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Special meeting of the Danbury Township Board of Trustees held August 11, 2009 was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by the President, Dianne M. Rozak with Ms. Rozak, Mr. John C. Englebeck and Mr. David M. Hirt in attendance. Also in attendance were Fiscal Officer Rhonda Botti Sowers and representatives of The Collaborative, Inc., Fritz Roberson, Mike Muse and Phil Enderle.
Purpose of the meeting was to present plans and receive public comment on the new administrative complex.
Visitors at the meeting were Janis Barth, Pam Vogel, Matt Seamon, Patricia Englebeck, Deb Biro, Dan Bergman, Lindsay Bergman and Katelynne Bergman.
Ms. Rozak opened the meeting, gave a brief history of the project and introduced the representatives from The Collaborative.
Mike Muse presented an overview of the planning process which began in June when they viewed existing office/work spaces and met with employees to determine current and future needs. From these meetings they began to develop square footage requirements for the various departments as well as a sense of how the program spaces should connect.
Phil Enderle spoke about the site layout, entrance drive, parking, screening and access to recreational trails in the woods. He presented a plan for natural drainage via a rain garden bioswale which is a low maintenance, environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing feature with the added benefit of reducing the need and expense of installing drainage tile and catch basins.
Fritz Roberson showed the proposed floor plan layout explaining that there are three main areas in the complex: the meeting room/multi-purpose area; the administrative area which contains zoning, trustees and fiscal offices; and the police department. The maintenance department will have a separate building within the complex.
All three gentlemen stressed that the Trustees’ goal in designing the new complex is to make it a sustainable facility that is inviting to the public. Ms. Rozak added this should be a “100 year building” that will be functional for generations to come.
Matt Seamon asked if it wouldn’t be cheaper to locate the buildings closer to the road rather than back near the woods.
Mr. Roberson explained that locating the complex near the front of the property would actually make it more difficult for future expansion. He added that a major advantage of positioning the buildings near the woods is the benefit derived from shading and natural ventilation in the summer as well as wind protection and passive heating in the winter resulting in reduced heating and cooling costs.
Deb Biro asked if playground and ballfields are planned for this site noting that 50 parking spaces will be insufficient if these amenities are planned.
Ms. Rozak said the ballfields and playground will remain on Port Clinton Eastern Rd. The only recreational activity planned for the Bridge Rd. property will be walking trails in the woods.
Mr. Seamon questioned the size of the meeting room and felt it should be larger if it will be for community use.
Mrs. Sowers explained that if the larger portion of the building is devoted to the meeting room then by law it becomes a town hall rather than an administrative building and would require approval by the voters.
Ms. Rozak stressed that a tax levy will not be needed to construct this building.
Pam Vogel asked if there are any plans for solar energy.
Mr. Roberson said they are investigating the use of solar energy, geothermal heating and cooling and potentially a wind turbine and are also looking into available grant funding.
Considerable time was spent discussing likes and dislikes of various design features and materials. Discussion was also held on what items could be eliminated and what features should stay in the event cost becomes an issue. It was the consensus of those present that the location of the buildings should remain near the woods.
When asked by Ms. Rozak about the next step of the process, Mr. Muse stated there are two more Schematic design meetings planned before the preliminary design process is complete and preliminary cost estimates are developed.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 p.m.
The only official public record of Danbury Township is the paper file(s) located at Danbury Township Hall. The official approved copy of township minutes including attachments and references is available for review or purchase. Contact the Township Fiscal Officer at (419) 732-3039 or via e-mail danbury.twp@cros.net to make arrangements for record review or purchase.
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