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Hello Friends,
Slight delay on the election piece, but give me a few more days; I promise it will be well worth the wait. It's also okay because there's something else I really want to discuss:
The most exciting housing news I heard this week is that Republican state Rep. Mike Jones of Kansas City has introduced a bill that would override local building codes in favor of a unified state code. The basic premise of the bill is that it would 1) ban local municipalities from requiring energy efficiency/sustainability standards in new construction and 2) legalize single-stair construction across the state. I want to urge Democrats, in the strongest possible terms, to support this bill. I know the banning efficiency standards piece sounds bad, but in reality, this bill is good for both affordability and the environment.
First, people will still be free to choose environmentally friendly materials/windows/ appliances, and will have plenty of incentive to do so, since these features will save them money in the long run; they just won't be required to. Second, multifamily/urban living is much better for the environment because urban places require less driving and multifamily structures are more efficient to build (shared walls mean fewer buildings are required), and more efficient to heat and cool (because your apartment is insulated by the apartments on either side of you).

On the affordability side, this bill introduces single stair reform (already legal in Washington, Oregon, New York, Texas, etc) to Missouri for the first time, and single stair makes multifamily buildings 1) smaller, 2) more energy efficient, and 3) more affordable.
This is a great bill, but Democrats (and likely some Republicans as well) are coming out against it because it includes some red-meat rhetorical gestures. Let's cut through the partisan divide and chalk up a major win for housing.
ASK YOUR REPS TO COSPONSOR HB 2384, and tell your friends to do the same. it's the single best thing you can do today for affordability, the environment, and helping to heal the partisan divide. None of the below currently publicly support the bill; tell them you want them to:
A couple of other items...
Quick Hits:
  • Last week's WKT featured a cover story about a guy who bought a historic pre-Civil War house on Taylor and is now going to tear it down. That guy sounds like a jerk, but I'm not sure there's any recourse beyond public shaming (which the Webster-Kirkwood Times and Landmarks Commission both seem to be taking care of). We could make it public property (the city could buy it) or it can be private property and the City can make it really annoying to tear down (which they did, forcing the guy to wait a year). The condos in The Aria might cost $1m+ a-piece, but at least they keep 42 families from buying historic Kirkwood homes, tearing them down, and building McMansions in their place. "Luxury" housing can serve as a sponge that soaks up the rich and their tax revenue while preserving older, more affordable homes.
  • This Monday, February 2nd, Justin Arnold is hosting a kickoff for his campaign for Kirkwood City Council at Duffy's from 5:30-7pm. The suggested donation amount is $25. You absolutely should attend the event if you can, and vote for Justin (and tell your friends to do the same) if you can't!
  • City Council's January 8th Work Session minutes reveal a few more details on the Kirkwood Water committee, namely that its members are Council Members McLean, Rheinnecker, and Schaefer; Chris Krueger as staff liaison; and citizens Ken Fenton, Randy Moore, and Fonda Fantroy Richards. The committee will report on its conclusion as to whether the city should privatize the public resource at the Council's March 5th meeting.
That's it for this week! Have a great weekend, everyone! New story out soon! Roll Bills!
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