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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974-09-25 Special MinutesSeptember 25, 1974 7:30 P.M. CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL OF COUNZ L MEMBERS SPECIAL PRESENTATION TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL Tukwila City Hall SPECIAL MEETING Council Chambers M I N U T E S $g3 Mayor Todd called the Special Meeting to order at 7:40 P.M. and announced the purpose of the Meeting to discuss the City Hall Sites and to view a presentation by Benjamin McAdoo, Architect. GARDNER, STERLING, TRAYNOR, JOHANSON, SAUL. MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY STERLING, TO EXCUSE ABSENT COUNCIL MEMBERS DAVIS AND HARRIS. CARRIED. Mayor Todd read the notice of Special Meeting as adver- tised in the Highline Times and then turned the meeting over to Benjamin McAdoo and Carlton Covell, Architects, Mr. McAdoo covered the site plan for Site 6 and explain- ed ownerships of the property to be acquired for that complete Site. Councilwoman Harris arrived at the Meeting at 7:45 P.M. Mr. McAdoo reviewed the parking and building space statistics. He then presented drawings of the building perspective, site section, main floor plan which in- cluded the jail facilities, the upper floor plan which included the administrative offices of the Mayor, City Clerk, City Treasurer, and Court and Council Chambers and the second floor plan which included Building, Planning and Engineering Departments. Mr. McAdoo presented the site plan for Site 10 and ex- plained the parking and building statistics. He stated the City of Seattle water line right -of -way prevented the building from going in where it had been suggested but it would be a good area for future expansion of a park facility. Mr. McAdoo presented the site section, building perspective, the lower floor which included the Police Department and jail space, the first floor which included the Administrative and Council offices, the second floor which included the Planning, Building and Engineering Departments, and the third floor which included the Court and Council Chambers. The meeting was opened for questions from the Council and members of the audience. Councilman Traynor asked about the other half of the lower floor space in the building on Site 10. Mr. McAdoo replied that space is occupied with mechanical facilities for heating, lighting, etc. Councilman Sterling noted the change in the building on Site 6 from that of the plan presented in Mr. McAdoo's office earlier this summer. Mr. McAdoo stated he was not satisfied with the other plan and went into further study with the department heads. He also noted there is a 35 foot height limitation which he must work with unless the Council considers a variance. He stated the courtyard adds to the pleasant characteristic of the building although this building does not offer quite as much view as the one on Site 10. He stated that the longer we delay the building of a City Hall, the more money we are talking about due to inflation. He stat- ed he had to allow more for the piling on Site 10. Carlton Covell stated the costs of the buildings are about equal due to the fact that Site 6 requires great- er cuts and fill and there is more exterior building and roof surfaces. Steve Hall, Public Works Director, asked for an explan- ation of the type of construction. Mr. McAdoo stated it was concrete which is available in many types of textures, but we may have to go to steel frame with TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING September 25, 1974 Page 2 SPECIAL PRESENTATION Cont. g80 a pre -cast hung skin. He stated masonry and heavy timber would be appropriate also. Mayor Todd asked how much fill will be required for Site 10. Carlton Covell replied that it is likely no fill will be required except in the parking area in order to level it. He stated they did not find it necessary to fill as set forth in the Planning Commis- sion's report. Councilwoman Harris asked Mr. McAdoo to review the facilities provided for the Council. Mr. McAdoo stated the building on Site 10 provides space for offices for the Council. There are work areas that could be made available to the Council in the building on Site 6. Councilman Saul asked Mr. McAdoo which Site he felt more comfortable with. Mr. McAdoo replied frankly, he felt more comfortable with Site 10 for the reasons that it is the easiest site to work with, it provides more room for parking, it is a setting with spectacular views and it would be easier to expand the building in the future. He added that they did the best they could with both sites and did not try to weigh one against the other. He stated a multi -story building is easier and cheaper to build, but Site 6 could be very well developed. Councilman Johanson asked about the elevations on Site 10. Mr McAdoo apologized, stating he had left the topographical survey at his office and did not have the information available tonight. Councilman Johanson stated he could not understand how there would be no fill required and still be able to meet the specifica- tions of the City of Tukwila. Mr. McAdoo explained the method by which he calculated the amount of fill which comes out to be very little. Mrs. Velma Lee stated she felt the freeway noise would be a problem for Site 6. Mr. McAdoo stated it would be helpful perhaps to get an acoustical engineer on that, but he felt the building may be back far enough so that most of the noise would be screened out. Mrs. Lee asked about the property in the plans for Site 6. Mr. McAdoo stated the building is situated on property owned by the City and also the two lots owned by Mr. Goldsmith and Mr. Lee at the present time. Mrs. Eleanor McLester asked how high does the Blood Bank building sit in comparison to the proposed City Hall. Mr. McAdoo replied the City Hall does not face the Blood Bank and the City Hall will be higher than it. The City Hall building will face the River, with views of the surrounding areas. Mrs. McLester asked if a variance is necessary for the height of that building. Mr. McAdoo stated no, the building on Site 6 is within the 35 foot limitation, and the building on Site 10 is 50 feet in height but that is no problem. Mrs. McLester questioned the convenience of having the jail and Police administration on separate floors. Mr. McAdoo replied the Police Chief would have very little business with the jail or in the squad room. Mrs. McLester stated she felt it would not be safe to have multi purpose facilities along the river bank, especially for children. Mr. McAdoo stated it would be necessary to take the usual precautions but where ever you have water, you will always have the possibil- ity of accidents. He stated in the Puget Sound area, water and parks seem to go together. He added the new Fire Station will be close by. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING September 25, 1974 Page 3 SPECIAL PRESENTATION Cont. Councilman Gardner stated the proposed dike along the River will change the characteristics of Site 10. The dike is planned to be about 31 feet in elevation. Steve Hall stated he did not think it was planned to be that high. Councilman Gardner reviewed some of the recommendations of the Planning Commission for Site 10. Mr. McAdoo stated if there is some regulation that has been overlooked, it could influence the feasibility of Site 10. He stated the floor level of the Blood Bank is presently higher than the planned floor level of the City Hall building. He stated because of the dams, the River will be running lower. Councilman Gardner stated because of the dikes and dams, the River will be running higher and faster. Carlton Covell stated the dike as it sits is designed for a 100 year storm. The River is considered very stable the way it is. We received all our information about the River from the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mayor Todd stated the City of Tukwila and King County Flood Control are pre- sently issuing building permits with floor levels at between 20 and 22 feet now. Mr. Mario Segale stated Andover Park is developed to an elevation of 21 feet. He stated he has had developers ask him for preliminary figures on the Van Woerden property (Site 10) and in order to meet King County's criteria, we have found a considerable amount of fill is required, about 100,000 cubic yards. And also the dike is not in the condition it should be and would have to be reconstruc- ted. Mayor Todd asked if this estimate for fill was for the entire 12 acres of the Van Woerden site. Mr. Segale stated he could not recall, but did know that there are some extremely low elevations on the property. Mr. McAdoo stated the building was sited at the high spot and at a location about a foot above Christianson Road which he suspected would be well above 21 feet. Steve Hall stated he thought King County would require the floor elevations in that area to come up to 26 or 27 feet. Mr. McAdoo stated there are no plans to fill the entire site, but only areas where the building facilities are planned. Councilman Gardner stated after the reconstructed dike is complete, then the City Hall building would be "down in the hole" in appearance from Southcenter. Mr. McAdoo stated there is a slope from Southcenter to the River which is lower. He stated they received their information from the Army Engineers and have no way of telling if it is inaccur- ate information. Steve Hall stated the King County Flood Control Division is the regulatory agency for the City and they will set the elevations for these buildings. He stated the areas along the Green River are now controlled to a maximum run -off except in the very low areas. He pointed out parts of the Van Woer- den property could be subject to inundation from time to time. Mr. Bruce Solly asked if there is no fill in the park- ing lot, what type of drainage is planned to get to the other available drainage. Mr. McAdoo stated he did not know the elevation of the storm drain, but the basement of the Blood Bank drains into the system without pumps, and this is a lower elevation than that of the parking lot. Councilman Sterling asked about the difference in the amount of square feet in this building presented tonight for Site 6 and the previous building plan for Site 6. Mr. McAdoo stated they are about the same. Councilman Sterling stated he preferred the other plan. Mr. McAdoo stated it is still available for develop- ment. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING September 25, 1974 Page 4 SPECIAL PRESENTATION Cont. 886 Councilman Gardner asked if there are any built -in provisions for the energy crisis. Mr. McAdoo replied yes. Both buildings provide for natural ventilation, there is solar gain from the glass windows even on the gray days and adequate insulation. He stated a com- pact building is by design energy saving. Mr. Edgar Bauch stated the Planning Commission had pre- sented the idea of campus -style buildings for Site 10 and asked if this type of construction had been consid- ered. Mr. McAdoo replied yes, but that the parking lot required for 150 cars takes space and there is a limit- ed amount of space suitable for building construction. He stated Site 10 would be considered more suitable for its park potential and we could achieve some spectacu- lar views with a multi -story building which also saves money. There is also the pipe line which runs through the property that creates a problem with building sites. Fire Chief Hubert Crawley asked if these buildings are planned with Type I construction. Mr. McAdoo replied yes. Mrs. Velma Lee asked if it would be possible to build the City Hall entirely on the City -owned property at Site 6. Mr. McAdoo replied no, that additional proper- ty is required unless we were to go with a high -rise building. At this time a high -rise building in that area is not permitted because of the 35 foot height limitation. Mrs. Lee asked about the soils test for that site. Mr. McAdoo replied soils tests were con- ducted on Site 6; on Site 10, we received a preliminary letter of the conditions that prevail from a soils en- gineer there were no actual borings on Site 10. Mrs. Lee asked how much of Site 6 is taken up with parking. Mr. McAdoo replied about 70a to 80% of the City -owned property is used for parking. Councilman Sterling stated with the other plan for Site 6, more room could be made available by moving the building to the left a little more and by utilizing the present street to get to the parking area. Mr. McAdoo stated it would not be feasible due to the setback requirements and parking space necessary. Mrs. Eleanor McLester stated parking facilities for 150 cars seems to be excessive. Mr. McAdoo replied it is presently what the requirements are and it is based on one car per every 200 square feet of building. He stated 150 cars is planning for the maximum and may not be the ordinary situation. Councilwoman Harris asked if there is a gas main avail- able to Site 6. Steve Hall replied the nearest hook- up is at the King County Housing Administration Build- ing. Councilwoman Harris asked about parking facili- ties under the buildings. Mr. McAdoo replied it could be developed, but there would not be very many more parking spaces available this way. It might be more convenient, but it would increase the cost of the building by about $5,000 to $6,000 per stall. We are talking about developing a sub basement if we are talk- ing about parking under the building to the extent that the parking would be more than what the present avail- able space could accomodate. Councilwoman Harris stated the Space Needs Study was based on 30,000 square feet. Mr. McAdoo stated he expanded the amount of square feet based on input from the department heads and their expectations of future expansion. The space could be backed down, but we would not want to be too TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING September 25, 1974 Page 5 SPECIAL PRESENTATION Cont. g87 short sighted. Councilwoman Harris stated the recep- tion area may be useful at a later date, but perhaps an informational bulletin board or directory would be adequate now. Mr. McAdoo stated he based the addition of a receptionist based on other governmental offices such as the King County and City of Seattle office buildings. Councilwoman Harris stated she preferred to be a little cautious on expansion. We need the room for expansion, but we do not want to build a building to house a bureaucracy. Fire Chief Crawley asked how these buildings would be expanded without destroying the design of the building. Mr. McAdoo stated with the building on Site 10, we would simply add another floor. With the building on Site 6, we would have to expand to the East. Mr. Edgar Bauch asked what the cost factor would be if the two outside wings of the building on Site 6 were expanded up. Mr. McAdoo stated this is a consid- eration only if the City can or is willing to change the 35 feet height limitation. Mayor Todd asked if the building was expanded on Site 6, how then could the parking facilities be expanded. Mr. McAdoo stated there is not much more space avail- able for parking so we would need a variance on the parking requirements. Mr. Mario Segale stated we need a City Hall badly but do we need one which goes from this to 36,000 square feet? He stated Mr. McAdoo has done an excellent job but he would prefer to see a building designed in phases with drawing overlays, etc. We should think about crawling first with 10,000 square feet for exam- ple before we run. Mr. McAdoo stated he was hired by the City about two years ago and we spent time and money to develop a space needs study with each depart- ment and the staff along with the functions of each. Two years ago, the anticipated space need was 30,000 square feet. It would be possible for the City to make do with less, but the City of Tukwila is up and coming and has the tax base to adequately provide for its needs. He stated so far, he has heard no complaint about the space needs study and since the time of that study, we have had additional input to increase the square footage. Mr. Segale stated he felt the expan- sion could be built into the construction plans now for several phases of growth. If we do need 30,000 square feet now then we should be looking at 50,000 or 90,000 for the future. Mr. McAdoo stated the plans could certainly be phased but he doubted if we should even consider starting at 10,000 square feet which is in no way adequate now. Councilman Johanson stated he did not think that the space needs study was ever formally accepted by the Council. Mr. McAdoo stated the study was presented to the Council and he assumed it had been considered. He stated from the absence of comments or criticisms of it and the length of time that elapsed while the Council had it, he thought it was accepted. If the study is not acceptable, he stated he would like the Council to tell him so. Mr. Bruce Solly asked what total building floor areas are. Mr. McAdoo replied there are 38,000 square feet of gross floor area on Site 6 and 35,800 on Site 10. These figures are not the net assignable figures, which are usually figured to be about 60% to 65% of the gross as a rough estimate. TUKWILA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING September 25, 1974 Page 6 SPECIAL PRESENTATION Cont. Attest: 8� 8 Mrs. Ellen Harding asked how much of Site 6 would be taken when Southcenter Blvd. is widened. Steve Hall stated Southcenter Blvd. is planned to be widened for five lanes with a green spot and a sidewalk which would comprise about an 80 foot right -of -way. Mr. McAdoo stated we would then have to seriously consider how this might encroach upon the building on Site 6. Mr. Solly asked about the costs of the buildings. Mr. McAdoo stated the fill on Site 10 will have to be further investigated but we have tentatively arrived at costs for each site considering the unique factors of each. The building for Site 10 is estimated to cost about $2.8 million and the building for Site 6 is estimated at about $100,000 less. Mr. Solly asked about the finished inside costs. Mr. McAdoo stated he had not estimated those costs at this point. Mr. Russ Stevens, an estimator, will do this type of de- tailed work when we know more about which site will be selected. Steve Hall stated these costs do not include the cost of land acquisition for either site. Mr. McAdoo stated he would leave the drawings he pre- sented at the meeting for further study at City Hall and will wait to hear about the City's decision. Councilman Sterling asked if the other plans for Site 6 could be made available. Mr. McAdoo replied yes, he would provide these plans plus the information on the elevations for Site 10. Mayor Todd and the Council thanked Mr. McAdoo for his presentation. ADJOURNMENT MOVED BY TRAYNOR, SECONDED BY STERLING, THAT THE 9:40 P.M. SPECIAL MEETING BE ADJOURNED. CARRIED. ank Todd, Mayor •42ed AG 6L6421,- Doris Phelps, Deputy City Clerk