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Week of September 1, 2003

Front Page

President's Message

* Building for Tomorrow Starts With Accommodative Housing Policies

Housing Forum

* Builders Care About Saving Trees

Housing and Economics

* New Home Sales Headed for a Banner Year
* July Existing-Home Sales Smash Record
* Eye on the Economy

Systems Building

* Systems-Built Housing Is on the Rise

Multifamily

* Post Office Easing Mailbox Retrofit Requirement
* Good Management Can Stamp Out Apartment Meth Labs

Business Management

* Don’t Mix Personal Funds and Company Finances (If You Can Help It)

Sales and Marketing

* Productive Direct Mailing: It’s All in the Detailing

Small Builders and Remodelers

* There Are Three Good Reasons to Earn an NAHB Designation

Housing Finance

* Navy Announces Privatization Project for Pacific Northwest

Seniors Housing

* Forget What You Used to Know About the Retirement Market

Labor

* Builders to Train Dallas Youths in Construction Trades

Building Products

* New Line of Insulation Is Formaldehyde-Free

Women's Council

* Women Building a Legacy One House at a Time

Member Dividends

* New York Focuses on Associate Member Retention and Recruitment With NAHB Help

International Housing

* Mexico Is Focus of International Housing Conference

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Survey Aimed at Improving Arbitration Services
* Boost Your Marketing Through These Awards Programs
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

Post Office Easing Mailbox Retrofit Requirement

Responding to strong opposition from NAHB and others in the building industry, the U.S. Postal Service has tentatively agreed that it will not require building owners to retrofit wall-mounted mailboxes to meet revised specifications for making them larger, tougher to break into and more weather resistant.

However, the service may still require retrofitting when building owners decide that old mailboxes need to be replaced.

Responding to complaints about identify theft; cramped, damaged mail; mail carrier injuries from sharp mailbox parts; and increased parcel service, the post office hopes to finalize new mailbox specifications by next spring.

The draft specifications would require all tenant boxes to be at least three-inches high by 12-inches wide and 15-inches deep. A minimum number of small and large parcel delivery lockers also would be required, based on the number of units being serviced.


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Meeting the new specifications will require significant amounts of additional space in multifamily buildings.

NAHB continues to oppose any requirements for retrofitting existing buildings because the process can be costly and impractical.

The association may also challenge the requirement for parcel lockers in new buildings and is voicing concern that the Postal Service hasn’t provided enough information to weigh the costs of the new requirements. Professional maintenance of the boxes may also be necessary because of improved locking systems, which would add further to the costs of the new specifications.

NAHB is currently reviewing the initial draft of the specifications and continues to seek additional input from member builders and their architects on the draft specs themselves and the timeline for implementing them.

E-mail Jeff Inks in NAHB Construction, Codes and Standards, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8547.


Pillars Conference Showcases Multifamily Industry and Issues

To learn more about a variety of issues that affect multifamily professionals, join us for the 2004 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Conference & Awards Gala, the premier educational and networking event of the year for the multifamily industry. For more information or to register for this event, click here.

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