HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes Building Code Board Of Appeals - 05/24/2007 MINUTES
BUILDING CODE BOARD OF APPEALS
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ADVISORY BOARD MEETING •
Staff Conference Room .icg20214
1201 Leopard St, Corpus Christi, Texas 78408
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Thursday - May 24, 2007
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Board Members Present: Johnny Cotton Phillip Skrobarczyk
John Taylor Ronald Wheaton
Cliff Atnip • •
Board Members Absent: Don Boyd Bill Alford t/
Staff Members Present: Gary Smith,City Attorney
Rosie Rodriguez, Recording Secretary
Robert Stoddard, Plan Reviewer Coordinator
CALL TO ORDER:
Chairman,Johnny Cotton, declared a quorum and called the meeting to order at I:35pm.
ROLL CALL:
The first item of business was roll call. Bill Alford and Don Boyd were absent.
EXCUSED ABSENCES:
Ronald Wheaton asked to be excused for his absence during April 26, 2007 meeting. A
motion to excuse his absence was made by Johnny Cotton, all in favor of motion.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Approval of minutes for April 26,2007, was moved and excepted as published by Phillip
Skrobarczyk and seconded by Johnny Cotton.
VARIANCE TO THE BUILDING CODE:
Robot Staddaad- We have a request for a variance to the flood prevention ordinance of
the City of Corpus Christi. This property that these gentleman are presenting are located
SCANNED
at a velocity zone, there are specific procedures for you gentleman to consider on
something of this magnitude, because it is very significant. The request basically is the
Coastal high hazard areas of the velocity zone there are specific requirements in terms of
building construction and the item that they aggrieve to is in section 14-556 of the City
Code and it is item #8 and says enclosed space below the lowest floor may be useable for
parking of the vehicles, building access or storage. The enclosed space below the lowest
floor may not be used for human habitation. And that is why these gentlemen are seeking
a variance is the provision in the Flood Prevention Ordinance.
Cfanenee`UpcIlwtcIl.- We have a project that we are putting together that is about 80 unit
and probably a five story concrete structure hotel on the beach. One of the reasons we are
putting it on the beach is to have access to the water which is unique, having our hotel
starting in the second floor is not going to be nearly as conducive to the enjoyment of the
beach as if we had public spaces on the first floor. We would like to have the
administrative spaces and all the quest activity areas on that level, we would put all the
sleeping rooms on the second floor and above we would have all the electrical, air
conditioning equipment, elevator equipment and everything that would be subject to
damage by a flood on the second floor or above. We understand the significance
of having our first floor disappear in a flood and the owner is more then willing to except
that responsibility that if we were to have a flood and high waves that he may actually
lose what is on the first floor, that would not keep the hotel from operating the things that
are down there are the administration area, front desk, meeting room, exercise room and
the business center. The hotel will still operate without any of those places, we do not
fore see people being in the hotel during a storm, therefore the hotel will not be occupied
during a storm, the owner would not like to take the responsibility of having people in his
structure during a hurricane, he would ask the quest to leave during the storm period. If
the ground floor were to be damaged the owner would know it would be an expense, it is
not something unusual to a hotel, quality hotel refurbish themselves about every five
years. If the first floor were to disappear the owner would go ahead and put it back in like
it was,it would be an expense but not something that the owner could not justify.
Johnny Cotton -If you could bring alternative plans,we could take a look at them
and talk about those. We would like to recommend as a board if there is a better
solution that reduces the square footage of that first floor dramatically,to where we
are just barely over the requirement of a elevated lobby and two stair wells. Also if
you could give us something that is a little higher then 3 feet to maybe 10 feet I
think we would love to take another look at it,we want your project to work.
Q. Do you want to come back with other plans?
A. Yes
Ron Wheaton-I have a couple of comments, on these FEMA approvals we have to
stay within these rules overall because if we do not we start awarding a lot of these
things then FEMA could come back and slap higher insurance rates on the City of
Corpus Christi,we have to be very critical about it. I agree with Johnny if you
come back with better solutions we will look at them, because we are interested in
seeing your project move forward.
Johnny Cotton made a motion to table variance BCO 050701,Philip Skrobarczyk
seconded for a re-design.
DESIGNATION OF THE CITY SECRETARY AS PUBLIC INFORMATION
COORDINATOR:
All board members in favor to designate the City Secretary as the Public Information
Coordinator.
RECOMMENDATION OF NEW POSITIONS:
A motion was to hold off decisions on recommending new members until next meeting.
All in favor.
BUILDING OFFICAILS REPORT:
None
ADJOURNMENT:
No further business. 3:1 lpm