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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007 01 22 Regular 305 Vistawilla Office Center CITY OF WINTER SPRINGS Regular Commission Meeting 012207 _COMM_Regular_30S_ WesCEnd_Sign_lssues COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM 305 Consent Informational Public Hearin Re ular )( January 22, 2007 Regular Meeting (L- Mgr. / Dept. Authorization REQUEST: Community Development Department requesting the Commission to consider the request of Vistawilla Office Center LLC to relocate the monument sign for the Vistawilla Officer Center as approved in the Final Engineering to a site located on the northwest comer of the Phase I building. PURPOSE: This agenda item is needed to address issues that have arisen during construction related to the placement of electrical utilities. NOTE: This Item will be available Friday. CONSIDERATIONS: The approved building permit plans for the Vistawilla Office Center indicate a meter bank and its associated underground electrical lines to be installed at the southwest comer of the Phase One building. The building department verbally informed the contractor during underground electrical inspections on August 2, 2006, and August 18, 2006 that the underground utilities were not installed per plan. The building department was not contacted for a re-inspection on this area until the improperly located meter bank installation was noticed on December 21, 2006. A re- inspection of this area on December 21,2006 was rejected because the underground utilities had not been installed per the approved building plan and per the inspector's previous directions. The re- inspection notice dated December 21, 2006, stipulated to the contractor that "You shall comply with approved plans." The same re-inspection notice went on to state that no pre-power or final inspections would be performed until compliance was met. Page 1 of 3 The developer's representative has indicated there was a series of miscommunications between the general contractor, electrical sub-contractor and developer regarding the location of the meter bank. As a result, the meter bank was not located as indicated on the approved building plans. The developer has stated that one of the factors leading to the relocation was the potential conflict with other underground utilities. Staff is of the opinion that the electrical meter bank could be located per the plans without conflicting with any other underground utilities. The factual situation is this. The underground utilities and the meter bank were not constructed according to the final engineering documents approved by the staff and the City Commission. This has resulted in a bank of electrical meters seven feet high being constructed forward of the building immediately adjacent to, and in view of persons using State Road 434. Warnings from the City Building Inspectors did not result in the developer bringing the construction into compliance or coming forward with any proposed resolution of the problem prior to the meter banks had been installed. Other than the information provided to us by the developer, we have no knowledge related to the reasons the contractor improper! y installed the underground utilities and the meter bank. The cost for reconstructing the underground utilities and meter bank according to plans will be expensive and cause significant delays. The consequences of these errors are especially egregious considering the aesthetic importance of the 434 corridor in general, and the City's efforts to establish this section of S.R. 434 as a high quality professional officer center on par with the Lake Mary 1-4 office environment. Alternatives: The Commission has the following alternatives: 1. Relocate the electrical meter bank as specified on the approved plan. The developer has stated this alternative will cost an estimated $115,000. More importantly, the developer has estimated the alternative will cause a ninety-day delay in construction progress that will have detrimental impacts on tenant contracts. 2. Approve the movement and redesign of the monument sign to conceal and screen the electrical meter bank in its present location. This alternative will require the approval of a modification of the final engineering plans. The layout and design of the relocated sign shall be in accordance with Exhibit A. All required clearance distances shall be per the applicable codes. 3. Approve a relocation of the meter bank to an alternate, acceptable location more internal to the site in order to limit its visibility from SR 434. This alternative will also require a modification of the final engineering plans. THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR ALL CONCERNED. THE GOAL IS TO ARRIVE AT A DECISION THAT RESULTS IN THE PRESERVATION OF THE QUALITY AND INTERGRITY OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. CONSIDERING ALL THE FACTS OF THIS SITUATION, A STRATEGY THAT ALLOWS THE METER BANK TO REMAIN AT ITS CURRENT LOCATION COULD BE AN ACCEPTIBLE STRATEGY "IF AND ONLY IF THE CURATIVE DESIGN IS EQUAL TO OR BETTER THAN THE ORIGINAL DESIGN". THE DESIGN SOLUTION OFFERED BY THE DEVELOPER WITH STAFF AMENDMENTS IS ATTACHED FOR YOUR REVIEW. Page 2 of 3 FUNDING: N/A RECOMMENDATIONS: It is recommended that the Commission consider the following: 1. Allow the underground electrical system and above ground meter bank to remain as constructed if the Commission can be convinced that the curative design is equal to or better than the original design. 2. If the Commission cannot be convinced that the curative design is equal to or better than the original design then the Commission should consider requesting the developer to relocate the meter bank and underground electrical utilities as approved in the final engineering plans. NOTE: Staff will continue to evaluate the proposed curative design and may offer additional comments at the Commission meeting. ATT ACHMENTS: Curative Design Solutions COMMISSION ACTION: Page 3 of3 BLOCK COLUMNS SIGNAGE AND WALL ELEVATION VISTAWILLA OFFICE CENTER 1 BLOCK COLUMNS SIGNAGE AND WALL PLAN VIEW BLOCK COLUMNS, SIGNAGE AND WALL SIDE ELEVATION