Jim Reinders, an experimental artist with a history of using curious media, became so enthralled by the beauty of the famous Stonehenge in England that he had to recreate it. However, Reinders, instead of using stone, decided to embrace a more modern, Americanized approach. Shortly after his father died in 1982, Reinder came up with the idea to build “Carhenge”.

Five years later during a family reunion, with the help of some thirty family members, Reinder used thirty-eight automobiles to mirror the position of the rocks that construct Stonehenge. All the automobiles, which include a handful of cars, a pick-up truck, an ambulance, and a 1962 Cadillac as the heel stone, accurately and proportionately depict the real life structure.

Completing the sculpture just in time for the Summer Solstice, the family celebrated their achievements. The local residents of Alliance, Nebraska were initially disturbed by the presence of Carhenge, believing it to be an eyesore, but over time have grown to accept and love the structure that put their town on the map.

Toms River, NJ Planning Board members have given their approval to an ordinance amendment that will waive the maximum height restriction for homes impacted by Superstorm Sandy. Relaxing that rule for those affected will allow them to raise their homes above 35 feet to satisfy FEMA flood guidelines while bypassing a trip before Toms River’s Zoning Board, so long as no other alterations are proposed. With all of the troubles many residents face as they try to rebuild after Sandy’s devastation, the relaxing of the height requirement for them is meant to make the recovery process go more smoothly, since they won’t have to appear in front of the Zoning Board for a variance. Most of the affected homes likely will require an increase of 4 to 5 feet to meet FEMA guidelines. Raising of homes will not affect disabled residents who require a ramp to access their structure as they are exempt from setback requirements. The challenge will be that they will need landings, and that will make the ramps much longer.

Submitted by: Donna M. Miller, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP Ref: TRP

D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray will release a sustainability plan that calls for tightening up the District’s Green Building Act, modernizing all public housing and public schools, expanding Brownfield redevelopment incentives, introducing a “pay-as-you-throw” pricing structure for waste collection and creating a government-backed loan fund to support new business. The plan, dubbed “Sustainable D.C.”, follows up the Earth Day 2012 release of the Sustainable D.C. Vision, itself a follow-up to Gray’s July 2011 announcement that D.C. should be the “healthiest, greenest and most livable city in the United States.” Drafted over the course of about 20 months, the plan takes the broad goals found in the vision document — in the areas of jobs, development, health and wellness, equity and diversity, nature, climate, food and transportation — and puts 143 specific initiatives behind them.

Submitted by: Donna M. Miller, Assoc. AIA, LEED AP Ref: WBJ