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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES Community Development & Community Services Committee 2010-10-28RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado, October 28, 2010 Minutes of a Regular meeting of the COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT / COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE of the Town of Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado. Meeting held in Town Hall in said Town of Estes Park on the 28th day of October 2010. Committee: Attending: Also Attending: Absent: Chair Levine, Trustees Elrod and Miller Trustees Elrod and Miller Town Administrator Halburnt, Deputy Town Administrator Richardson, Directors Joseph and Kilsdonk; Managers Winslow and Mitchell, and Deputy Town Clerk Deats Chair Levine Trustee Miller called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT. None COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT. ROOFTOP RODEO COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP AND OFFICERS. The Rooftop Rodeo Committee bylaws require that the Town Board approve Rodeo Committee membership and officers. Elected officers include: Howell Wright, President; Wini Spahnie, Vice President; J’Ann Wright, Secretary; and John Spahnie! Treasurer. This year six members moved from intern status to active members and another seven interns joined the Committee. Having met the necessary qualifications of membership, Steve Wilson and Don Moor have requested to be placed on the senior member list. The Committee recommends approval of the Rooftop Rodeo Committee officers and membership as presented. WINTER FESTIVAL ROAD CLOSURE. In January 2010, several Estes Park groups worked together to organize Winter Festival which was held in Bond Park. For 2011 the Longs Peak Rotary Club is taking the lead in planning the festival, along with support from the event founders. The organizers have requested the closure of the 100 block of MacGregor Avenue from Elkhorn Avenue to Park Lane to accommodate increasing participation in the event. The road closure would be from January 14 through January 17, 2011. The Committee recommends approval of the closure of MacGregor Avenue for the Winter Festival activities. REPORTS. Reports provided for informational purposes and made a part of the proceedings. • Visitor Services Quarterly Report - Mgr. Salerno reported that visitation at the CVB is up resulting in a 4.38% increase over the same period last year. A decrease in telephone calls is attributed to more visitors utilizing the internet as an information source. • Museum Quarterly Report - Mgr. Fortini noted that Kiyonori Kanasaka will be returning to Estes Park in December to conduct gallery tours on December 7th and 9th, and lecture on December 8th. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Community Development / Community Services - October 28, 2010 - Page 2 2009 INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE ADOPTION. The 2009 International Codes for construction are being recommended for adoption with an effective date of January 1, 2011. Over the past 20 months, staff used the code adoption process as a forum, holding more than 10 public meetings with stakeholders, individuals, and small groups to identify and discuss concerns. Six significant topics were identified through the process: minimizing amendments; making the Board of Appeals more prominent; lack of a fee schedule; requirements for automatic sprinkler systems; increased design wind speed; and adoption of a Fire Code. Chief Building Official (CBO) Birchfield noted administrative provisions and housekeeping requirements are presented in the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Division of Building Safety instead of as amendments to the Code. At the Committee’s request, CBO Birchfield reviewed all proposed amendments to the Code. Discussion is summarized: expanding the responsibilities of the Board of Appeals to encompass the role of a Construction Advisory Board; exclusion of one- and two-family dwellings from automatic sprinkler system requirement; design wind speed increases to 140 mph based on recent study adopted by Larimer County; radon abatement would become mandatory with adoption of appendices of the Code; staff recommends adopting the current fee schedule, which was established in 2005, as part of the Code by amendment; and research the benefits of plan code check software. Trustee Elrod said he is concerned about unintended consequences of adopting the 2009 Code, particularly added expenses related to building projects. The Committee requested staff incorporate administrative provisions and housekeeping requirements into the Code amendments so that information related to building is located in one document and asked for a list of points on which staff requires Town Board input. The Committee also asked that the Town Board be provided with a complete document of the proposed amendments well in advance of taking action to provide time for thorough review. PUBLIC COMMENT Mike Menard, Contractors Association President, thanked staff for the opportunities that were provided for public input throughout the code adoption process. He said the Contractors Association will review the information related to foundation design which recently became available on the website, and spoke in opposition of mandatory radon mitigation. He suggested increasing the membership of the Board of Appeals (BOA) to include stakeholders and representatives of different trades if the BOA responsibilities are expanded to include advisory duties. He also suggested the Town coordinate code adoption with Larimer County so that both entities are operating on the same version of the code. Thomas Beck, county resident and professional architect, spoke about the resulting cost consequences that adoption of the 2009 Code will bring, and cited mandatory sprinkler systems, radon mitigation, building to increased wind speed standards, and requirements for bars on second story windows as examples. He said the new Code will bring with it increased building costs and suggested delaying the adoption of the 2009 Code due to the economic climate. John Spooner, Town resident and professional engineer, concurred with Mr. Beck about increased building costs related to wind loads, stating the costs will not be insignificant. He suggested that as an alternative to the wind speed study standard, an option to utilize calculations for air density and altitude changes for Estes Park, which is footnoted in the Code and would decrease the allowable design wind speed, be made more prominent. Mr. Spooner stated that the County allows for the use of the Wood Frame Construction Manual with prescriptive approaches for residential-type construction for wind speeds up to 120 miles per hour and 130 miles per hour. Trustee Miller asked staff to make clear that the wind speed calculation would be an available option when designing to wind speed requirements and that the Wood Frame Construction Manual prescriptive approaches can be used in lieu of engineered RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Community Development / Community Services - October 28, 2010 - Page 3 solutions. CBO Birchfield recommended an amendment deleting second story window guards from the Code. Dir. Joseph stated that this is the community’s Code and now is the time to come fonvard with input. REPORTS. Reports provided for informational purposes and made a part of the proceedings. • Monthly Building Permit Summary. • Community Deyelopment Financial Report. • Building Contractor Licensing - The Town’s proposed contractor licensing requirement is modeled on Larimer County’s regulations and includes a proyision for an experience-based qualification in lieu of testing. The proposal will be presented for adoption along with the updates to the building code. The Committee requested that information about the licensing requirement be made ayailable for public reyiew in adyance of the Town Board taking action. Mike Menard noted that the Contractors Association has been inyolyed throughout the licensing process discussions, and questioned the general public’s awareness of the changes and implications to commercial business owners who work on their own properties. The Committee directed staff to issue a press release addressing the changes and noting the date of the public hearing on Noyember 23, 2010. There being no further business. Trustee Miller adjourned the meeting at 10:45 a.m. Cynthia Deats, Deputy Town Clerk APPROVED NOV - 9 2010 TOWN OF ESTES PARK BOARD OF TRUSTEES