Minutes 04-10-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

Chair Jacobs asked if this would include removal of the stored documents. Jeff Thompson said the document storage would have to be relocated, and staff is looking at other options. Michael Talbert said the rebuild would require staff to move out for a year to 18 months. Jeff Thompson said staff feels like there is enough of a site there that if there was a new build, the deconstruction would not have to happen right away. He said adaptive re-use would require relocation. Chair Jacobs asked if staff envisions doing this adjacent to the current facility. Jeff Thompson said it would be either perpendicular to or parallel to a north south axis. He said the challenge is making sure there is adequate parking and circulation access. Commissioner Gordon said there is a little building that used to be used by animal services and is now being used by emergency services. She asked if this would stay. Jeff Thompson said it could stay or be removed from the site. Commissioner Gordon asked about the location of the carwash. Jeff Thompson said this is on the eastern border of the site. He said it is currently used for storage, but it is unorganized and this is being worked on. He said there is adequate ceiling height for significant storage. Commissioner Gordon said the storage items might be able to be moved to this building. She suggested that if the cost is the same, the grocery store can give way to a new building. Commissioner McKee said he is not sure they are saving anything. He finds it interesting that this is being presented as a savings over a very tenuous proposal at Blackwood Farm, instead of a doubling of the cost of repair. He said he has only heard one comment associated with the repair and upgrade. Michael Talbert asked Jeff Thompson to speak about the format of a $1.4 million renovation and what this would buy them. Jeff Thompson said the roof would be a 20-25 year buy; the HVAC would be a 12 to 15 year buy; the park would be a 12-15 year buy; and the minor fa�ade changes could be kept up with the maintenance budget. He said there is certainly an alternative to maintain what we have. Chair Jacobs asked that staff bring back multiple alternatives. Commissioner Gordon suggested that staff should bring back the details of the basis for their estimates. Chair Jacobs referred to the Southern Branch Library, as listed on page 24 of the CIP. He said this is listed at $8.25 million, and he does not think this is a realistic number. He said maybe this is because of past discussions of a 20,000 square foot library, but if a 20,000 square foot library is not being built, it should not be funded as such. He said if this issue needs to be voted on, it should be added to an agenda for vote. Commissioner porosin asked Chair Jacobs if he was saying the number is unrealistically high. Chair Jacobs replied yes. He does not think the Board ever envisioned a 20,000 square foot library with associated parking, but that was what kept being proposed, although it was not the Commissioner's recommendation. He said the same was true of the idea of demolishing the building at Cedar Grove. Michael Talbert said this is the best number staff has at this point. He said the Board has not re-visited this issue since it was introduced three years ago. He said staff may be in a position to improve on this in June if the potential Carrboro location works out. He said staff can then come back and adjust these numbers. He said it would be premature to adjust this now.