Title
Proposed Park/Cemetery Shop Concept
Body
RECOMMENDED ACTION (Motion):
Staff recommend that the City Commission approve proceeding with the proposed Park/Cemetery Shop concept.
BACKGROUND:
The Parks/Cemetery Shops have been red tagged since 2013 due to several main structural component failures, rotten siding, window framing failures, chimney structure failure, and the safety factors and liability of load and people within the building. This building was part of the existing residence from the family tending the Cemetery during that time period. The building was built circa 1950's and approximately 1300 square feet over one level plus the loft space (building footprint is 32' X 33'). Staff has been temporarily housed in a rented mobile pod of 528 square feet (12' X 44') for 6 full time staff and up to 5 temporary seasonal staff. The pod space holds their lockers, provides three desk stations, a small table in the main space and a restroom.
The cost effectiveness to repair the existing building was predicted to be extensive. The vast nature of the repairs would have needed to include structural repair, sheer walls, siding, roofing, foundation reconstruction, modern mechanicals, bringing the building up to ADA standards and meet code compliancies that were not going to be financially feasible with the existing building. The building housed "office" capacity for the maintenance staff, "locker room", a toilet and sink, equipment storage, parking for a vehicle or piece of equipment and shop space to work. The existing conditions were substandard for a public facility. It was determined that a new facility that could facilitate a higher rate of productivity, a safe and healthy environment, proper storage and containment areas and could meet code compliance would be a more fiscally responsible use of public funds.
Along with the discussion of a new shop facility for the Parks/Cemetery staff, the existing 1950's restroom was incorporated. This facility is highly used by the public, as the Cemetery site hosts a few significant events annually (Memorial Day and Parents, Murdered Children, Fall and Spring Volunteer Clean Up), drawing in and facilitating up to hundreds of participants on site. As a daily point of standard business, we have a significant number of public that is on site to visit loved ones regularly, year around placement services bringing in a few to hundreds of family and friends to say good bye and lay their loved ones in their final resting place. This restroom has served its useful life and is in dire need of being replaced to serve the able bodied public and those that need ADA accommodations.
Financially, it would be less costly to incorporate a new public restroom facility along with the parks/cemetery shop than to do a stand alone at another point in time. This restroom is also considered a public facility and thus must meet the code requirements as such.
Over the course of being without a shop, staff has researched renting industrial capacity facilities and properties and existing industrial/commercial facilities for sale. The availability of a suitable rental or existing site has been challenging. So far in our research, there have not been suitable rentable sites. Existing suitable sites for sale have been in the $1M to $2+M These sites were in varying states of still needing improvements or needing facilities built. With that perspective, we were still looking at our existing property as the most financially feasible option.
With Building and Planning moving into the Annex Building, a full-time Building/Facility Maintenance Specialist will be displaced. We were needing to look at this potential new shop as a permanent home for this position, as well. This did increase the square footage by about 300 sqft. This move would provide the opportunity to share shop space and tools.
Discussions about this project for conceptual purposes initiated over a year ago with LRS Architects. We have worked with this architectural firm for initial rough estimates and schematic designs to start the discussions and formulate a budget to replace the existing shop and public restroom. The current proposal is to provide the existing staff with a usable work site facility and provide the public with a working, ADA compliant restroom.
BUDGET IMPACT:
Amount: Estimated $650,000
FY(s): 2017-2019
Funding Source: Departmental Budget General Fund