The City Commission called a special meeting in Marble Hall and on Zoom Wednesday, February 26, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Please note the unusual day.
The agenda includes:
Reviewing the architect's preliminary concepts for the city hall rebuild, discussing how the space will be used, and approving one space configuration to instruct the architect to move forward.
Questions and clarification People Are Asking:
- All three designs appear to require at least one "tower."
- All three designs have huge "lobbies." on the first and second floors.
- All three designs appear to require demolishing the current building department wing.
- Two designs appear to put city administration on the second floor while the small police department space--the only space the city says requires hardening--is sequestered on the first floor.
- It has been said that a second floor police department meets the elevation requirements and does not require an elevator. People Are Asking why this has not been considered.
- It was unclear why all three concepts show the police department in yet another new "elevated structure" immediately adjacent to the construction zone. The newer drqawings deleted the police department trailer but still show the post office trailers so those are probably artifacts from earlier site plans.
Read the Key Colony Beach Special City Commission Meeting Agenda here.
See the three *NEW* (2/25/25) concept designs here.
Read the 2/25/25 architect's "program" here.
Join the 2/26/25 meeting from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86706769060?pwd=O4W7UBfEylHukzJ3lEF5qONRIDwAbE.1
Passcode: 749606
Freddie Foster told the meeting that they had a telecon with the architect and the consensus was that option 2 was closest to what we want. People on the call massaged the space plans. The commission had a new scheme that they "got just before the meeting." The architect increased the building department to 600 s.f. and added an escape stairway for the PD and building department. He also said staff and visitors want to have an exercise room.
Silvia Roussin said staff also chose option 2. They want a large conf room up and small down. The bathrooms need to have showers for emergencies.
Chief Kris Digiovanni wants PD and building department upstairs, at the front of the building to observe traffic etc. The EOC will be up
Doug Colonell said the architects did a code review and we could avoid a sprinkler system. He'll add the stairwell on the south to go up to PD and building department and that we don't want to pay $4-500/sf for storage. But cities have legal requirements to maintain original records. He noted the front entrance will be up 2+ feet to meet FEMA+1 with entrance off parking lot.
Tom Harding wondered if the first floor space will still have high ceilings?
Joey Raspe wants the bathrooms done and bathroom trailers gone ASAP. He says this is the opportunity to digitize records. Silvia has already started getting quotes.
Freddie Foster wants option 2. He agrees on the getting the existing bathrooms back in service. The bathrooms stay where the plumbing is, near Marble Hall and the main lobby is the focal point to keep people out of admin area.
They are hardening the entire building. That means all hollow block walls will be drilled and filled with concrete. Doors and windows will meet hurricane regs. And part of the plan must be to protect this building during construction.
He wants an upstairs bathroom/locker room and says the exercise room bathroom needs showers. That's three bathrooms.
Tom Difransico asked about the generator and fuel system for EOC. That will be in the next design phase.
Brendan, the architect @ CPH, told the meeting that the only raised portion of the entire facility will be the new addition. Its entrance is covered with a colonnade. There will be a separate entrance to the exercise room.
No one addressed the question of a "tower."
They approved Option 2 by unanimous vote.
