about cost, zoning, design, and disruption quickly pile up. Too often, churches jump straight to hiring an architect before defining their real needs. Instead, churches should first clarify what's working, what's broken, and what's next before anyone draws plans. Start with scope and budget. // The two guardrails of every successful project are scope (what you're building) and budget (what you can spend). Aaron warns that skipping this step often leads to beautiful drawings that churches can't afford. Risepointe begins with a Needs Analysis, an on-site deep dive into the church's DNA, culture, and challenges. The team listens to staff, studies how people use the building, and identifies bottlenecks—whether it's the children's hallway, lobby congestion, or limited parking. Only then do they define the right-size project and realistic cost range. The power of early engagement. // Most churches wait too long to start planning. Zoning approvals, fundraising, and construction all take longer than expected, especially in urban areas. Waiting too long forces rushed design work, unclear budgets, and lost ministry opportunities. You don't have to build everything at once. Start with a plan that captures the next few wins—like improving your lobby or kids' check-in—while preparing for long-term growth. Knowing when it's time. // Aaron says early warning signs include maxing out your primary service, overflowing kids' spaces, and parking lots at capacity. Many pastors misjudge space needs because they see the auditorium every Sunday but rarely experience the parking or early childhood chaos firsthand. Evaluating your entire Sunday experience—entry to exit—reveals where capacity problems really begin. Aligning buildings with ministry models. // Every church facility reflects a ministry philosophy—but those philosophies evolve. Where there used to be 40-year ministry cycles, now they are closer to 10 to 20. Churches shaped by the seeker-sensitive movement, for example, are now adapting to relational, community-driven models. Spaces that once emphasized rows and stages now need more environments for conversations, mentoring, and connection. A free resource for leaders. // To help churches begin the conversation, Aaron's team created a free guide called “10 Things to Get Right Before You Build.” The resource walks through key questions every church should answer before launching a building project—from clarifying vision and budget to preparing for change. You can download it and schedule a free consultation at risepointe.com/unseminary. To learn more about Risepointe's work helping churches align facilities with mission, visit risepointe.com/unseminary or follow Risepointe on Instagram for inspiration and project stories. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Portable Church Your church is doing really well right now, and your leadership team is looking for solutions to keep momentum going! It could be time to start a new location. Maybe you have hesitated in the past few years, but you know it's time to step out in faith again and launch that next location. Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have decided to tune in. You know, across the country, we keep hearing about churches that are growing and we’re seeing swelling attendance and that’s good. Some of that is like a platinum problem though. It generates other issues that we have to think about. And so what what I did was pull on a friend of mine, Aaron Stanski, he’s the founder and CEO of Risepointe. He’s got 15 plus years of church design, leadership and project management and experience. Rich Birch — If you don’t know Risepointe, where have you been? You’re living under a rock. They’re church architects and designers. They have years of experience working with churches like yours, schools and nonprofits, and they offer a wide range wide variety of services, including architecture, interior design, graphic design, branding, and so much more. Aaron is, I like Aaron not just because he actually has got incredible skills. His team’s got incredible skills, but he really actually wants to help churches like you. And so Aaron, welcome to the show. So glad you’re here. Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I’m glad to be here, Rich. Rich Birch — It’s going to be good. Give give people, you’ve been on a couple of times… Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — …and but give us again, for folks that haven’t heard, the Aaron Stanski, you know, a couple bullet points. Aaron Stanski — Sure. Rich Birch — What did I miss? What do you want to fill in the picture? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, ah you know the quick story is grew up in ministry. My dad was a pastor growing up, planted a we planted a church in Boston when I was a kid. Went to school for engineering, worked for Harley Davidson Motorcycles, did big projects, project management and stuff for them for a while. And then felt called to ministry. Aaron Stanski — So left Harley Davidson, was on staff with Cru for a couple years doing college ministry before I jumped on staff at a fast growing multi-site church here in Chicago. So loved that, loved being part of that ministry team. And then, of course, we went through a big building project. So got to roll up my sleeves on the on the church staff side of things and hire architects and engineers and AV consultants and really kind of combine my my engineering mind and my ministry heart. And so absolutely love that process. And so, yeah, I’ve been helping churches now for the last 15, 16 years. It’s been an absolute blast. Rich Birch — So good. Well, the the kind of person I want to have in mind today, and so friends, if if you’re listening in, if this sounds a little bit like you, you’re going to want to pay close attention. So I’m thinking about that church, you know, the leader that looks around, they maybe have got, maybe they got two services. Rich Birch — They’re looking around and they’re seeing, ooh, they feel like maybe their growth ah is starting to create some pinch points. Maybe it’s in kids. Maybe it’s in adults. Maybe it’s their lobby. It’s they look around and they’re like, man, I just I feel like our facility might be holding us back a little bit. um And because I do bump into this in churches all the time. Aaron Stanski — Sure. Rich Birch — And there’s like, there can be like a certain amount of anxiety and fear around, gosh, when do I, what do I do? So when you talk to pastors, what do you know notice as one of the kind of most common point of confusion when it comes to starting or pulling the trigger, moving on with a building project, expansion project, try to improve things. Where are we getting this wrong? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, I think ah like one, the whole process itself can just be completely overwhelming. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — Like immediately you’re confronted with, ah oh my goodness, like what’s the right solution? What is the, ah what is the town or the, you know, the jurisdiction going to allow us to do? What is this all going to cost? Where are we going to do church in the meantime if we’re having to fix this building or add on to it? Rich Birch — Yes, yes. Aaron Stanski — I mean, immediately all of these questions start to kind of well up and it can become ah really overwhelming for a lot of churches. Rich Birch — So good. So when when we step back, is there any one of those that you think in particular is like a piece of the puzzle that is the most kind of mysterious or is the most um confusing as as you that you bump into regularly with leaders? Aaron Stanski — I mean, I think the most confusing is probably like, what’s the right solution? Rich Birch — Okay. Yep. Aaron Stanski — A lot of times it’s a combination of like, you know, we feel like we’re out of space, so we have to add on. But if we do that, we’re going to have to modify what we already have. And what we have is old, or there’s some maintenance on it that we haven’t gotten around to. And like, what can we do in this space? And so actually the the right solution is is probably one of the most difficult things to kind of imagine for a lot of pastors. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — And, you know, then right behind that is like. What’s it going to cost? Right. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — I mean, you know, for the last four or five years, we’ve seen a lot of inflation. We’ve seen a lot of different things happening, like with pricing and stuff. And so what used to be a pretty easy calculation for us as churches now, it feels like it’s a lot foggier as far as like what what things are just going to cost. Rich Birch — Yeah. So I’ve heard church leaders at this this juncture, they start thinking like, okay, like we got to get an architect. Get me the architect, the the person that designed this building 25 years ago. Where are they? Are they still in business? And, you know, we start going down that road. I’m not even really sure what an architect does. Like, I obviously, you you draw things. But, like, help us understand what what is the piece of the puzzle that, like, an architect brings to the table. Aaron Stanski — Right. Rich Birch — And I know that’s, like, a subset of what you guys do. Pretend that I’m, like, super dumb because it’s probably not actually worry about pretending too much there. Explain what that is. What is that service? And is that actually what we need at this juncture? Is that the first question? Like, get the architect. Come in here. Explain that whole thing. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, well, I think we have to be careful. Sometimes hiring an architect is like picking up a hammer, right? And for a lot of architects who were, you know, traditionally trained and might have like one sort of, you know, viewpoint of the world. Like their job is to come in and draw something new um that’s going to sort of solve your problem. The challenge with that is a lot of times that architect is just looking for ah one type of solution, ah which is build you something new, add something on. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — And they’re looking at it very narrowly through the lens of what the solution is going to be. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good. Aaron Stanski — And a lot of times they’re not, you know, kind of able to kind of step back and take a look at strategically and say, okay, before we start drawing plans and blueprints and some of those sorts of things, let’s really talk about like what’s going really well at your church and how are we going to amplify what you’re already doing well? How are we going to add some, you know, some pieces around it? And then of course, how are we going to fix some of the big, you know, some of the bigger problems? Aaron Stanski — So an architect technically, right? I mean, it’s a licensed professional. Their job is to lead your organization through the process from the very beginning all the way through the stages of design. Their job is to make sure that the solution is aligned with your with who you are as an organization and your budget. And they’re supposed to help all the way through construction, making sure that it gets built the way that it was designed and and that it gets you know all the questions get answered and that it’s ultimately safe. Aaron Stanski — So that’s what an architect does. I think the I think the thing that we miss a little bit on the front end is in order for the architect to start, we really need kind of need to know what the scope of the work is and the budget first. Rich Birch — So good. Okay. Okay. Good. Aaron Stanski — If we don’t put those two guardrails on the left and the right-hand side, we’re really missing out. The left-hand side should be scope. The right-hand side should be budget. And we should nail those down before we get going into designing. Rich Birch — Okay. I want to unpack that because I know, I actually texted you recently. Friends, getting you behind the scenes a little bit. I had a friend of mine, they had done exactly what we talked about here. They were like, we went and hired an architect to help with this thing. And they came back with a ginormous number um that was like, I would say a factor, you know, three or four times what I thought. And what do I know? I don’t know anything. Rich Birch — And I actually think it was these guardrails where they went off off on it. They didn’t start with scope and budget. They started with, hey, here’s a problem, architect – solve it for us. And they came back with this, you know, very incredible initial drawing and all that. Rich Birch — Talk us through how do we nail down scope and budget from the beginning? Talk us through what does that look like? Aaron Stanski — Yeah, so I would say, ah you know, you want to find a ministry partner who’s going to come in and really kind of help ah flesh out some of those pieces, really understand what’s working well, what’s not working well, what’s missing, where do we have to clarify what it is that we’re doing in order so to sort of establish that. And and there’s ah there’s a lot of great partners out there who can help you do that. But you’re really looking for someone in the building/design/construction space who has experience who has a lot of experience, honestly, with churches and understands what it means to, you know, serve people who’ve been part of your church for 20, 30 years and keep them on mission and disciple them up, as well as welcoming people who are walking into your doors for the very first time. Aaron Stanski — So at Risepointe, we walk through a process called The Needs Analysis, where we get on site with, you know, a church for an entire day and understand their DNA and really understand what’s working and not working and stuff. And we start with that so that we can sketch out some ideas and some concepts and stuff around what is the what is the scope of work that’s going to solve the problem or fix the lid or add the seats that we need? And what’s the budget that we feel like God’s calling us to spend as a church in order to go do that? And we want to start with that before we jump into full architecture. Rich Birch — Okay, so sidebar question. Is it possible for someone to help us at this early kind of scoping phase without doing some sort of on-site? Like, can I just call an architect and say, hey, here’s the problem. I need to add a thousand seats. How much is that going to cost? And then they go away and come back with a number. Or, or you know, are is there, yeah, can they do that? Talk us through that. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, you can. I mean, you can call up Risepointe and I’ll get on the phone with you. The, and, but there’s going to be a range, right? Rich Birch — Okay. Aaron Stanski — And I can say like, Hey, here’s the last 10 churches that we’ve done a thousand seat auditoriums at… Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — …and here’s kind of the range and stuff. The problem with shortcutting to that is you miss a lot of things, right? Each jurisdiction is different, like how the civil engineering works, the parking requirements and stuff. Rich Birch — Right. Good. Yep. Aaron Stanski — And those really affect the budget. And so we want to understand those first. And the second thing is, I mean, every church that we work with is and incredibly unique in the people that they’re reaching, and the values that those people have and whether they’re de-churched or unchurched and and who they’re running into and and stuff. And so really kind of understanding that context is so important um before we jump into, you know, sort of solution. Aaron Stanski — But yeah, I mean, since we work with churches all over the country, I mean, if someone called me up, I could probably, I could probably put my thumb in the air and give them a ah swag on what that might cost. Rich Birch — Yeah. And I would, you know, it’s funny because I’ve, I’ve recommended people have asked me those kinds of questions and I always actually say exactly what, you know, where you led, which is like, you should call my friend Aaron and, but, but what you should do, get on the, do the like free call or whatever, get on the book a time. But I said, you really should do this Needs Analysis thing. Cause the project that you’re facing is always much larger than you think. Rich Birch — And I would rather people take time, invest the resources upfront and time, frankly, to slow down and say let’s actually understand the question we’re asking before we jump to answers, right? Like what because because we could get this thing wrong and actually that gets to this whole idea of how early is too early. My experience has been people wait too long before they engage with someone like you. They they get into like their third service, fourth service. They’re like, oh gosh, people aren’t going to the fifth service. Maybe we have to figure out how to get more space. Talk us about, you know, what mistakes do we make when we wait too long without engaging with someone like you? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, I’d say, you know, the thing to keep in mind is that you’re, if you’re the average church that reaches out to Risepointe, you’re somewhere between two and a half and three years away from having any sort of new space. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Okay. Aaron Stanski — And that’s on the short end. We have churches who are bringing new space online five years after they’ve reached out to us because they’re, they live in downtown areas… Rich Birch — Wow. Aaron Stanski — …very challenging jurisdictions and some things like that. Rich Birch — Yep. Aaron Stanski — And so when we’re thinking about when is the right time, I think, yeah, earlier is definitely better. But we have to be careful ah that we’re strategically spending dollars even on the front end, you know, so that we, you know, we’re getting out of it what we need. Aaron Stanski — As leaders, what questions are we asking that we need answers for in order to determine is it the right time to move forward with a building project? Is it a right time to launch a campus or go multi-site or some things like that? Aaron Stanski — If you wait too long, typically what happens is either we’re we’re rushing through the design process to kind of hit the capital campaign stuff and there’s budget misalignment. All of a sudden we thought it might be this, but now this is the actual budget for what it’s going to work. Aaron Stanski — And I think when that happens, there starts to be some vision confusion. You know, we’re looking at solutions that we kind of rushed through and it doesn’t feel like we really thought all of those things through. And so I think that’s another one. Aaron Stanski — And then I just think, you know, there’s there’s some missed ministry opportunities if if we kind of wait too long. I think a lot of times when we’re planning out, here’s the multiple phases of how we develop this campus and expand it. You know, we miss out on opportunities to go get some smaller things done sooner… Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — …capture momentum, you you know, fix the welcome center, like invest some dollars in something we know we’re not going to tear down, make it better for guests in a couple months. And we miss out on those things if we don’t have a bigger, more strategic plan. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good. Yeah, kind of a step back and say, hey, how does this fit into where everything that’s going on? Rich Birch — What would be kind of double clicking on that? What would be some indicators internally that would say, hey, um you know, these things are happening. I should really reach out to Risepointe. What would be some of the things that you would see as telltale signs that it’s now a time to to kind of take this step? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, I think if we’re, you know, if we’re really pushing towards our, those max numbers at our primary service, I think that’s a, that’s definitely an early indicator. Aaron Stanski — A lot of churches just kind of reach out and say, Hey, okay, here’s, here’s kind of where we’re at. Here’s where the math is at. Like, can you look at this like from a, like how much kids area should we have? How much lobby space should we have? And we can run some quick math for them and say, Hey, you don’t have any other lids. You’re looking good. You, you probably have a few more years of growth in you. Aaron Stanski — So that would be one. You know i think if ah you know we’re starting to talk about ah adding a third or fourth service, it’s probably a little bit too late, but we should probably get on it sooner than later. Aaron Stanski — And then, you know, one of the, one of the other things too, is just kind of paying attention. It’s easy for us on Sundays to stand on the stage and look out and get a pretty good sense of, are there enough seats? Is there space for me here? And like, we look out and we see some empty chairs. Aaron Stanski — Keep in mind that when you’re coming in from the back of the auditorium, it’s a lot harder to see some of those empty chairs. Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — And so what is the percentage? But the other thing is the things that we’re not seeing when more when we’re on stage on Sunday is we’re not seeing the parking lot. We’re not seeing the early childhood wing that’s basically a it’s a it’s a disaster back there. There’s kids running around like crazy. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Aaron Stanski — And so even if we’re ah even if we have enough seats, like or we’re not at the 80 or 90 percent capacity to our primary service. We need to be looking out at some of these other areas and making sure that there’s not a lid somewhere else. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah. In fact, I literally just last weekend said that to a church. I was, you know, I was doing a weekend visit where I was on site and all that stuff. And, and it, to me, it felt like the building, the parking, and the kids, and the main auditorium, they, or the adult auditorium, they just didn’t match. It was like they, the three were out of alignment. And I think they had enough kids, but you know, I don’t know. There was, it’s interesting how that can happen. And you know the lead pastor typically is seeing um only the adult room and not you know not anything else. Rich Birch — Early on, you know there’s my experience has been and projects that have been a part of that I would rather spend money as personally as a leader. I’m not saying, friends, if you’re listening in, that you need to necessarily do this. Rich Birch — I would rather spend money on the front end with a designer like you. Because because the joke I’ve made is it’s a lot cheaper to move walls on drawings than it is in in the real world. And I’ve that comes from pain of building stuff… Aaron Stanski — It’s true. Yeah. Rich Birch — …of building stuff, and then being literally I opened up a new facility and then stood there with a kids ministry person. And the kids ministry person was like, oh, I didn’t think it was going to look like this. I was like, oh my goodness, what what are you talking about? Aaron Stanski — Shoot. Rich Birch — Like, we just opened this new facility. Talk us through, like, what’s an investment on the front end to reach out to someone like you? Aaron Stanski — Sure. Rich Birch — How do you help churches see that hiring someone like you can actually save us resources in the long haul? Talk us through that. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, starting out at the beginning and getting really clear about where we’re going and how we’re going to get there, it really helps us, you know, cart and like make sure we don’t overbuild or underbuild. Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — It makes sure that like compared to all the other churches that we’re working with all over the country, that we’re in alignment with where the square footage is at and it’s aligned with how you do ministry locally, how you use these spaces seven days a week. Aaron Stanski — And so it’s it’s really making sure that we’re not overbuilding or underbuilding anywhere because that’s ah you know that’s a huge that’s a huge miss if we do that. And that’s probably one of the biggest cost savings. Aaron Stanski — The other thing is you know during you know during sort of that season of vision and master planning and when we’re talking to our folks about what God’s doing at the church and we’re telling stories of life change, like we’re really kind of laying out a vision for what God is calling us to do as a ministry. And people just naturally have questions around like, like, how is this going to help? And and how is this actually going to help us reach my lost coworker, my lost neighbor? Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — And, and so I think, you know, spending the time to do that, really translating sort of the mission and vision into physical space needs and producing some of those renderings that accompany that story. I mean, that’s just a really critical part. Rich Birch — Okay, so let’s double click on that. That’s that I feel like I have been caught in this situation where I get I get like, it’s the hammer and nail thing you you say. Like, I’m I’m pretty sure I know what the solution is. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — Like, let’s go do this. And I like that what you’re saying is like, hey, we need to take a step back and like actually think through how does this fit in our vision and how’s that all? How do you actually do that? How do you help a leadership team discern what the problem is that they’re really needing to solve, or should be solving, rather than just let’s build a bigger box. Or, I know! We just need 25 new parking spots. Like how do we not jump too quickly to that? What’s that look like? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, it looks like, you know, spending time. Rich Birch — Good. And and, really getting to know them and what makes them unique. Like we have a fantastic set of tools that we use at Risepointe to like really talk about, you know, let’s talk about, uh, outside the walls, right? Like who, who are we called to reach? And, and what does it mean to do ministry in this place that God has uniquely put your church in the geographic area? Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — And let’s talk about the tension between this side of town and that side of town. And let’s, you know, let’s wrestle with, you know, some of those issues. And then let’s, and then let’s talk about like, like, man, who are we as a church on our best day? And what does it feel like when we’re like living up to our full potential? Aaron Stanski — And then we even get into some of the things around like, man, what are what are some of the strategic drivers? What’s driving more people hearing about Jesus? What’s working really well? What do you see as opportunities or things that where if you had the right leader or finances that you’d be able to you know, accomplish even more of your mission. Aaron Stanski — And so by starting there and then starting to work down towards, okay, where is your facility aligned with that with that exercise and where is it misaligned? Okay, let’s unpack that a little bit. And then without getting into ah the solution yet, I want to meet like individually with each you know ministry leader… Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — …talk about what how check-in works and all of those things. Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — And so it’s really sort of this almost like a 360 review of what’s happening between the mission and vision God’s given us, and how are our facilities helping or hindering that mission and vision. Aaron Stanski — And then it just comes down to budget. And so, okay, here are the possible solutions. Here’s what roughly what some of those things are going to cost. And then it’s going to the, going to God in prayer and saying, okay, what are you calling us to do? What are based on these options and trying to figure it out? Rich Birch — I want I want to come back to the budget question in a second. But I’ve I think I probably have stole this off you. I have said to multiple church leaders that like our buildings were built, there was like a philosophical underpinning of the the buildings that we were built with. There was a ministry model that they were built on. Aaron Stanski — Sure. Yeah. Rich Birch — And then there’s been a lag between when we made those decisions, we’ve we built them. Now we’ve been using them for X number of years. And our ministry model may no longer be the same as the building, or probably isn’t actually the same as when the building was built. Rich Birch — What’s your sense on how long that lag time is kind of between the, they they you know, we built something. If we built something more than 10 years ago, you know we probably want to readdress or look at our facilities afresh and say does this actually meet the needs of… Aaron Stanski — Sure. Rich Birch — Because I feel like so many of us are in like the the cramped shoes that just don’t quite fit they work but they don’t quite fitWhat do you think that lag time is? Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, the lag time is getting shorter and shorter. Rich Birch — Okay. Aaron Stanski — It used to be, you know, it probably used to be 40 or 50 years… Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — …you know, without major ministry model shifts and stuff. Obviously, you know, Willow Creek, North Point, you know, coming onto of the scene in the in the late 90s and stuff really shifted. We have churches all the way up into the 2000s, even into the 2010s that sort of copied the model of the Willow Creeks and some of those things. And I think we’re seeing, you know, we’re seeing the model shifting a lot faster now. Rich Birch — Interesting. Aaron Stanski — I’d say, you know, you know, we’re probably in a faster 10 to 20 year cycle, something like that. But I think we’re coming out of the, you know, the, you know, that model of Willow Creek and North Point and stuff. And we’re, we’re moving into a new season. And it’s kind of exciting for us. Rich Birch — Yeah. Aaron Stanski — I mean, we get to, we get to sit on the front edge of all of that. Churches like in fantastic places, being creative, reaching, you know, people for Christ. And so it’s just interesting to kind of observe some of those things and, um and observe what’s working really well and, and where it we can improve, you know? Rich Birch — Yeah. You’re baiting me. What are those things that you’ve seen that have shifted? There’s got to be, or is that the magic? We got to call Aaron to find out. Aaron Stanski — No, you don’t have to call Aaron. No, I mean, the thing, I mean, like, you know, I heard someone share this with me recently, right? I mean, every Netflix account homepage is different for every person, all billion subscribers or whatever that they have. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — They’re individually tailored to to those individuals. And I know that because when I had a bunch of seventh grade boys spend the night at my house, like my algorithm got so messed up on my Netflix account last weekend. Rich Birch — Love it. Love it. Aaron Stanski — But I think there is a shift away from you know some of the bigger, more institutional types of look and feel and trying to get down to, okay, how are we engaging one-on-one with people who are walking in and where they’re at. Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — How do we, you know, instead of preach a sermon at them, how do we hear their story? And what does it look like for us to hear their story in in various places, whether that’s a welcome center, whether that’s, ah you know, side by side in the pew, whether that’s in sort of a first steps class. And so there’s a shift on that side of things… Rich Birch — Yep. Yeah, that’s interesting. Aaron Stanski — …just like as we look at the next generation and how we engage and reach the next generation. Rich Birch — Okay, I want to loop back on the money question. So for folks that don’t know, a part of what I do is actually help churches with that. And don’t really talk about it publicly, but I do. And, you know, there is this interesting tension that churches often come to this. It’s like we think we’re different than our ourselves. Rich Birch — And that if I was going to go build a new house, I would have to start with, well, how much income do I have? And like, what can the, you know, what can the, you know, what what would the what would the bank give me from a mortgage point of view? Like I start with reality around my finances. But so many churches start with, let’s build this giant thing. And it’s totally disconnected from the from what we could actually afford to either raise or carry long-term. Rich Birch — How much variance can a church bring to a design? Like if they upfront are defining, Hey, like we can afford probably 5 million. I know I’ve got $35 million dollars in dreams or maybe not. That’s, that’s too crazy. I got $15 million dollars in dreams. Is it possible for me to, to actually get that into a tighter box? Help us understand how do we do that? How do we on the front end be realistic with our finances as we’re doing this design thing? Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, I think we have to with open hands, we have to hold out the, you know, the dreams, the vision, you know, the stuff that God’s given us. And we have to prayerfully sort of go through that exercise and say, okay, ah but how much risk do I want to introduce into the organization, like via debt? Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — What what is God actually calling us to do with those things? And we have to be creative in how we and and how we get across the finish line. I think when I when I hear sometimes a senior pastor sharing with me his $35 million dollars vision, Rich… Rich Birch — Yes, yes, yes. Aaron Stanski — …what I immediately try to do is say, okay, talk to me about what it is about that $35 million dollar thing that’s resonating with you. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good. That’s good. Aaron Stanski — And so even though he’s describing something that’s $35 million, dollars and as an architect, I might get really excited about drawing $35 million dollars worth of stuff. Rich Birch — Yes. Aaron Stanski — If he actually can’t afford it and can’t raise it, he’s actually not going to go do it. Rich Birch — Right. Aaron Stanski — So I need to go back to that vision and say, okay, what are the pieces in there that are from God, that are ah that are aligned with the mission that his church has and stuff? And I need to contextualize that. And then as an architect, as a designer, I have to turn around and say, okay, with my guardrails in place of budget and scope, how do I express those things… Rich Birch — That’s good. Aaron Stanski — …in the $5 million dollars that God has entrusted our church with? And so there’s going to be a lot of difficult decisions along the way. We’re going to have to prioritize some things. And some other things might have to go on the back burner. But that’s the process that we want to help churches walk through um to to get them to that point where they’re walking into a space for the first time and going, oh, man, this feels like us. Like this is this is who God wants us to be in our community. And I’m so excited about doing ministry in this new space. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. So it’s it’s not, from what I hear you saying, it’s not unreasonable on the front end to be like, hey, we should actually bring, like, be clear on this is this is what we think we can actually raise. This is that what we think we can carry. We think we could do a project of X, whatever. And that needs to be early on in the discussion rather than we’re disappointed on the back end. Oh my goodness, we got this this big number and we don’t know what to do with it. Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I like to be doing it simultaneously. I like to be doing the Needs Analysis and working through, okay, here’s the eight different project options. You can relocate and spend $35 million. You can add on. You can you can do this. All right, here’s your here’s your four options, $10, $8, $6, $4 million dollars And at the same time, I like to encourage churches to like, okay, go talk to someone like yourself… Rich Birch — Yep. Aaron Stanski — …and say, okay, what do we think we could raise if we did a capital campaign? How much debt do we currently have? How do our elders feel about us you know borrowing some money if it if it makes a bigger impact on the project? Because if we can bring those two things together and pray through it and get clarity from God about what he’s asking us to do, then I can go ah help draw buildings and blueprints and things like that. Rich, you can help them raise some money and they and we can you know we can go through that process. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Yeah, it’s great. And you know, my experience has been every one of those steps, friends, is, it’s a lot of work. It’s, it’s like a, it’s a faith ah stretching experience. There are late, late nights staring at the ceiling, but every one of those I’ve been a part of, literally 100% of them have been transformative in the life of the church. You know, when they, when you look back, you’re like, wow, that was an inflection point. I am so glad we went through that. It wasn’t this like we did that and I was like, man, that wasn’t such so good in the end. It was really was amazing. Rich Birch — Well, there’s a resource that you’ve provided. It’s called 10 Things to Get ah Right Before You Build. Talk to us about this resource and then and then where can where can we want to make sure people get this. Tell us tell us a little bit about this. Aaron Stanski — Yeah, I mean, like with, you know, church, hundreds of churches calling us, you know, every year, asking a lot of the questions that we’ve talked about today. Like we tried to distill down what are the most common things the churches are like, okay, pause real quick. I got to go do something real fast before we decide that we can sort of move forward. And so some of these things are what happens like while you’re talking to Risepointe and some of these things might be before. But I think it’s just kind of a helpful reminder and ah a thoughtful list to kind of work through. Aaron Stanski — And so if that’s helpful at all, or if that’s interesting at all, um you can just go to risepointe.com/unseminary. And a little ah little landing page will pop up there. There’s two things you can do on that page. The first one is to just give us your name and your email there and sign up and get that 10 things to download. Aaron Stanski — I also threw another button on there this morning in case you’re like, hey, that sounds great, but I’ve got I’ve got a specific question I have about our building. Or like, I actually really need to talk to you guys about what our options are. And so I put another button down there at the bottom. If you want to schedule a call with myself or one of our architects, we’d love to hop on the phone with you. No charge for that. 30 minutes. Just kind of talk through where you’re at, what some of your questions are and see if we might be able to help. So ah once again, that’s risepointe.com/unseminary. And you can get all that, all that stuff right there. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s fantastic. That’s risepointe.com/unseminary. And friends, I’ve had multiple friends in ministry who have engaged with with Aaron across the entire spectrum. The like free 30 minute thing all the way up through, you know, the kind of full deal, help get a whole project out the door. And and just so happy with the work that Risepointe does. And just has been transformative for their churches. So you get a hearty endorsement from me. You really should do that. Again, that’s just risepointe.com/unseminary. You can pick this up. It is a helpful little PDF, and the schedule call is a great thing. Rich Birch — Well, Aaron, I appreciate you being here today. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. Rich Birch — If people want to track with you guys or if they’re anywhere else online, obviously risepointe.com. We want to send them to anywhere else online. We want to we want to send them to. Aaron Stanski — Yeah. I mean, you can always, uh, you know, follow us on the Insta or whatever you want to do there. Rich Birch — Nice. Love it. Aaron Stanski — If you’re into like, you know, cool pictures of like steel being erected, ah or, uh, kids ministry stuff or pictures and stuff, we’re trying to share a little bit more info there. But yeah, I mean, or just our website and, uh, yeah, stay connected. Rich Birch — That’s so good. Thanks for being here and have a good day, buddy. Aaron Stanski — All right, you too. Bye.

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