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Council approves wheelchair‑lift change order subject to project‑manager review; authorizes hiring project manager
Summary
The Friendship Heights Village Council approved a change from a large ADA ramp to a wheelchair lift for the Red House renovation, accepted a contractor change order request with added cost subject to project‑manager review, and unanimously authorized hiring a project manager to oversee construction and permitting.
The Friendship Heights Village Council moved forward on accessibility work at the village‑owned Red House and authorized hiring a project manager to oversee remaining design, permitting and construction.
Village staff reported that the contractor working on the Red House’s ADA renovations had proposed substituting a wheelchair lift for a conventional ramp. The substitution was presented as a space‑saving alternative: the ramp would consume substantial outdoor seating and circulation area, while a lift would have a smaller footprint. The contractor submitted a change‑order request that would add $15,293 above the budgeted ramp cost of $35,000; the lift itself was quoted separately and was discussed in the meeting as an additional cost (architect/installer quote around $19,000 in meeting discussion).
Village Manager Julian (last name not stated) described the lift proposal and said the vendor who would install the specified lift is the only installer certified for that model. Because additional costs and scope details remained uncertain, Mayor Roy Schaffer proposed amending the change order approval to make it subject to review and agreement by a project manager. Council members adopted that amendment and approved the change order on that condition.
Why the project manager decision matters
Council members and the mayor said a project manager is needed to assess the lift proposal, confirm which costs are included in the change order and coordinate permitting and contractor schedules. Mayor Roy Schaffer moved that the council hire a project manager to assist with construction, permitting and development issues related to the Red House renovation. The council voted unanimously to authorize hiring a project manager; the village manager said Jim Wilson of JFW Inc. had indicated availability to take on that role and staff would work to contract the service.
Operational detail and next steps
The Red House project remains in the design and permitting phase. Electrical work requiring Pepco approval is on a separate track; contractor staff told the council that the lift option would take less physical space than a ramp and is intended to preserve outdoor seating needed by the planned tenant. The contractor and architect recommended the lift as an alternative to a large ramp whose grade and footprint would have consumed pedestrian and seating areas.
Staff will return with a project‑manager recommendation and a final, itemized change order that clearly shows the lift price, contractor markup and any additional permitting or electrical costs before the village signs a final contract for the lift installation.
Ending
The council approved the change order conditionally and unanimously authorized hiring a project manager to verify technical and cost details, expedite permitting, and coordinate construction sequencing with the tenant’s fit‑out schedule.
