People Are Asking

Residents spoke out about the April 1 Key Colony Beach Meeting:

To: Concerned in KCB,

Interesting: Many good questions that will probably go in unanswered and uncorrected. Too bad.

Dan Schott
Key Colony Beach

To: Concerned in KCB,

Who gets to use the gym? How many KCBers will it accomodate? Is it REALLY big enough for the whole city? Or is this just a perk for the administration paid for by the taxpayer?

What would it cost to buy them a gym membership? How many years would it take for the gym to pay back the investment?

Name Withheld
Key Colony Beach

TO: Mayor Freddie Foster
Commissioner Doug Colonell
Commissioner Tom Difransico
Commissioner Tom Harding
Commissioner Joey Raspe

The city has called a special meeting for April Fool's Day and you have published the new drawings ahead of time.

It's good to see that the circular stairway is gone but not so good that the lobby has grown from 600 square feet to 764 square feet. The "fitness room" (we're not calling it a "gym") off the lobby grew from 600 square feet to 720 square feet. It has floor to ceiling glass for its entire south wall, facing the hurricanes.

Sadly, the administrative offices are still completely isolated, reached only through a gatekeeper office with a closed door from the hallway and a second closed door into the office area. Not to mention that the possible office space has grown from 9 to 11 desks when we have just one city clerk and a couple of time assistants, plus a part time administrator and a drop in mayor filling those desks. How much staff will be added?

But wait. There's more. No locker or changing space or wheelchair space in the fitness room bathroom. Records storage room below Base Flood Elevation. The "architectural-element-or-feature-that-does-not-have-any-correlation-with-the-finish-floor-elevation" (that would be the "tower" by any other name) is back to having clerestory gun ports. There's the open atrium. No showers for the cops. And on and on.

There's a growing belief we're about to get stuck, making me wonder who the fools are.

Name Withheld by Request
Key Colony Beach

To: Concerned in KCB,

Hi,

Thanks for continuing to take the time and effort to produce these updates. Re city hall, your observations and questions are stellar and need to be taken seriously by the architect as well as all the ahj's. Having most of a lifetime background managing plan & spec commerical and institutional building construction, including plenty as a design/build contractor, I agree that especially with "the people's (taxpayer) money" we shouldn't be designing or building with inefficient, duplicative, or wasted space but instead conserving as you suggest. Some of these folks find it too easy spending other people's money when they aren't the ones footing the bills. Wish I was in attendance but out-of-town right now. Stay well.

John Pasko
Key Colony Beach

To: Mayor Freddie Foster
Commissioner Doug Colonell
Commissioner Tom Difransico
Commissioner Tom Harding
Commissioner Joey Raspe
Concerned in KCB

The architect calls his tower "common vocabulary" here. We need it in order to find the building entrance, he said.

Except people coming to city hall won't use the "building entrance" in the tower. No one will walk UP four steps to the lobby only to walk DOWN four steps to the hallway to visit the office staff. Nope. They will walk straight in to the "ADA entrance" from the parking lot because it's the shortest, easiest path.

So. Tell us again how many people will use this grand, expensive, and illegal entrance?

Name Withheld by Request
Key Colony Beach

To: Concerned in KCB,

Regarding what you call a tower, the architectural feature looks nice. There are a lot of things we don't need in this city or life - second homes, vacations, golf course, tennis and basketball courts, bicycles, a glass of wine, music by the inch, nail polish just to name a few. No we are not KW or Marathon but we are the gem of the Florida Keys and we are worth it!.

Sandy Bachman
Key Colony Beach

Many KCBers agree that the tower is good looking but the question of why we approved an elevated, three story entry building remains.

Any three story structure violates KCB's two-story maximum. Changing the roofline that much is "not harmonious in character and appearance with existing buildings in the neighborhood," anpther violation. And then there's the cost. Commissioner Difransico asked how much: with commercial construction costing some $500/s.f. here, the lobbies, "open atrium," and gym will cost nearly a million dollars to build and outfit. Do we really really need to spend that much for mostly empty space?

There are a couple of other issues. The elevation change will be awkward for staff and visitors going to the second floor. And the mayor wants to buy, equip, and maintain a separate gym despite how well Marble Hall has served us for exercise--with the number of people who do work out there, it will have to continue because the gym space won't be big enough anyway.

There is more detail below in the discussion of the April 1 meeting.

Good News from the Special Meeting

The commission met April 1 to approve the"30%" city hall schematic drawings. View the plans here: http://PeopleAreAsking.org/resources/03-26-2025_city_hall_plans.pdf.

People had asked about the need for stairs and a ramp to the entrance veranda, the isolation of the administrative staff and offices, the lack of locker or changing space in the non-ADA fitness room bathroom, driveway crowding, the circular staircase and lobby layout, floodproofing the existing building, the multiple "reception" areas that restricted access to staff, showers for the police officers and EOC, and more. Kudos to the commission and the architects who addressed many of those questions and have made great progress.

In brief, the commission unanimously approved "what we have in front of us and let Brandan [architect Brandan DeCaro] use his design expertise to take us to the next step."

The commission discussed hardening and floodproofing the existing building. Architect Brandan DeCaro said they would fill the CMUs (the concrete blocks of the city hall side walls) with concrete up to a height above the base flood elevation, add flood panels, and fill the CMUs around windows to provide anchors for hurricane windows.

"If we get approval today, we're two weeks ahead of schedule," DeCaro said.

Commissioner Harding discussed the unfriendliness of the admin area entrance. Senior people, he said, should be accessible to folks at the reception window. He wants to add a kitchenette counter to the second floor for the PD and EOC. He suggested eliminating the north door of the post office for flood protection. He also suggested silicone coating around the perimeter of the building for floodproofing. He suggested entering the second floor secure storage area through the sergeant's office with a "door that doesn't take as much space."

Vice Mayor Raspe discussed getting a tractor trailer through the parking lot, something the post office does every day. He agreed with Commissioner Harding they should make administration area patio big enough for entire staff. And he suggested adding showers to the second floor bathrooms for PD and EOC

Commissioner Difransico suggested men's and women's showers and changing room in the gym. He also asked about the tower.

The "third floor" is for architectural interest and just a floor of a building there for nothing more than architectural interest, DeCaro said.

"Do you have a rough guess of how much more that tower would cost?" Commissioner Difransico asked.

"It adds a lot of interest and a lot of light to the entrance hall," DeCaro said. They "raised the lobby area. It is three stories. The slope of the new roofs is the same as the existing." He pointed out that the "widow's walk"/tower/feature are "common [architectural] vocabulary in KCB and in the Keys." The heightened portion will be visible from the causeway, he said, and makes it very obvious where you enter the building. They also "chose to put glass in the exercise room to make that first floor to make it 'disappear' under the elevated second floor." (Everyone using the equipment will be visible from West Ocean Drive and from the parking lot.)

Commissioner Colonell asked when the 60% design will be done.

"We'll beat 4/27." DeCaro said. He'll come back before that with a proposal for interior and exterior materials.

There was a general discussion of raising the parking lot so there aren't as many stairs up to the new lobby. That will take some careful layout because they need to control the slope coming into the lot and the slope back down to get to the ground floor "ADA" entrance.

There was a general discussion of increasing the size of the addition to return some space to the police officers' work stations.

Mayor Foster thinks that, from a security perspective, "we don't want residents to be able to walk in on the office." He got a head nod for leaving the staff space as it is designed.
He summed up the meeting:
  • Increase sergeant's office at DeCaro's discretion.
  • Don't optimize chief's space.
  • Leave the second floor showers at DeCaro's discretion.
  • "The look you have is fine." Leave the elevation and its tower as designed.
  • Add a small kitchen area upstairs if possible otherwise a table in conference room
  • The entrance radius for an 18-wheeler is 55'. Make sure we have that.
  • The city will address closing off the PO door. Leave it like it is.
  • Windows at the fitness center are OK.
  • No change to restroom/changing/shower in fitness room.
  • Make the administration area patio bigger.
  • Approve what we have in front of us and let Brandan use his design expertise to take us to the next step.

The unanswered questions we hope will be addressed in the "60% schematics" include:

  • The first floor office floor plan shows space for ten employees plus a reception area. How much staff does KCB plan to add?
  • Why is the ground floor records storage room below Base Flood Elevation? (Public records must be maintained and preserved, kept in the buildings where they are ordinarily used, and stored in fireproof and waterproof safes or rooms, easily accessible for use, according to Florida Statute 119.021.)
  • Why does the commission want to buy, equip, and maintain a separate gym that won't be big enough for the Marble Hall exercise groups? Why aren't we just continuing to use Marble Hall for exercise?
  • Why does the second floor have an open balcony overlooking the lobby? The open atrium design is pretty but a tremendous waste of space (and construction cost).
  • Why was "flooring in" that open space not considered? That would free up plenty of room for the police officers' work stations, additional showers, and more.
  • Why are there additional mechanical and electrical rooms on the second floor?
  • Where is the elevator mechanical room?
  • Why don't the "design schematics" include value engineering?

    • To Tower or Not to Tower, That Is the Question

    KCB is not Marathon.

    KCB is not Key West.

    KCB is not Chicago.

    KCB is not a shopping mall.

    KCB is a very small town of about 753 citizens.

    At the April 1 special commission meeting, the commissioners unanimously "approved what we have in front of us and let Brandan use his design expertise to take us to the next step."

    "We've raised the lobby area. It is three stories," architect Brandan DeCaro told the commission. He said the "widow's walk" or "tower" is "common [architectural] vocabulary in KCB and in the Keys... The heightened portion is visible from the causeway and makes it very obvious where you enter the building."

    A three story structure in the public buildings and grounds district is a two-fold problem. View a comparison of the buildings here: http://PeopleAreAsking.org/resources/city_hall_design_comparison.pdf.

    From the KCB Code of Ordinances
    Land Development Regulations:

    Sec. 101-18. - PB Public buildings and grounds districts.
    (1) Intent. This district is intended to accommodate city administrative or maintenance buildings, city wastewater treatment plant and other governmental uses. It conforms with the Public category of the comprehensive plan.
    (2) Permitted uses.
    Governmental administrative offices, including police station...
    (3) Site design standards.
    Height maximum of 2 stories but in no case more than 48 feet in height as mandated by Florida Building Code. No mechanical equipment shall be allowed on roof."

    Sec. 101-28. - Architecture.
    All buildings, additions and alterations hereinafter constructed shall be of an architectural style and of building materials that are harmonious in character and appearance with existing buildings in the neighborhood and shall be appropriate to their surroundings.

    People Are Asking...

    • Whether you call it a "tower" or a heightened entry, the three story structure appears to violate KCB's two-story maximum. How did it get approved?
    • Whether you call it a "tower" or not, changing the roofline that much is not harmonious in character and appearance with existing buildings in the neighborhood. How did it get approved?
    • Why do we need an elevated, three story entry building?
      • It showcases the entry to city hall.
      Whether they enter from the parking lot or the administrative offices, staff as well as guests visiting the second floor will have to climb four or more steps to the lobby just to use the elevator.
      FEMA requires that we elevate.
      That's not exactly accurate. FEMA explicitly allows dry floodproofing as one option to mitigate damage of commercial buildings in hazard zones. The city already plans to floodproof and harden the entire existing building.
      Florida Building Code requires that we elevate.
      That's not exactly accurate. Nonresidential buildings in the Coastal A Zone must be designed to Zone V requirements unless they have dry floodproofing.
    • With commercial construction costing some $500 per square foot in the Keys why are we planning to spend nearly a million dollars for lobbies, an "open atrium" and a gym?

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