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Council approves design change to move Frey Building HVAC to ground level amid historic‑preservation concerns
Summary
Council approved staff recommendation to redesign the Frye (Frey) Building HVAC placement from roof to ground to avoid triggering a major historic‑preservation review; staff said the change may require additional design and slight cost deltas but could be incorporated into the current bid with a one‑week extension.
The City Council voted to accept staff's recommendation to revise HVAC plans for the Frey (also referenced as Frye/Fray in materials) Building to locate mechanical units at ground level rather than on the roof, after staff and the city's historic preservation officer flagged that a larger rooftop mechanical installation could exceed thresholds under the historic preservation ordinance and require review by the Historic Site Preservation Board (HSPB).
Council members discussed timing, cost and process. Joelle (planning staff) and city engineer Joel Montalvo explained that the project was already out to bid with rooftop units in the drawings; the proposed change is intended to avoid a later requirement for a "certificate of appropriateness" or a class 3 alteration permit through HSPB and the delays that could follow. Montalvo said the project is "currently bidding" and that the city could ask for a one‑week extension to allow the design team to finalize the ground‑level mechanical design and incorporate it into the bid package.
Councilmember Reddy and others questioned whether the change was necessary and whether the council should delay parts of the library project. Montalvo said the historic preservation officer believed the proposed replacement units would exceed the visual impact threshold and therefore could trigger HSPB review, potentially delaying the project more than a one‑week bid extension. He said putting units on the ground could streamline permitting and reduce the chance of an HSPB major alteration review. The city attorney and staff clarified that the council could decide either path, but staff recommended the ground‑level design be incorporated now to avoid change orders later.
Councilmembers also discussed budget and procurement timing. Staff said mechanical units themselves were not yet bid and relocating them into the current bid package would avoid change‑order risk; one estimate for mechanical design work was presented at about $25,000. Councilmember Garner urged caution about potential bid increases; several members emphasized they did not want to delay the larger library project and asked staff to minimize any schedule impacts. Staff reported bids were anticipated to close by the end of the month and said a one‑week bid extension was the likely path if the council approved the design change.
Council approved the staff recommendation to incorporate the design change into the current bid package and directed staff to proceed with the mechanical design addition and any necessary short extension to the bid opening.
