The "90% Drawings" of City Hall

CPH Architect Brandan DeCaro presented the "90% Design Development Drawings" and answered commission questions. The commission discussed the construction cost and approved the drawings.

Observations:

• The interior is industrial design with exposed ductwork and hanging lights in the ceiling.
• The design removes the original restroom windows leaving a blank wall which violates the city ordinance.
• Whether it is a "tower" or not, the roofline is not harmonious in character and appearance with existing buildings in the neighborhood which violates the city ordinance. Further, the lack of after hours wheelchair access to the gym violates ADA regulations.
• The plans still require architectural review by the Planning and Zoning Committee.

• There are eight seats or workstations plus a reception desk and mayor's office downstairs plus seats for seven police officers upstairs. That's about double the current staff.
• There are stairs to the entrance veranda but the ramp from the causeway side of the building was disapproved. People who need a ramp to visit the lobby, the "fitness room," and the second floor will need to enter through the admin entrance.
• The administrative offices remain completely isolated from the public, reached only through a gatekeeper office with a closed door from the hallway and a second closed door into the office area.
• Administrative office access through the lobby requires climbing three steps to the lobby elevation and then going down four or more stairs to the admin floor.
• The only ground floor records storage room below Base Flood Elevation.

Florida law requires municipalities to maintain and preserve public records, including permanent records, in a manner that ensures accessibility and prevents damage or loss. This involves storing records in their usual location or, for vital, permanent, or archival records, in fireproof and waterproof environments.

• The second floor has an open balcony overlooking the lobby. The costly open atrium design could expand the department offices, conference space, or bathrooms.
• The building department has a "reception area" when a Dutch door and counter can separate the public from the staff without the double doorway.
• There no locker space in the fitness room bathroom.
• The second floor restrooms have lockers and changing space but no showers for eight police officers.
• There are additional mechanical and electrical rooms on the second floor but no janitor's closet.
• The "tower" or "architectural element or feature of the proposed expansion, [that] does not have any correlation with the finish floor elevation" is not harmonious in character and appearance with existing buildings in the neighborhood which violates KCB ordinances.

Special Meeting Notes:

Mr. Decaro said the 100% drawings will be done in four weeks for delivery on August 15

Mr. Decaro's opinion of construction cost is $3,643,947
He noted that, if added to the design, the added cost items include

• exterior lighting
• hand dryers for restroom
• the contract has no interior furnishings
• landscaping is not included
• There is no wheelchair access to the lobby in the tower
• the generator has been upsized
• wood paneling behind commission added in Marble hall
• card access for lobby

Mr. Decaro's questions to the commission included

• Bahama shutters for entrances. The Bahama shutters will offer shade and the glass will have tint
• Stucco in FL is not required to have separate insurance
• Should there be hose bibbs or sillcocks on the outside of the building
• Landscaping definitely want to hide the generators and so on
• Roof color was approved. Spec a 20-year roof and a Miami-Date NOA
• Finish colors were approved and can be changed with the contractor
• No hand dryers, no blinds

Commissioner Colonell said, "landscaping makes the project pop." CPH will do a landscaping plan.

Mayor Foster said, "my intent is for Marble Hall to keep running" through the construction process.

To meet ADA access needs, the design shows the Marble Hall ramp will be improved and the ADA entrance to the admin section will have a ramp.
Mayor Foster: "I'm not interested in raising the parking lot so there's a big hump out there." He also decided "we're good without the ramp" for the main entrance so the gym will not have a ramp and will not be ADA accessible after hours.

There is a very real concern that blocking ADA access to the fitness room exposes the city to lawsuits.

Other decisions:
About the elevator pit: "Water shouldn't be able to get in there" so they don't need a drain or pump.

The city hall design is in Flood Zone AE-8 but is immediately adjacent to Zone VE-10 on the preliminary FEMA Coastal Flood Maps. That means the tower lobby floor elevation as designed is 2'5" below the expected Base Flood Elevation for Zone AE-8 or 4'5" below the expected Base Flood Elevation for Zone VE-10 but "Water shouldn't be able to get in" the elevator pit.
"Shouldn't" is not a word in either the engineering or legal lexicon. People Are Asking why we are relying on a consensus that it "shouldn't flood"? Apparently this design hopes for the best, and doesn't plan for the worst.

Mayor Foster decided there would be no pilings under the patio.
Mayor Foster decided keep the windows in the bathrooms.
Mayor Foster added instahot for showers and bathroom sinks.
There was a question about the emergency ham radio setup in city hall. They will install a conduit for a lateral wall-mounted Starlink antenna for emergency communications but never addressed the need for access to install the ham antenna.
Commissioner Colonell asked, "could we get a detail of the columns out front."

The commission approved the 90% Drawings unanimously.

Here are the links to the drawings:
The 53MB "90%" engineering drawing file
The much smaller "90%" floorplan.
All the official "City Hall Renovation" documents