HomeMy WebLinkAboutBuilding Review Board - Minutes - 05/25/2000•
A regular meeting of the Building Review Board was held on Thursday, May 25, 2000, in the Council
Chambers of the Fort Collins Municipal Building, at 300 LaPorte Avenue, Ft. Collins.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Charles Fielder, Thomas Hartmann, Al Hauck, Susan Kreul-Froseth, and Gene Little
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Rudy Hansch and Brad Massey
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT:
Delynn Coldiron, staff support to Board
AGENDA:
ROLL CALL:
The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Fielder and roll taken.
2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Board Member Little made a motion to approve the Minutes. Board Member Hauck
seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously and the Minutes from the April
27, 2000 meeting were approved as submitted.
3. CONTRACTOR HEARING — DAVID CONNER DB/A NORTHERN COLORADO
SCALE & MILLWRIGHT SERVICE, INC.:
Chairperson Fielder explained the procedures that would be used for the meeting. He
then provided information relative to this appeal. Fielder mentioned that the applicant
had a pending project to install a pre -built, engineered commodity storage structure at
Ranchway Feeds which is located at 546 Willow Street in Ft. Collins. The pending
project included the installation of a pre -built material handling system to load and
unload bins. Fielder added that according to applicant's information, all required
foundation and electric work would be subcontracted to others.
Fielder explained that due to the size of the structures being installed, the pending project
required a Class B license. He stated that, according to the information provided by the
applicant, the applicant's company specializes in the type of construction needed for this
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May 25, 2000
Page 2
project; however, has no new commercial building construction experience which is a
requirement of the Class B license. Applicant was requesting approval from the Board
for a one-time Class B license that would allow him to do this project.
Fielder stated that Ranchway Feeds did a project similar to the one being proposed in
August, 1993, and the same licensing issue had to be addressed. The issue, Fielder
mentioned, was brought before the Building Review Board at that time, and the Board
granted a Class B license to the contractor limited to the Ranchway Feeds project only.
Applicant, David Conner, addressed the Board. He stated that he did not have much to
add to what had already been said about the project. He confirmed that his company is
planning to install a pre -built, pre -manufactured commodity storage structure at
Ranchway. According to applicant, the structure will be delivered in four pieces and
assembled on -site. Conner mentioned that the structure is placed on top of a substructure
and then material handling equipment is attached at both ends to enable the loading and
unloading of the bins.
Little asked Conner for clarification on who would be handling the installation of the
substructure. Conner answered that the substructure would be assembled by his
company. It was Conner's assumption that the substructure was built by the same
company that manufactured the bins. He stated that all of the materials will be trucked to
the site and his company will unload and assemble them.
Kreul-Froseth asked for clarification on whether this project was similar in overall design
to the previous project that had been done at Ranchway in 1993. Conner answered that
his company was not involved in that project, but stated that the project is very similar
with the exception of some small changes to the dimensions of the structure and special
sheathing that is being added around the outside to add to the aesthetics of the building.
Fielder stated that the permit that was issued for the 1993 project reflected an addition of
128 square feet. He asked for clarification on the amount of square footage that would be
added by the proposed project. Kim Szidon, a representative from Ranchway Feeds,
answered that the addition is 16' x 32'. Conner added that these structures are typically
rated by cubic footage, not by square footage. Conner explained that there are eight
separate bins contained in the cluster that is 16' x 32' by approximately 30' high.
Hauck asked for clarification on the extent of the foundation work. Conner answered that
the foundation was being handled by a separate contractor who has the appropriate type
of license to do that type of work. It was his understanding that caissons would be
constructed and that each of the caisson holes would be drilled until at least seven feet of
good bedrock was found.
Hauck asked if a separate permit would be obtained for the foundation work. Szidon
mentioned that he was not sure. He added that Ludwig Drilling is the contractor that will
be doing the foundation work. Hauck asked for clarification on who would be obtaining
the permit. Szidon mentioned that he would be.
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May 25, 2000
Page 3
Delynn Coldiron explained that, just as was done with the permit for the earlier project,
Ranchway Feeds would be obtaining the permit as the owner and then subcontracting the
work out to various contractors. She mentioned that the permit will cover the entire
project, including the foundation work, where a special inspection from a qualified
engineering firm will be required as part of the inspection process. Coldiron clarified that
Building & Zoning currently does not license concrete/foundation contractors. She added
that the electrical contractor will have to be licensed, and that the company installing the
structure would have to be at least a licensed Class B general contractor.
Kreul-Froseth asked if there had been other projects that required this type of special
construction. Coldiron stated that there was the previous project done for Ranchway
Feeds, which was pretty much identical to the project being proposed; and, there was also
a project done for Belgium Brewery that had similar construction. Coldiron clarified that
the Belgium Brewery job was done under the supervision of a licensed general contractor
which makes it different than the job being proposed in this case since the applicant is not
licensed.
Coldiron referred Board Members to the packet of information that was provided by the
applicant that documented his experience for the type of construction being proposed.
There was brief discussion regarding the information that had been provided.
Fielder asked if there had been any feedback, negative or positive, regarding applicant's
first project. Coldiron stated that she was unaware of any problems with the initial
project, but had not checked to see if completion documents were on file.
Hauck asked for clarification on whether the applicant was asking for a one-time
exemption to his license to allow him to build the proposed project. Coldiron clarified
that the applicant did not have a contractor's license with the City at this time, and that
the Board would be granting an actual license specific to this project only, if they decide
to authorize applicant's request. Hauck stated that the only licensed contractor that
would appear on the permit in this case seemed to be the electrician. Coldiron added that
no permit could be issued for the project until at least a Class B contractor was added to
the permit. She stated that should the Board not grant the applicant's request in this case,
Ranchway would have to hire another licensed contractor to do the work.
Kreul-Froseth mentioned that she recalled a situation where a similar request was made
to the Board for the construction of a radio tower. It was her recollection that the Board
also approved that request.
Hauck asked applicant if he was licensed in any other jurisdictions. Conner answered
that they have never done any work where a license has been required. Hauck asked
applicant for clarification on his familiarity with the UBC. Conner stated that he was
familiar with the UBC when he worked as a draftsman for homes. He added that the
UBC is not utilized by his company because they are basically installing equipment that
has been pre-engineered and pre -manufactured.
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May 25, 2000
Page 4
Hartmann asked if there would be any office space included in the structure. Conner
answered that the structure is really not a building at all, but more of a piece of
equipment. He stated that there is some steel substructure underneath to get the bins off
of the ground so that equipment can go beneath them, and then there is approximately 40'
of bins on top. Conner mentioned that the bins are a square structure with some dividers
inside to allow for different types of feed commodities, etc. Above the bins, according to
Conner, there is distributor equipment used to direct the flow of the material coming in
on a conveyor into the appropriate bins. Conner added that the structure is not designed
to hold a person any place on it, it is basically a piece of machinery and storage.
Hartmann asked if the foundation and structure had been designed by a licensed engineer.
Szidon confirmed this.
Hartmann asked applicant if he was a specialty contractor that assembles and builds this
type of structure. Applicant confirmed this.
Hauck made a motion that Northern Colorado Scale & Millwright Service be granted a
one-time license to construct the proposed structure for Ranchway Feeds, pending the
verification of four project forms which document applicant's experience. Fielder
seconded the motion.
VOTE:
Yeas: Hartmann, Little, Fielder, Hauck, Kreul-Froseth
Nays: None
The motion passed unanimously.
4. OTHER BUSINESS:
None.
Meeting adjourned at 1:30 p.m.
Felix Lee, Building & Zoning Director