Affordable Housing — Fireside Lumber & Sawmill

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Triangle Urban Wood Utilization Program

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Fireside Lumber & Sawmill

Triangle Urban Wood Utilization Program

10-Step Challenge

Project Profiles

Lumber and Building Materials

Portable Sawmill

Millwork and Finishing

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Triangle Urban Wood Utilization Program

10-Step Challenge

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Portable Sawmill

Millwork and Finishing

Lessons from Helene: How to Turn Urban Waste Wood Into Affordable Housing

Thank you for your interest in the urban lumber/affordable housing event in Saxapahaw on February 20, 2025. Here are the key event details and the most recent agenda. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Randall at Fireside Lumber & Sawmill (919-698-1228).

Event Details

Location: Fireside Lumber and Sawmill & Haw River Ballroom (Saxapahaw)

Sponsored By: NC Forest Service, NC Urban Forest Council, NC State Wood Products Division

Date and Time: Thursday, February 20, 9am-3pm

Invitation-Only Attendees: Urban wood professionals and affordable home builders/advocates in Orange, Durham, Alamance, and Chatham counties

Cost: No cost to attend

Accommodations: Coffee and free lunch provided

Sawmill Address: 5820 Lindley Mill Rd Graham, NC 27253

Lunch/Conference Address: 1711 Saxapahaw-Bethelehem Church Rd, Graham, NC 27253

Agenda

9-9:15 – Coffee, Meet-and-Greet at Sawmill

9:15-10:30 – Introduction and Tour of Sawmill Facility, Randall Williams, Fireside Lumber & Sawmill Tour will show urban wastewood in-take process, oversized log sawmill demo, regular log sawmill demo, discussion of kiln-drying and finished products with an emphasis on price points for affordable home builders

10:30-11:00 – Q&A

11-11:30 – Introduction to Storm Clean-Up/Urban Wood Processes and Equipment— David Ricks, Craig Nishimoto, and Anna Lewandowski, The Treeist

Demonstration of Grapple Truck/Tree-Mek capacities for saw log removals; overview of logistic/cost considerations in cutting urban logs for lumber; Hurricane planning

11:30-11:45 – Q&A for Arborist

11:45-12:00 – Attendees drive to Haw River Ballroom for catered lunch by Saxapahaw General Store

12-12:45 – Lunch

12:45-1:30 – Panel of affordable home builders will discuss locally-sourced wood products that can decrease overall home construction cost: Will Bettman & KC Kurtz, Red Dirt Design Build; Katherine Gill, Tributary Land Design + Build; Jensen Roll, Roll Construction

1:30-2:00 – Regulatory and Legislative Update, Randall Williams. Update on Sawmill Bill in 2025 General Assembly about grade-stamping local lumber. [Possible Zoom update from bill sponsor NC Senator Bobby Hanig]

2-3:00 – Small Group Discussions: How can we ensure that local logs get turned into lumber for affordable home construction? What relationships are in place to ensure that excess urban wood waste from hurricanes gets used instead of taken to landfills?

3:00 — Adjourn; optional tour of Fireside Lumber & Sawmill’s dry kiln operation (15 min drive)