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Council presses developer for detail after modular redesign trims building massing
Summary
Gorman told council its switch to a modular design reduced building gross massing (developer described it as about a 7% change) and net leasable area (a roughly 3% net reduction). Council members asked for clearer documentation showing where floor-area reductions and elevator changes occur and whether the city benefits proportionally from cost savings.
Gorman staff said the design moved from the original plan-development (PD) set to a modular-build approach that changed massing and some specifications to improve constructability and efficiency. The developer said the visual massing differs from the PD exhibits but that unit livability was not compromised; the net leasable area for units across the building is down roughly 3 percent. Council member Bill pressed for an explanation of where gross-floor-area reductions occurred and whether common areas, unit sizes or hallways were affected. Kimbal Crangle said that changes were driven by modular module dimensions, garage-level foundation interactions and fenestration alignment and that some community amenities (pet area, playground and outdoor congregation spaces) were added.
Council also questioned elevator reductions. Bill asked whether the developer was reducing elevator capacity by about 50 percent compared with the original design; Gorman responded that two elevators meet code and ADA access and that in their experience two elevators are sufficient for a building of this size. Staff said the building is fully ADA accessible. Council asked staff to document where square footage was removed and to show how reductions affect long-term operations and whether cost savings accrue proportionally to the city.
