Chapel Hill Town Operations Center

Chapel Hill Town Operations Center

Public Works Operations Facility

Comparison Among Four Concept Plans

Present

Parsons Brinckerhoff, 2006 Program Needs

30-year Plan (6/23/03)

15-year Plan (9/8/03)

$20M Plan (10/8/03)

Recommended Plan

Comments On Recommended Plan

P. W. Administration

2,950

6,342

6,144

5,875

P. W./Transit Shared Areas¹ (Training/EOC Space, Rehab, Public Restroom, Joint Conference & Reception)

461

sf ²

4,248

3,444

2,150

Currently there is no space that is shared between the two departments. Nor is there any training room or sufficient public restrooms. The objective is to provide space for a training room and large conference room that could be used by both departments generally, and which would also be equipped for use as a Town-wide emergency operations center (EOC) when necessary. Now operations during an emergency need to be managed in the solid waste crew/uniform/conference room or, if the power is out, in a small conference room in a building that is served by an emergency generator. The Town-wide emergency operations command center is now crowded into 460 square feet at the Headquarters Fire Station, with insufficient space for quiet conferences and dealing with the public and media. The recommended plan also would include special construction to better protect the emergency operation command center and crucial telecommunications facilities.

Training is now often conducted in an equipment bay, which is partially heated and not air conditioned, or off-site, so that effectiveness and efficiency are lost. The proposal would provide a training room to accommodate up 70 people in chairs, as well as serving as part of the emergency operations center when needed.

P. W. Archive Storage

1,200

sf ³

2,160

2,240

Engineering Department

2,348

sf ⁴

4,504

5,162

Information Technology

1,850

sf ⁴

3,160

P. W. Operations (Construction, Drainage, Streets and Traffic)

7,850

22,138

20,886

19,100

18,545

There would be room for air conditioned crew rooms for employees’ daily meetings to discuss the day’s work, scheduling, training, etc.; and to provide clean and cooled spaces for lunch. Currently crews meet in the equipment bays, which are partially heated and not cooled, and are also used for lockers, equipment storage and maintenance, and shelter for sensitive vehicles and equipment such as street sweepers, water vacuums and asphalt tack. There would be more space for the equipment bays and enclosed storage to allow more efficient work on equipment and the capacity to store sensitive equipment inside. There would also be space in this building for an emergency generator to power the Public Works portion of the site in the case of a Piedmont Power failure.

Offices

1,450

3,848

3,740

3,200

3,095

Conditioned Crew Areas

1,950

2,540

2,200

2,095

Work Bays/Enclosed

Storage

3,750

9,750

8,350

8,025

7,725

Sign and Signal Shop

2,500

4,290

4,100

3,835

3,780

Main Mech./Elec. Area

150

2,300

2,156

1,840

1,850

Landscape

4,200

5,246

5,950

5,495

5,440

Work stations are moved out of the bay into clean, quiet and air conditioned space. An air conditioned crew room is included.

Offices

450

806

1,200

1,080

1,140

Conditioned Crew Areas

1,284

1,800

1,515

1,544

Work Bays/Enclosed

Storage

3,750

3,156

2,950

2,900

2,756

Solid Waste⁵

1,800

1,898

1,790

1,500

Space is actually reduced, because locker and restroom space is included in “Shared Crew Areas.”

Shared Crew Areas (Lockers, Kitchen, Vending and Uniform Storage)

1,900

5,632

8,700

8,100

5,930

The most important change here is the provision of locker rooms for employees. Currently the Solid Waste Division has a 500 square foot locker room with one shower and some lockers in the crew room. The proposed plan includes enough space for all employees to have access to a locker room and sufficient showers and room to dress, including a separate locker room with showers for women. There would also be space dedicated to uniforms storage, collection and distribution. Such functions are currently carried out in corridors and rooms used for other functions.

Internal Services-Fleet

12,250

26,922

27,015

24,615

21,365

Warehouse space would be increased from 2000 to 6,300 square feet to allow for centralized reception and storage of materials and equipment for the entire department. The loading dock would eliminate the current practice of parking tracker trailers in the middle of the compound and unloading amid all the other truck and pedestrian traffic. It would also eliminate the current practice of accepting small freight deliveries in the main Public Works reception area, where an accumulation of packages sometimes impedes efficient and effective service to walk-in customers.

Service bay space would remain about the same, but about 3,675 square feet of space would be added and dedicated for a welding bay, a chassis wash bay and a small engine repair bay. Welding projects are currently performed either outside or in one of the limited work bay spaces. Chassis are now cleaned outside by an employee using a wash wand under the trucks. Small engine and equipment repairs are performed wherever space can be found, thus hindering the function that should be going on in that space and limiting the effectiveness and efficiency of the small engine repair function.

In general, office space is increased, so that work stations currently found in the work bays can be moved to a quieter and cleaner environment. However, in the case of the Fleet Maintenance Building, office space is reduced, because current office space is being used for parts storage.

Offices

1,500

1,092

1,450

1,280

Warehouse

2,000

8,220

7,670

6,300

Vehicle Service Bays

8,750

13,440

14,120

11,720

10,300

Welding Bay

1,650

1,375

Chassis Wash Bay

1,320

1,250

1,150

Small Engine Repair Bay

(dedicated)

1,200

1,150

960

Internal Services-Buildings

5,000

6,816

8,032

6,224

6,010

Offices

2,000

1,320

2,140

2,070

Workshops/Enclosed

Storage

2,500

4,080

3,840

2,140

Conditioned Crew Areas

500

1,416

2,052

1,944

1,800

Public Housing Maintenance

3,100

6,425

6,380

5,700

Department of Housing and Urban Development staff has confirmed that part of the Capital Fund grants normally received annually for the public housing program can be used for debt service on a new housing maintenance facility. The 1991 Comprehensive Plan for Modernization identified the need of the maintenance division to have sufficient and suitable space, equipment and a secure place to park its vehicles. Locating it in the same building as the Public Works building maintenance function facilitates shared facilities, equipment and expertise.

Total Enclosed Space

44,909

95,491

95,743

82,209

66,815

72,515

¹ This area represents half of the area shared between Public Works and the Transit Department.

² Town-wide Emergency Operations Center currently located in the Headquarters Fire Department.

³ Currently located in the basement of the Post Office Building.

⁴ Currently located in Town Hall.

⁵ Solid Waste Department is located in the Internal Services-Fleet Building on the 30-year and 15-year Plans. Solid Waste Department

moves to the P. W. Operations Building on the $20M Plan and the Recommended Plan.

Present

Parsons Brinckerhoff, 2006 Program Needs

30-year Plan (6/23/03)

15-year Plan (9/8/03)

$20M Plan (10/8/03)

Recommended Plan

Fuel Area

4 drive aisles with 4 pumps

8 drive aisles with 8 pumps

6 drive aisles with 6 pumps

Wash Area

exterior, uncovered wash area

covered truck wash & brushless car wash

covered truck wash

covered truck wash & brushless car wash