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Cupola concerns could cause Town Hall delay
(by Joseph Koziol Jr. - March 03, 2010)
Cupola concerns could cause Town Hall delay
By JOSEPH KOZIOL JR.
With wetland and soil issues resolved, Munson Township officials appeared prepared to get the county's stamp of approval for new town hall plans and to begin the bid process.
But, at a special work session last week, one trustee raised issues with the building that may delay moving forward with the project.
Trustee Andrew Bushman said he had concerns about a cupola above the entrance to the new town hall as well as the colors of the new building.
Trustees agreed to allow the architect to present options on Mr. Bushman's concerns before proceeding.
Trustee Todd Ray said trustees called the work session to work out any "snags" in the plans for the building.
After Mr. Bushman raised the issues, Mr. Ray asked him if the issues were significant enough that he could not approve the plans as they now exist.
"It makes me uncomfortable," Mr. Bushman said.
He said the cupola designed for the building seemed out of character with the surrounding neighborhood. "I can't see it fitting into this neighborhood," he said.
Mr. Bushman said he also would like to see a color rendering of the building to get a better idea of its appearance. "I don't know the color of anything in here," he said.
Trustee Irene McMullen said she understood trustees had called the meeting to move along the project and was taken aback when she learned trustees could not take action because the meeting was advertised as a work session.
Township office manager Judy Toth said trustees could take action if the meeting had been listed as a special meeting, but not as a work session.
"I thought we were going to make progress tonight," Mrs. McMullen said.
Township Fiscal Officer Patricia Bayer said it might be best for trustees to wait for a regular meeting to take action. She said there is a better chance more of the public might be in attendance. She said taking action at a special meeting could be viewed by the public as attempting to do something behind their backs.
When the meeting started, it appeared little remained in the way to stop the project.
"We have all the documents we need to proceed," architect David Leber said. Mr. Leber, of Leber Brown Architects in Cleveland, has been designing the building with fellow architect Richard Brown.
Mr. Brown said it would cost between $2,500 and $3,000 to provide color renderings. But, he said, they may fall short. He said until a contractor has been picked, it is impossible to know which vendors may be used and what color choices the vendors will provide.
Mr. Leber said the cupola was intended to signify the entrance to the building, calling it a "nice design element." He said it is intended to bring natural light into the main lobby.
Geauga County Auditor Frank Gliha, who served as trustee when discussion on the new town hall began, said without the cupola the building would look like a "barn."
Mr. Brown said he did not agree with Mr. Bushman that it would be out of character for the neighborhood. He said it repeats other architectural elements in the area.
Mrs. McMullen asked if the cupola were reduced in size or changed from an octagonal shape, would Mr. Bushman be more accepting. She said she wanted to give architects some direction before changes were made.
Mr. Bushman said he preferred the look of the cupolas used in the design of Middlefield Bank branches in Chardon and Newbury.
He said he could accept it if it were "not sticking out there like a sore thumb."
Mr. Leber said it is much more difficult to judge the cupola on a drawing. He said once the building is in place, its scale will not cause the cupola to stand out as much as it does on the drawings.
Mr. Brown said removing the cupola would cause the building to lose its "signature" element. That element was designed, he said, to draw people to the central part of the building and its entrance. "It's like having a 5,000-square-foot ranch house," he said.
Mr. Brown said architects would make whatever changes the board deems necessary.
Mr. Ray said if the cupola is abandoned, some other defining feature should be used to create appeal in the building design.
He said trustees are ready to proceed with the project, saying the township remains in "great financial shape" for moving forward.
Mr. Brown said once plans get trustees' approval, the plans will be submitted to the Geauga County Building Department for review, which takes about two weeks. If changes need to be made because of that review, he said, the changes could be done in about a week.
Based on that timetable, he said, it is likely the township could award a bid in about two or three months. He said he would like to break ground by July 1.
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