AWC declares 'victory for common sense'

The Maryland State Legislature has adjourned for the year without taking action on House Bill 1311 or Senate Bill 722, which intended to prohibit multifamily dwellings above three stories from being constructed using wood-frame construction.

American Wood Council (AWC) Northeast Regional Manager Matt Hunter, BCO, along with numerous representatives from building owners, architecture, development, and engineering, testified in opposition of both bills.



AWC President & CEO Robert Glowinski issued the following statement after the close of this year’s legislative session in Maryland:



“This is a legislative victory of common sense. Our national building codes, including those used in Maryland, are the culmination of extensive work and research done by architects, engineers, and building and fire code officials establishing precise requirements for safe construction. Substituting the judgment of legislators for these construction experts simply did not make sense, and we believe that became well understood during testimony.



“As those experts all know, noncombustible structural materials like steel and concrete are also affected by fire and can fail, as we’ve seen in several examples nationwide over the last month. These bills were not promoting additional safety measures; they were promoting the interests of specific building materials.”