SAN JOSE, Calif., March 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --
REALTORS® and homeowners are rallying together to fight a
proposal from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that
would ban any home in the Bay Area with a wood-burning fireplace
from being sold or rented.
Under the proposal, a home with a wood-burning fireplace could
not be sold or rented until the fireplace is replaced with an
EPA-approved option such as natural gas or electricity. The other
alternative would be making the fireplace inoperable.
Homeowners would incur the cost of replacing the fireplace or
making it inoperable. Retrofit costs homeowners several thousands
of dollars, depending on the home and the type of fireplace that is
installed and the complexity of the retrofit.
If the ordinance were to pass, some homeowners might decide to
postpone selling their property because of the added cost to
them.
"We can all agree that clean air and public health is important,
but we disagree on how to get there," said Craig Gorman, President of the Santa Clara
County Association of REALTORS®. "Clearly, this is an
infringement on property owner's rights. We would like to receive
education and financial incentives for those who choose to
retrofit."
Many of the nearly 100 people who attended a public meeting
about the proposed ordinance in Morgan
Hill on Wednesday, March
25th expressed their concern. Some said they
don't even use their wood-burning fireplace but that they would
still like to have the option to use it. Others were shocked
learn that their EPA-approved fireplace would no longer be approved
and that they would have to retrofit with a device that meets the
higher EPA standard. Still, others expressed their discontent
at having to pay a fee to register their wood-burning
device.
Homeowners also asked why Spare the Air days just couldn't be
extended, rather than forcing them to install a new
fireplace. Those from low-income families said they use their
wood-burning fireplace to offset the high cost of their PG & E
bill. Seniors also were concerned about the cost of having to
retrofit their fireplace before they sell because they are on a
fixed income and every dollar counts.
"I was really impressed with the homeowners and the passion they
showed against this ordinance," said SCCAOR CEO Neil Collins. "Clearly, they don't want it to
pass."
The Morgan Hill meeting was the
first in a series of nine public meetings that will be held in the
Bay Area on wood-burning devices. The next meeting will be
held at the Redwood City Public Library on Monday, April 6th from 6 p.m. to 8
p.m. The Bay Area Quality Management District's proposal will
be revised after all nine meetings have been held. No date has been
set to vote on the issue.
For additional updates on this critical issue, please visit
SCCAOR's web site at
www.sccaor.com/protectmyprivatepropertyrights
About the Santa Clara County Association of
REALTORS®
SCCAOR, established in 1896, is California's oldest and Northern California's largest real estate
association. We represent about 10,000 REALTORS® and affiliate
members. SCCAOR exists to meet the business, professional and
political needs of its members and to promote, protect
homeownership and private property rights.
Contact: Julie McCoy
Phone: 408.445.5095
julie@sccaor.com
www.sccaor.com
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SOURCE Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS