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Attachment 5 (2)N ios aag COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT DATE: FEBRUARY 29, 2012 MEETING DATE: 03 -05 -12 ITEM NO: 11 TO: MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL FROM: GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER . c/ SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY RECOMMENDATION Approve Guiding Principles (Attachment 1) and a process for considering options for the re -use of the former library facility. BACKGROUND On February 11, the new Los Gatos library opened to the public. With the opening of the new library, the former library in Town Hall is no longer needed for library services. This presents an opportunity for the Town to consider options for re -use of the facility. The Mayor appointed an Ad Hoc Council Committee to provide guidance to staff in the development of draft guiding principles for the facility re -use. The Ad Hoc Committee was initially comprised of the Mayor and Vice Mayor. Due to scheduling conflicts, the composition of the Committee was changed to include Vice Mayor Barbara Spector and Council member Diane McNutt. DISCUSSION Guiding Principles The Committee is recommending the guiding principles included as Attachment 1. As stated in the opening paragraph of the document, the principles provide a framework for considering the options for deciding on the best use of this community asset. PREPARED BY : PAMELA JACOBS ASSISTANT TOWN MANAGER Reviewed by: Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney Finance licv NAMMManaaemenfStaff\PJacobs \Special ProjectsUbrary Re- Use \Staff report 3- 5- 12.doc ATTACHMENT 5 PAGE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY FEBRUARY 29, 2012 Facility Information Built in 1965, the former library space includes approximately 5,100 usable sq. ft on the top floor and 6,800 usable sq.ft. on the lower floor, for a total of 11,900 usable sq, ft. "Usable" square footage is the amount of total space minus the space allocated to stairwells, mechanical rooms and the elevator. Floor plans for the facility are included as Attachment 2. More in- depth condition analysis will need to be performed as use options are considered; however, preliminary assessments indicate the following conditions and issues. General Conditions At present, the top floor of the former library consists of a large assembly area with an adjacent smaller set -back assembly area, a medium -sized assembly area, a small enclosed room and an individual use restroom. The interior walls could potentially be removed between the set -back area and the small enclosed room to make a slightly larger space. Tlie large assembly area is light and open, owing to the large windows and two sets of glass doors. This space could accommodate about 275 people in a theater style setup. The set -back area does not have natural light, and the medium-sized assembly area has natural light owing to two sets of large glass doors and adjacent windows. The lower floor consists of a large open area, a smaller semi - enclosed area, six office areas of varying sizes, two individual use restrooms and a "break room." Interior walls associated with four of the offices could potentially be removed. The walls dividing the large open area from the smaller one cannot be removed; however, the wall between the smaller area and the break room could be removed. This floor has low ceilings owing to the overhead duct -work. Natural light is available only through windows associated with three of the office areas. The lower floor is connected to the rest of the Civic Center complex via a door into the Council Chambers lobby. Since the Civic Center was built in 1965, it was constructed in accordance with 1961 Uniform Building Code (UBC) design criteria. Both the UPC and the California Building Code have been updated since this time, and both require higher life safety design levels. If the building occupancy does not change significantly, however, it is likely that no mandatory code upgrades would be required. Since the previous use was considered an "assembly" use, this means that similar assembly uses would not likely trigger upgrades. Civic achninistration uses would be permitted, as this use has lower -level safety requirements than assembly uses. ADA Access ADA access does not appear to be a limitation for the re -use of the facility. The Civic Center provides access to the top floor through ADA- accessible doors, and the elevator provides access to the lower floor. The elevator in the former library was upgraded to comply with ADA standards, although the size limits occupancy to one wheelchair at a time. PAGE 3 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY FEBRUARY 29, 2012 Restrooms and Plumbing As noted above, the top floor has one individual use restroom (not ADA accessible) and the lower floor has two (these are ADA accessible). It is recommended that these facilities be upgraded and expanded prior to re -use of this facility. Expansion of the restrooms is possible on both floors; however, additional restrooms elsewhere on the floors would only be possible with a large investment to re -plumb the area. The recommended expansion of the restrooms would utilize some of the square footage currently included in the assembly areas to which they are adjacent. The room previously used as a break room for library staff has a sink. This area could continue to have a sink; however, it would be cost - prohibitive to put a sink elsewhere on either of the floors runless it was adjacent to restroom walls. Utility Systems Due to the pending move to the new Library, the air handler system for the former library was not replaced at the time this was done for the remainder of the Civic Center. The system is inefficient and unreliable, and it is recommended that it be replaced while this facility is vacant. Replacement of this equipment will require expansion of the utility room housing the equipment, which will utilize some of the downstairs open area space. The electrical system is generally sufficient in terms of location of connections and capacity. Parking Requirements The greatest limiting factor regarding the re -use of the former library space is the requirement for parking. With the building of the new Library, the relocation of police patrol to the Police Operations Building, and the lease of the Adult Recreation Center to Los Gatos- Saratoga Recreation, the Civic Center site is currently at capacity for parking. Options for re -use of the former library will need to take into account the impact on parking. Uses that will significantly increase the weekday demand for parking may be difficult to accommodate. Previously - Identified Municipal Operations/Services Needs The availability of the former library space presents an opportunity to consider the space needed to provide municipal services in the short terns and into the future. The Civic Center Master Plan, approved in 2007, identified space needs for municipal services, in general, and prioritized the need for space for police and library services. With the opening of the Police Operations Building (POB) and the new Library, these needs have been addressed for the most part. PAGE 4 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY FEBRUARY 29, 2012 Over the years, the Town's space needs have fluctuated with changes in staffing and services. Prior to building the POB and new Library, Town staff occupied two of the rental homes and used one for storage due to limits on space available for Town operations. Prior to leasing the ARC to Los Gatos - Saratoga Recreation, staff occupied several offices and utilized two conference rooms and the large hall on a regular basis, and storage areas. Currently, Town staff occupies two offices (Human Resources), one conference room and storage space in the ARC, totaling 800 sq. ft. The lease with Los Gatos Recreation calls for the Town to relinquish use of these rooms by December 31, 2013; however, Los Gatos Recreation is interested in renting these rooms at the earliest opportunity. Municipal space needs include the following: Office space for three staff currently located at the ARC. Since these are Human Resources staff, private offices and/or areas are needed to relocate them. While these are the specific staff who will be relocated, staff would evaluate space to identify the optional locations from an operational perspective, and thus, may relocate other operations to the former library space if space were available. Meeting room(s). On -site meeting areas available subsequent to the move out of the ARC will include the new Library conference room, the Council lobby and the Council chambers. The new Library conference room is a great space for some meetings, but competing bookings and its size will limit its use for all meetings. The Council chambers and lobby have been used for years for meetings due to the lacy of designated meeting space; however, neither space is ideal for meetings owing to the configuration of the rooms. Council spaces, including constituent meeting areas, ADA accessible Council chambers, Council meeting overflow area, and closed session area. While designated space for Council members to meet with constituents is not available, Council members are able to use the new Library conference room and other locations throughout the library (although these other locations areas are not schedulable and some have limited privacy). The ADA access in the current Council chambers is limited to space at the back of the room with a microphone for public comment. This limits the use of the room for some meetings that include individuals who use wheelchairs. In addition, the Council chambers has limited adjacent space for overflow crowds, although the need for this is infrequent. While the Town Managers office is available for closed sessions, it is sometimes too small to accommodate the number of participants. Closed session space close to Council chambers is also desirable. Community Room. The original planning for the new Library included a community room for use by both the Town and by the public. For the Town, this space is needed to accommodate meetings or events for large numbers of people in theater and /or table configuration. Space currently available for these meetings include the ARC big hall and the POB community room. The ARC big hall is programmed a vast majority of the time, and the POD community room is not large enough to accommodate a number of these types of meetings. Storage. Storage space for on -site retention files and for supplies and materials is limited in Town Hall. In addition, the Town maintains retention files off site, which is inconvenient and PAGE 5 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY FEBRUARY 29, 2012 costly if files need to be retrieved. It is not required to house these retention files off-site, Space is needed for storage on an ongoing basis. It should be noted that another need that could not be incorporated in the new Library was storage space for the Friends of the Library, the non- profit that provides program funding for the library. The Friends organization needs significant space to store books beyond the space available in the new library. Development Services Center. This is a "one -stop shop" combining engineering with building and planning for more convenient access for Town customers. Currently, homeowners and developers typically need to go to both the Community Development Department and the Engineering division on Miles Ave. to obtain permits for projects. If the Town desired to establish a Development Services Center, additional space and/or a significant space reconfiguration would be needed. Future service needs. The Town has reduced staffing over the years due to budget challenges. The rental housing and doubling up in existing spaces acconunodated the additional staff associated with Town Hall services. While significant growth in Town operations is not expected, the Town may want to plan for potential limited growth. At present, space is not available to accommodate any growth in planning and building staffing. Funding Availability The Civic Center Re -Use Project in the FY 2012/13 — 2015/16 Capital Improvement Program identifies fimding of approximately $1.9 million (in GFAR funds), including approximately $80,000 from CDBG for ADA purposes. At this time, it is uncertain if these funds will be available for this project, with the exception of the ADA funds which are already available and $100,000 of the GFAR funds. The Facilities budget includes "seed funds" of $30,000 for the replacement of the air handling system. This system is likely to cost between $100,000 and $130,000. Costs associated with reconfiguring/ remodeling the space for various uses are not known at this time. Process for Considering 0 Lions Several organizations have expressed an interest in re -use of the former library staff. Others may be interested, as well. The Ad Hoc Council Committee is recommending that Council approve a process that provides an opportunity for interested parties to make proposals for use of the space. This process would include the submission of a proposal using a consistent form. A draft template of a proposal form is attached (Attachment 3). Organizations would be permitted to submit additional materials, if they wish. As noted on the form, the proposals should include information about untended uses, tenant improvements needed, and funding sources for capital /tenant improvements and operations /maintenance. A meeting will be scheduled with the Council to consider the community's proposals. Proposing organizations will be invited to participate, It is expected that this meeting will occur in April, to provide organizations sufficient time to prepare their proposals. PAGE 6 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND PROCESS FOR CONSIDERING OPTIONS FOR THE RE -USE OF THE FORMER LIBRARY FACILITY FEBRUARY 29, 2012 CONCLUSION: The vacant former library space provides an opportunity for the community and the Town to consider options for its re -use. The Ad Hoc Council Committee recommends the adoption of guiding principles to provide a framework for deciding on the best use of this facility, and a process to solicit and consider proposals from the community. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Establishing guiding principles and a process for considering options for re -use of the facility is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required. FISCAL IMPACT The costs associated with remodeling the former library space for re -use by the Town and/or by others are not known at this time. The cost associated with replacing the air handling system is estimated at $100,000 to $130,000. An assured funding source for these needs has not been identified. Attachments: 1, Library Re -Use Guiding Principles 2, Floor Plans for Former Library 3. Re -Use Proposal Form Distribution: John Agg, Executive Director, Museums of Los Gatos Carol Hamilton, President, Friends of Los Gatos Library Valerie Wainwright, Friends of Los Gatos Library Brian Houg, Artistic/Managing Director of Los Gatos Youth Theater