FLORIDA BUILDING COMMISSION
ACCESSIBILITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
November 21, 2011

Chairman Jack Humburg called the meeting of the Council to order at 2:00 P.M. on November 21, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. Members present were Chairman Humburg, Julie Kates, Catherine Powell and Bill Riha.

Review of the Minutes of the September 28, 2011 meeting: Catherine Powell moved to approve the minutes provided the date was corrected. Julie Kates seconded the motion and the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor thereof.

Review of Applications for Waivers from Accessibility Code Requirements:

1. Sherbrooke Apartments, Inc., 901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach: Chairman Humburg advised the Council that the application had been voluntarily withdrawn by the applicant.

2. Boys and Girls Club, 905 Drexel Road, West Palm Beach: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to all rows of seats in a four tiered bleacher system in a new, $3,000,000 children’s services facility. The bleachers are providing wheelchair seating areas at the ends of the first row of seats. No estimates were provided; however, the basis for the waiver request is the technical infeasibility of making each row accessible. Wheelchair seating is available on the floor adjacent to both sides of the bleachers. Julie Kates moved to grant the waiver, provided a seating plan be submitted showing the exact location of the seats. Following a second by Catherine Powell, the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

3. Loews Miami Beach Hotel, 1601 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the roof decks of two small new buildings having footprints of 800 square feet each. The buildings will house a total of eight cabanas, one of which is fully accessible. There will also be sun decks on the roofs of both structures. Sun decks are also available on the accessible grade and the applicant feels this provides an equivalent experience to the elevated decks. The project will cost $1.5 million. Catherine Powell moved to defer further action until the following meeting and request that the applicant provide additional information. Following a second by Bill Riha, the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

4. The Coca Cola Company, 2501 West Orange Avenue, Apopka: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the second floor of 102,200 square foot building used in the manufacture and distribution of soft drink products. The 9,900 square foot second floor is used for liquids processing and requires two employees to operate the equipment. The cost of making the area of not an issue; the applicant maintains the duties of the two employees are such that a person with a mobility impairment could not reasonably be expected to perform them. Julie Kates moved to recommend denying the request. Catherine Powell seconded the motion and the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of it.

5. Family Fun Concepts, 5891 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the mezzanine area of a laser tag arena in a 21,222 square foot family entertainment center. The mezzanine will contain 30 percent (1,250 square feet) of the arena playing area. According to the applicant, installation of a series of ramps would reduce the first floor playing area by 38 percent, and would present a hazardous environment for all players because of low lighting and limited play area. All the game’s features are located on the accessible ground floor area and the mezzanine is designed to increase the potential number of players in the facility. The overall project will be a “junior anchor” in an existing retail center and will be the first occupant of the area. The estimated project cost is $850,000 and it is currently in conceptual design. Before proceeding further, the applicant sought direction on the need for vertical accessibility. Bill Riha moved to grant the waiver and following a second by Julie Kates, the vote of the Council was as follows: Aye: Humburg, Powell, and Riha. Nay: Kates.

6. Sanctuary 7 Pilates, 1700 S. W. 3^rd Avenue, Miami: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to each of the three levels in an exercise classroom designed for spinning bicycles. The building is being repaired after a vehicle crashed into it, and the scope of work is estimated to be $125,000. The lowest level of bicycles in the classroom in question is accessible and is closest to the instructor. According to the applicant, this is not necessarily cost-related, but if each spinning level were made accessible via a ramp system, it would reduce the number of machines that are available for clients. Julie Kates moved to recommend approving the waiver and following a second b Catherine Powell, the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

7. Wave Hotel, 350 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the first floor guest room level which is accessed by a 60 inch wide stair. Because of life safety requirements, this is insufficient width to install a lift. The stair to the basement level is 46 inches wide and would also be too narrow for a lift in this area. The basement stair is located within two shear walls, making it technically infeasible to alter the area. The overall project will cost approximately $1.7 million; however, cost is not the main consideration for the waiver. It is the issue of altering the circa 1920’s building design to comply with recent codes and to ensure the historic character of the building is not damaged. Julie Kates moved to approve the waiver and was seconded by Catherine Powell. The vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

8. The Restaurant – Barton G, 1427 West Avenue, Miami Beach: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to the second floor of an existing 6,000 square foot restaurant that is undergoing a $67,326 alteration. Estimates of $29,150 and $40,600 were submitted for lifts and $81,400 for an elevator to serve the area. These figures substantiate the applicant’s claim that it would be disproportionate to the cost of the alteration to make the second floor vertically accessible. Julie Kates moved to recommend granting the waiver, and following a second by Bill Riha, the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

9. Alan Waserstein, 1221, 1225, 1225A Collins Avenue, Miami Beach: The applicant requested a waiver from providing vertical accessibility to all levels in three buildings which were originally built as apartments, subsequently converted to offices and are not being modified as a small, boutique hotel. Retail will be available on the ground level. Building 1221 has three stories with a total of 20,024 square feet; Building 1225 has two stories with a total of 6,500 square feet; and Building 1225A has two stories with 2,358 square feet. The total scope of the project is $650,000. The cost for providing elevators in two buildings is $50,000 for 1225 and $88,425 for 1221. In addition, modifying the foundation to install flood proofing and water intrusion prevention systems would be prohibitively expensive. The applicant is continuing to solicit bids for the water prevention measures. Catherine Powell moved to recommend granting the waiver for 1221 and was seconded by Bill Riha. The Council’s vote was unanimous. Catherine Powell moved to defer action on 1225 until the next meeting to obtain further information and following a second by Bill Riha, the vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion. Julie Kates moved to recommend approving the waiver for 1225A and was seconded by Bill Riha. The vote of the Council was unanimous in favor of the motion.

There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 4:00 P.M.