A public, indoor recreation, youth and senior center should be
one step closer to reality Wednesday if the City Council approves
the schematic design, sending the center on to the next steps of
design development and contract documents.
A public, indoor recreation, youth and senior center should be one step closer to reality Wednesday if the City Council approves the schematic design, sending the center on to the next steps of design development and contract documents.
Council will also consider approving the process to LEEDS design. Leadership in Energy and Efficiency Design (LEEDS) certification means a building is “green” or designed to maximize energy efficiency and reduce a building’s stressful effect on the environment.
A schematic design contains a project’s basic concept including the building’s footprint and a sketch of the exterior façades. It shows the tentative scale and arrangement of rooms and dedicated spaces but allows for flexibility and changing needs and ideas.
Design development drawings refine the ideas into more exact detail and include colors and materials. The drawings strive for enough detail to avoid costly changes during the next step of contract documents where design is almost “set in concrete” and changes are expensive.
The architectural firm of Noll and Tam, who is also designing the potential new library, is in charge of designing the $26 million indoor center with the extra help of Chuck Davis, an architect brought on board because of his experience in similar large projects. The city bought property on West Edmundson Avenue, between Community Park and Monterey Road for the center and, possibly, permanent BMX and skate parks.
On Wednesday council will take a look at programming spaces, site design, the building floor plan and elevations – also known as exterior drawings. If approved, the architects will have until March to complete the design development drawings. As currently planned, construction should begin in March 2005, with the indoor center opening in June 2005.
Mori Struve, deputy director of Public Works/Operations, who wrote the staff report, said the council will mostly hear what square footage is designed for which use.
Programming include spaces for support (7,681 square-feet for lobbies, changing rooms, restrooms, children’s activity rooms), administration (1,587 square-feet), multi-purpose and kitchen for senior nutritional program (0, down from 2,880 square-feet, having been removed at a previous council meeting), activity (16,188 square-feet for gymnasiums and fitness rooms), aquatics (11,362 square-feet for the indoor pool and support rooms) and mechanical support spaces (510 square-feet).
Plans reserve 4,882 square-feet for senior use and only 1,593 square-feet for youth. The senior space includes roughly 700 square-feet for a nutritional kitchen, manager’s office and pantry.
Undetermined at this point is whether the senior nutritional program will continue at the Friendly Inn on Crest Avenue or be moved to the new center.
As costs stand, the city has paid $5,600,000 for the land; construction costs are estimated to reach $15,028,814; soft costs (consultant fees, permits, testing, surveys, furnishings and equipment) $3,753,778; design and contingency (room for overages) $1,608,900 and the expected inflation of a construction bid by February 2005, $255,000. Noll and Tam’s fees to date are $1,765,300 and are included under soft costs. LEEDS costs of almost $100,000 are not included.
The total expected cost is $26,197,337, though Struve’s report said the project is, at the moment, $800,000 over budget. On Wednesday Council will get a list of cost savings recommended by the center subcommittee, composed of Council members Hedy Chang and Greg Sellers.
The schematic plans have already been reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Architectural Review Board, Senior and Youth Advisory Committees and the Development Review Committee.
Since the indoor center is first on the council’s agenda, the public hearing is expected to open at 7:30 p.m.
The complete Council agenda in full is available at the City Clerk’s desk in City Hall and on line. City Council and/or the Redevelopment Agency meets at 7 p.m. Wednesdays in City Hall Chambers, 17555 Peak Ave. Details: www.morgan-hill.ca.gov or 779-7271. Council meetings are broadcast live on cable access channel 17.
