Council pauses City Hall ADA remodel plan, rejects immediate $53,035 design amendment

Council reviewed options for the City Hall ADA implementation project after the Rolling Hills Community Association Architectural Committee expressed concerns about proposed exterior changes. Staff described three options: (1) continue with plan check and plan set as submitted and move to bid; (2) authorize a $53,035 amendment to Pacific Architecture & Engineering (PAE) to revise the facade per the association’s comments; or (3) complete plan check but postpone full construction and pursue a phased approach that implements smaller, lower-cost accessibility improvements over time.

Council members raised concerns about the scope and escalating costs of full remodeling: expanding doors and reconfiguring the lobby would trigger additional path-of-travel obligations, potentially requiring upgrades down to the public sidewalk and parking access to meet disability-access requirements. After discussion the council voted not to approve the proposed PAE amendment (the $53,035 sixth amendment) and directed staff to table major changes for now while prioritizing other near-term capital work (notably the tennis-court project), coordinating further with the Rolling Hills Community Association and returning with phased options and cost estimates.

Why this matters: accessibility upgrades have compliance and liability implications, but full remodeling triggers broader compliance obligations (path-of-travel) and higher cost. Council opted to hold off on the design amendment pending more coordination and sequencing with other capital projects.