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Home My WebLink AboutAGENDA REPORT 2021 0324 CCSA SPC ITEM 06ACITY OF MOORPARK,  CALIFORNIA City Council Meeting of March 24, 2021 ACTION Consensus of the City Council to Direct Staff to Move Forward with Building Scheme A and Provided Input to Staff on Revisions to Architectural Style and Direction to Return for Further Consideration. (Roll Call Vote: Unanimous). BY B.Garza. A. Workshop on City Library Portion of the Civic Center Master Plan and Provide Direction on Floorplan Schemes and Design Development. Staff Recommendation: 1) Direct staff to move forward with the design of the Library based on Building Scheme A; and 2) Direct staff to move forward with the design of the Library based on Architectural Style Option C. (Staff: Jeremy Laurentowski) Item: 6.A. MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT TO: Honorable City Council FROM: Jeremy Laurentowski, Parks and Recreation Director BY: Jessica Sandifer, Community Services Manager DATE: 03/24/2021 Special Meeting SUBJECT: Workshop on City Library Portion of the Civic Center Master Plan and Provide Direction on Floorplan Schemes and Design Development BACKGROUND A new City Hall and Library have been a top City Council priority for several years. The project planning for the Civic Center began in 2005 and initially only included a new City Hall building. The Library was added in 2007 when the City of Moorpark took over operations of the Library from the County of Ventura. In 2007, a conceptual master plan was approved that included a 35,000 square foot city hall and 25,000 square foot library both two-story buildings. Since the cost to construct both buildings at the same time was high, the City conducted a voter opinion survey to determine whether a ballot measure to raise funding for the library building would be supported. The survey indicated that such a measure would not be supported, and lacking sufficient funding for both buildings, the project stalled. By 2016, the City Library had become so popular that library patrons and staff were beginning to feel the pinch of our small Library space. Since funds existed to construct one building, it was determined that the Library’s popularity warranted a switch in priority to construction of a new library. The focus would be to create a library space that would meet the needs of the community but still be manageable for the City to operate. It was determined that an 18,000 square foot single story library would achieve these goals. In 2018, the City hired Linda Demmers, Library Consultant, to assist with design and planning of the new library space and selected architect CWA AIA, Inc. for the project. Also, in 2018, the City Council requested that a master plan of the civic center site be prepared, to ensure that the library is placed at the most advantageous location, while Item: 6.A. 1 Honorable City Council 03/24/2021 Special Meeting Page 2 leaving room for a future City Hall and highlighting opportunities for private investment and economic development along High Street. The master plan process concluded in September 2020, with the adoption of a Civic Center Master Plan. The Master Plan concept was selected because it uses property already owned by the City, it is consistent with prior City Council direction in that it provides a strong civic bookend to the west end of High Street, it allows for the City to move forward with the construction of the new City Library while still preserving space for the future City Hall, and it maximizes commercial and/or residential opportunities along the future expansion of High Street to the west. The Master Plan involves construction of the Library building on the north side of High Street west of Moorpark Avenue, generally across from the Post Office parking lot. The City Hall building would be constructed where the existing library is currently located. The master plan accommodates an 18,000 square foot library building, that is expandable to 22,000 square feet in the future; a 22,000 square foot City Hall building with City Council Chambers, associated parking for both facilities, as well as enhanced parking for public use, and proposes to repurpose the Post Office parking lot into a central gathering place (“Mercado”) to be used for various events or farmers markets. It also provides for additional economic activation of High Street to the west and potential for future redevelopment of the existing Civic Center site. The project will be phased, with the new Library designed and constructed first and the City Hall and Mercado to follow at a future date. This phased approach will allow staff to evaluate funding options to build out the Civic Center campus. DISCUSSION Since the City Council adoption of the Master Plan in September 2020, staff has been working on gathering community input on the new Library project. In 2018, a survey was released to gather some information from Library users to assist with preparing the library space needs study and building program. Community Meetings, which were held virtually in December, February, and March reviewed the survey data and showed participants how that data had been used to inform the space needs study and building program. Participants were asked to provide comments and vote on the preferred floor plans; interior theming for the children’s areas; desired elements for teen spaces; general library spaces and uses; and approaches to the exterior design of the library. Staff will be providing a presentation on all of the data that was presented at the Community Meetings and is seeking City Council direction on the design of the library based on preferred building schemes and architectural styles. Staff has made recommendations for the City Council as it relates to which building scheme and architectural style would be preferable. In consideration of the survey results, and the guiding principals of library design, staff is recommending Building Scheme A (Attachment 1) for the floorplan for the following reasons: 2 Honorable City Council 03/24/2021 Special Meeting Page 3 • Has a strong street presence with active uses on High Street; • Provides for the best use of natural light; • Allows for the Market Place and multi-purpose room to be used when library is closed; • Provides for supervision of Teen/Children’s areas; • Expands the Children’s area and provides for opportunities for outdoor spaces. For the exterior architectural style, staff is recommending that we select Exterior Option C (Attachment 2) for the following reasons: • Has a unique design with strong civic presence; • Establishes architectural style for future City Hall; • Best example of a modern building with agricultural influence; • Has a Civic scale and street presence; • Provides for use of natural light; • Provides for use of natural building materials; • Good opportunities to practice sustainable building design/LEED certification. More detail about the various options that were considered and how staff determined these recommendations will be provided in the workshop presentation and discussion. FISCAL IMPACT There is no fiscal impact as the design of the Library is already budgeted in the Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget. COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE This action is consistent with City Council Strategy 1, Goal 4, Objective 3: “Develop conceptual design proposal for new City Hall and Library including a Civic Center Master Plan, by June 30, 2020, with Library as initial construction phase.” STAFF RECOMMENDATION 1. Direct staff to move forward with the design of the Library based on Building Scheme A; and 2. Direct staff to move forward with the design of the Library based on Architectural Style Option C. Attachment 1 – Preferred Building Scheme – A Attachment 2 – Preferred Architectural Style – Option C 3 1 ATTACHMENT 1 SCHEME A 4 2 ATTACHMENT 2 OPTION C OPTION C 5