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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN 2002 1030 CC SPCMINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL Moorpark, California October 30, 2002 A Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Moorpark was held on October 30, 2002, in the Community Center of said City located at 799 Moorpark Avenue, Moorpark, California. 1. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Hunter called the meeting to order at 6:25 p.m. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Planning Commissioner Mark DiCecco led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL: Present: Councilmembers Harper, Mikos, Millhouse, Wozniak and Mayor Hunter. Staff Present: Steven Kueny, City Manager; Hugh Riley, Assistant City Manager; Ken Gilbert, Public Works Director; Barry Hogan, Community Development Director; Mary Lindley, Community Services Director; Walter Brown, City Engineer; David Bobardt, Planning Manager; Deborah Traffenstedt, Assistant to City Manager /City Clerk; and Maureen Benson, Deputy City Clerk. 4. PUBLIC COMMENT: None. 5. PRESENTATION /ACTION /DISCUSSION: A. Consider Design for New Police Services Center. Staff Recommendation: Approve concept design and schematic plans for new Police Services Center. Hugh Riley, Assistant City Manager, gave the staff report. He introduced the first in a series of workshops regarding the Police Services Center. He introduced the architects from Widom Wein Cohen O'Leary Terasawa (WWCOT) who would be giving a Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 2 October 30, 2002 presentation on the site, landscaping, and floor plans for the Council's consideration and approval. Chester Widom, from WWCOT, 3130 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, California, introduced the design team including Andrea Cohen Gehring and Larry Taniguchi from WWCOT, along with Katherine Spitz, landscape architect from Katherine Spitz Associates. Mr. Taniguchi outlined the proposed floor plan and interior circulation within the space of the facility. Ms. Gehring described the site analysis and constraints. She presented three building schemes with color /materials alternatives for the Council's consideration. She described the various features of the project including a public plaza, water fountain, future site for a vehicle maintenance building, public lobby, separate offices for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Ventura County Sheriff, Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and a day care center for employees' children. Ms. Spitz presented the landscape plan and described the types of trees, sustainable landscape and paving materials, and ground plantings proposed for the site. In response to the Mayor Hunter, Mr. Widom stated and Mr. Riley confirmed that the CHP and Sheriff wanted their workspaces kept separate. Mr. Widom went on to state that the design allows for future modifications to the interior space to provide a connection of the two areas. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Widom stated that they took direction from the law enforcement entities for the locations of the briefing room, equipment room, and the exterior door. In response to Mayor Hunter, Ms. Gehring stated that skylights were not considered for the lobby area due to the expanse of glass along the front. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Riley stated that a helipad had originally been included in the plans however; the space needed for a pad took away from the flexibility in the parking lots and for future expansion. He also stated that there are nearby open Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Paqe 3 October 30, 2002 spaces which could accommodate a helicopter, and it was determined that there was not a current need for a helipad. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Widom stated that the EOC has also been designed to be used as a public meeting space and as a training center. In response to Mayor Hunter, Ms. Spitz stated that they would look at including indoor landscaping. In response to Councilmember Wozniak, Mr. Taniguchi stated that the perimeter wall surrounding the facility is an eight -foot high, solid block wall. In response to Mayor Hunter and Councilmember Wozniak, Ms. Gehring described the six -foot high bulletproof windows and the secure access to the lobby. In response to Councilmember Harper, Mr. Riley stated that the day care center is for the use of employees with work shift problems. Mr. Kueny stated that the day care center will be need driven and operated as a co -op. In response to Councilmember Harper, Mr. Taniguchi stated that the location of the CHP armory was specified by the CHP. A discussion followed among the Councilmembers and the consultants regarding the flexibility for future interior design changes to accommodate a change in tenants versus an increased initial cost to make the building larger and realign the interior walls to preclude future remodeling requirements. In response to Councilmember Millhouse, Mr. Kueny stated that the lease has not yet been negotiated with the CHP. He went on to state that if the City of Moorpark has its own police force in the future, this building would be suitable. In response to Councilmember Mikos, Mr. Riley stated that the cost of the two -bay vehicle maintenance facility for the CHP is included in the cost estimate. He also stated that the maintenance facility would not be required for the City's own police department, Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 4 October 30, 2002 which would use the Public Works' maintenance facility. Mr. Kueny stated that the Sheriff's Department has the General Services Agency (GSA) perform their vehicle maintenance; however, many cities use offsite maintenance. He also stated that even though the CHP wants a full maintenance station, there may be other options, such as using the Caltrans maintenance facility or a local gas station. Councilmember Mikos asked Planning Commissioner Mark DiCecco to comment on the design of the police center. Commissioner DiCecco stated that the building works well, the interior circulation is clear, the EOC activities are confined to a specific area, and the cost would be minimal to change the location of interior walls versus the cost of enlarging the building. Mayor Hunter asked if there is consensus of the Council for preliminary approval on the interior floor plan based upon the CHP and Police Department's request, absent the concern about the interior wall alignment. Councilmember Harpe experts; however, substantial cost to to current code, resembles two zero integrated space. r stated that he will defer to the Moorpark College has incurred remodel interiors to bring them up and he was surprised by what lot line buildings rather than an Councilmember Millhouse stated that this floor plan design is what the agencies want and he is willing to move on. Mayor Hunter stated he will defer to the consultant's design. Councilmember Mikos stated that she is not concerned about changing the interior at a later date versus enlarging the building design to align the interior walls. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Paae 5 October 30, 2002 CONSENSUS: By consensus, the Council determined to move forward with the interior plan and to move on to discuss the orientation of the building on the site plan. Councilmember Mikos stated that she liked the plaza area, the open effect on the corner, and the landscape plans, although she would like to see apricot trees used in the design. Mr. Kueny cautioned that the orientation of the site may need to move north depending on how much grading is required to raise the site. Mr. Gilbert stated that excess dirt was imported due to soils problems on the site, and more information is pending from the Ventura County Flood Control District concerning the flood elevation and the capacity of the Arroyo Simi. CONSENSUS: By consensus, the Council determined that the orientation of the site would be generally as shown and moved on to discuss the exterior elevations for the center. Ms. Gehring gave her recommendation to be Scheme A, since it is a progressive statement for the community with a welcoming effect and an agrarian feel. Councilmember Harper stated that all of the elevations are too modern to blend with old town Moorpark or the architecture found on High Street, the architectural styles do not blend with the 1890's look of the Fire Station, and the industrial park look adds to the clutter. Councilmember Mikos stated that all three Schemes remind her of 1950- 1960's elementary or high school buildings. Councilmember Millhouse stated that replicating High Street is not necessarily desirable, that he likes the unique designs, and that the use of brick ties in with the Fire Station. He also stated that it is important to blend the future with the past, he would like to see some public art in the plaza area, and he likes the color palette on the rendering of Scheme C with the addition of brick. He stated Scheme B would be his second choice and Scheme A his third choice. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Paae 6 October 30, 2002 Commissioner DiCecco stated that it is not a problem to have the design contrast with High Street, these designs do not lock in the architecture for the new City Hall, and that the Police Service Center and the City Hall will act as bookends with High Street in between. He also stated that he prefers Scheme A with the entry element and the "lantern- like" effect at night. Mr. Kueny stated that he does not like Scheme A, and that Scheme C is more appropriate for this type of facility. Mr. Riley concurred with Mr. Kueny and stated using a brick element will tie in with the architecture of the Fire Station, and that the City will have future opportunities to strength the statement on High Street. Mayor Hunter stated he had similar concerns to those of Councilmember Harper, but after listening to Commissioner DiCecco's description of the Police Station and the future City Hall as bookends to High Street, he is reassured by the design. Councilmember Wozniak stated that it is a mistake to try and design from the dais, and that the Council should rely on what the experts are advising, or they will end up with another area looking like High Street does today. A poll of the Council revealed that Councilmember Millhouse was in favor of Scheme C, Councilmember Wozniak liked Scheme A with the addition of brick, Mayor Hunter and Councilmember Mikos preferred Scheme A with different colors, and Councilmember Harper declared that he did not like any of the elevations. In response to Mayor Hunter, Mr. Widom stated that they would return with color and materials options for Scheme A in time for the first or second Council meeting in December. AT THIS POINT in the meeting, the City Council took a recess. The time was 8:55 p.m. The City Council meeting reconvened at 9:10 p.m. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Page 7 October 30, 2002 B. Consider Discussion of Potential Modifications to the Circulation Element Roadway Network Adjacent to the Planned State Route 118 Bypass and State Route 23 Freeway Extension. Staff Recommendation: Provide direction to staff on Circulation Element Highway Network issues. Mr. Bobardt gave the staff report. Mr. Brown presented the road alignment study prepared by Charles Abbott and Associates and cited the issues and alternatives from the staff report. Tony Simen, a Moorpark resident, expressed concerns regarding increased truck traffic near the Virginia Colony neighborhood, where Los Angeles Avenue has not been improved or widened and where there are no traffic signals. He asked the Council to consider these hardships for the residents and asked that the truck traffic be re- routed. In response to Councilmember Millhouse, Mr. Bobardt described the impacts of Alternative 4. Mr. Brown demonstrated the alternative routes using a model of the effected area. A discussion followed among the Councilmembers, staff, and representatives from Pardee and Morrison Homes regarding the impacts of the various routes. Jim Beck, Land Development Manager and James Bizzelle, Director of Community Development for Pardee Homes, along with Dennis Mitchem, Vice President of Morrison Homes, expressed concerns regarding any delays in proceeding with their housing developments due to grading encroachments required by the placement of the truck route. CONSENSUS: By consensus, the Council requested information on three potential alignments of State Route 23: 1) using the existing Walnut Canyon /Moorpark Avenue alignment; 2) improving Grimes Canyon Road to State Highway standards; and 3) constructing an alternative Crawford Canyon (Alternative 4) alignment that connects Walnut Canyon Road to Los Angeles Avenue. Minutes of the City Council Moorpark, California Paqe 8 October 30, 2002 C. Consider Agreement to Sell 6479 Penn Street Unit B to the Moorpark Redevelopment Agency. Staff Recommendation: Approve agreement to sell 6479 Penn Street, Unit B to the Moorpark Redevelopment Agency and authorize the City Manager to sign the agreement and related documents. CONSENSUS: By consensus, the Council determined to waive the presentation of the staff report. MOTION: Councilmember Harper seconded a motion 6479 Penn Street, Unit Agency and authorize the and related documents. voice vote. 6. ADJOURNMENT: Wozniak moved and Councilmember to approve the agreement to sell B, to the Moorpark Redevelopment City Manager to sign the agreement The motion carried by unanimous MOTION: Councilmember Millhouse mo and Councilmember Wozniak seconded a motion to adjourn. Vie mot i n carried by unanimous voice vote. The time was 9:55 pi , M. ATTEST: 9, Imo Deborah S. Traffen dt City Clerk 5-trick Hurter, Mayor