01.08.16 Columns - Mass Development
January 8, 2016
Mr. Laurence Spang, AIA, LEED AP
Arrowstreet
10 Post Office Square, Suite 700N
Boston, MA 02109
RE: Village Hill: Columns at Rockwell Place / 13012
Northampton
MA
Dear Larry;
We have reviewed your revised design review comments dated 12/21/15 for the subject project (attached) and offer the following responses.
Site Plans:
#3 Planting
plans have been revised (drawing L-5 attached) everyone concurs that the “irregular” pattern looks best
#4 Antique "gooseneck" style street lights and matching entrance lights are
"keeping with the historic building and overall Village Hill atmosphere" for the east front of the building. For the rear/terraced area, we are using "shoebox" LED lighting. (cut sheets
attached)
#5 "Supplemental lighting" for the rear terraces at each resident exit and for the common area exits. We See attached cut sheets.
#6 The Columns sign has no "internally
lit lettering." As to sign dimensions, we comply with the City of Northampton's requirements/limits. We want to be above the City's transformer and our plantings - and draw adequate
attention to the property. (see drawing L-7)
#7 We are comfortable with both the railing and the bollard. An example of the railing is provided.. As to color - we prefer grey painted
bollards. The "pit wall" is not visible from the street so I'm uncertain what the possible visibility issue might be. The surface will be cleaned to the original brick or concrete.
#8a
Water service will be installed by the site contractor and will comply with City requirements.
#8b Mass Development (Beth) has been provided with the details
#8c Bike path along
west side of parcel will be repaved; Mass Development (Beth) has been provided with the details
#8d We do not anticipate that our work will impact the dry wells. As such, no work or
improvements are planned.
#8e The proposed sewer connection will be from the SE corner to the VHR sewer manhole. (See drawing L-4)
#8f Bicycle friendly grate will be installed on the
bike path at west side of building
#8g Bike path will be repaved (see item 8c above)
#8h Line weights & graphics will be addressed on drawings for clarity.
#9 Site drawings will reflect the revised ANR showing the "southern" border as recorded. A new deed has been filed and reduces the size of our lot.
Architectural Plans:
#1 Rear
entry porch sides can be brick faced if MA Dev feels that the unit fencing between terraces is insufficient. Railings will comply with the Massachusetts State Building Code. Balcony
railings on south face will be modified to meet height requirement and will be consistent with existing railing style.
#2 Existing masonry is in good condition. Any modifications or
repairs will follow Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for Rehabilitation.
#3 Double doors leading to the garden level corridor for the four units in question are for noise & security
(similar to doors in adjoining hotel rooms)
#4 Exterior grade will be raised approx. 24” to current entry door elevation, leading to an interior vestibule which is approximately 24”
below the first floor elevation. See Section 6/A-402 thru vestibule.
#5 See attached drawing A-201 drawings for porch improvements. Railings will be modified to meet height requirement
of building code.
#6 Conceptual interior furnishing plans for unit 201/202, 302/302 are reflected on drawings A-104 & A-105.
#7 Existing south end gable (above porches) is painted
stucco. Exterior envelope & trim of building will be cleaned & repainted as required.
#8 Gutters will be provided
#9 Exposed foundation will remain as current exposed concrete (brick
does not currently extend to grade).
#10 New brick infill will be set back as noted. (See also item #2 above)
#11 Electric meters & mechanical equipment will be hidden / screened.
(See attached front elevation sketch & “Chesterfield” screen fence cut sheet)
The following meter location options have been examined:
Place meters in the area away on the east wall
below grade - would require enlarging width of walkway. Do not have sufficient space. Not acceptable to National Grid.
Place meters in the rear of the building in one of the residents'
terraced area. This would be more costly and have greatest visibility of all options as we do not have adequate space to screen with plantings. Impacts terrace of owner.
South wall -
properly screened and fenced from view.
#12 Fencing detail shown on attached cut sheets.
Very truly yours,
J. Rockwell Allen
Memorandum
Date 4 August 2015 Revised 13 December 2015
Revised 21 December 2015
Project / No. Village Hill: Columns at Rockwell Place / 13012
To Richard Henderson MassDevelopment
(MDFA) Beth Murphy MDFA Alan Delaney MDFA
From Larry Spang
Subject Design Review
The following are updated comments on the design drawings for the proposed Columns at Rockwell Place
at the former Male Attendants’ Dorm at Village Hill. The resubmitted plans consist of the following:
Site Plans: (Dated November 23, 2015)
Existing Conditions; Site Survey L-2 Site
Layout Plan L-3 Site Grading Plan L-4 Drainage and Utilities Plan L-5 Site Landscape Plan L-6 Site Lighting Plan L-7 Site Details L-8 Site Details L-9 Site Details
Architectural Plans: (Dated
October 26, 2015)
A-100 First and Second Floor Plans A-101 Third and Fourth Floor Plans A-200 Exterior Elevations A-201 Exterior Elevations
Note: Updates to previous comments shown in
italics. New comments shown in bold.
Site Plans:
Provide plant screening at existing transformer to remain. Existing planting to remain.
Review design of walkway and driveway near bicycle
ramp with MDFA. There appears to be a lot of retaining walls, some of which extend beyond the property line. It is unclear from plans what the walkway is intending to serve and whether
it could be eliminated to avoid the retaining walls. Review materials – concrete masonry units are generally not desirable. Landscaping at northwest corner of the building has been revised.
Walls over the property lines are shown to be constructed by others. Confirm wall at north side of ramp may extend beyond property line. Provide elevations and detail of handrail at
retaining walls.
Edge planting along property line and parking is repetitive. Provide a mix of plant types, size and scale to help break up the landscaping. Provide visual breaks to parking and rear
of property to avoid continuous wall of shrubs. Plantings not revised. Developer has agreed to do so verbally. Please submit a sketch and/or written description of how planting plan
will be revised.
Provide more decorative lighting fixture at parking area. Should be in keeping with the historic building and overall Village Hill atmosphere. Fixture type unchanged.
Provide
light fixtures at front and rear entries. Indicate patio lighting, if proposed. Lighting at front and rear entries not indicated. Photometric study shows low light levels (less than
1 FC) at entry areas. Provide supplemental lighting.
Revise property identity sign. As illustrated on L-7, sign is too tall for location shown at driveway – may be difficult to see
beyond for turning vehicles. Eliminate photograph and reduce number of fonts. Eliminate or substantially reduce the size of the base and provide brick face or other finished material. Sign
has been moved to southeast corner of the front lawn. Sign still appears to be too large – approximately 5’-4” tall. Internally lit acrylic letter signage is not allowed.
Review handrail
and guardrails shown in Detail 12 Sheet L-7. Guardrail should be reconfigured so it looks appropriate to the building. Consider whether handrail can be incorporated into the design of
the guardrail. Q: can the retaining wall be extended high enough to provide car override protection? Railing condition unchanged. Provide elevations and details for review and approval.
Timber guardrail has been replaced with 6” concrete filled steel bollards. Provide steel cap to bollards – no exposed concrete. Paint bollards dark grey or black. Provide additional
detail of structure at pit wall.
Comments on sheet L-4 1.
Water Line connection at lot boundary must meet City requirements; generally a water gate at the property line.
Path alignment
to the west side of the building must respect lot lines and not cross lot lines.
Path alignment at northwest corner of lot should blend into the existing path without crossing the existing
parking lot.
Developer should furnish and install manhole frames and covers to finish grade on the two (2) dry wells for DMH parking lot for future access for DMH maintenance.
Sewer
connection on east side of building mid length of building does not connect to the sanitary sewer main in Village Hill Road (VHR), no stub present in VHR.
To the west side of the building,
if the catch basin in the new pathway location is to be kept, the grate for the frame shall be bicycle friendly or as otherwise required by the City.
To the south side of the building,
any disturbance to the existing pathway shall be repaired during the utility or general construction shall be repaired and not have more than 2 patches or the entire length of pathway
from Village Hill Road sidewalk to the back (west side) of the building shall be reconstructed so as not to appear to be a patchwork.
The plan should be reviewed for the line weights
used for existing and proposed conditions; some of the existing contours are dark and should be grey, some utilities should be bolder (e.g. telephone/cable); and some of the utilities
should be labeled as
abandoned to clarify what is being proposed (e.g. sewer at mid length of building easterly).
For the final set of drawings, the ANR should be referenced on the appropriate sheets with
the proper southerly boundary line, as it is currently being recorded at the registry.
Architectural Plans:
Add porches and railings to rear (West) elevation. Location of steps are
indicated but not detailed. Railings not indicated. Please provide.
Provide information on scope of repair / restoration work for existing masonry, roofing and wood trim. Work should
meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standard for Rehabilitation. Not indicated.
Out swinging unit doors shown in a number of locations. Confirm code requirement and clearances, particularly
at egress stair. Units shown with both in and out swinging doors. Confirm intent and code requirements.
Confirm HC access requirements at front entry. Provide indication of the number
of units that will be required to be accessible, if any. Clearly indicate accessible path from parking areas to front door. There still appears to be a disconnect between site and building.
As shown on L-3 Site Grading Plan, the exterior grade at the front door is 212.16 and finish floor elevation is 214.16, a difference of 2’. Confirm also that elevator has door at entry
vestibule – not shown on Sheet A-100. Also, if planning to raise the existing grade at front entrance, document structural evaluation of additional load on existing exterior wall. Provide
adequate waterproofing of existing walls to be located below grade.
Review design of porch enclosures and columns at south end of the building. Existing columns to be repaired or replaced
to match existing. Provide design alternates to the solid wall with picture window shown for the porch infill. Sheet A-201 has been submitted providing design details for the southern
end of the building. Existing columns, balconies and railings shown to remain and be repaired. Please note following comments:
Confirm existing railing height meets current code requirements.
If required to raise height, provide additional elevation/details to illustrate proposed design.
Review use of EIFS for new wall enclosure. Consider large scale (4’ x 8’) fiber cement
panels with trim boards at seams.
Review detail 5 Sheet A-2-01. Provide solid material at vertical surface below door threshold in lieu of EIFS to avoid it being kicked out. Confirm
positive waterproofing connection between new construction and existing concrete slab. Consider more than backer rod and sealant.
Provide layout information on the end units fronting
onto the porches. As illustrated, units 201/202 and 301/302 appear difficult to furnish – not sure how space will be utilized. Provide anticipated furnishings layout to help confirm
use of the space. No information provided – please resubmit.
Indicate material and design of gable ends of roof. Provide further details of proposed roof eave to maintain historic
look of the original building. Not provided. Per discussion with Rocky, this is intended to be scrapped and painted.
Provide alternate studies for small door canopies on the west (rear) elevation. Provide details of proposed doors – recommend patio style doors rather than solid doors shown. Common
entry doors are shown with larger scale canopy similar to existing. Tenant entry doors shown with simple awning-style canopy. Align canopies with door and steps below. Indicate how planning
to shed water from canopies – sheet flow onto steps below is not recommended.
Confirm material for new areaway along East (front) Elevation. Exposed foundation wall is not acceptable.
Infills at existing windows to be removed should be brick and set approximately 1”-2” back from the face of the existing masonry. Unless required to be removed, existing sills should
remain. No details provided but does not appear to be intended.
Indicate locations of all mechanical, electrical and plumbing devices required for the building. Show location of exterior
louvers, pipe penetrations, mechanical equipment, Siamese connections, chimneys and boiler stacks. All mechanical equipment should be hidden or screened to the greatest extent possible.
If the electrical meters are to remain outside the building, please provide a planting plan showing the screening to be provided.
Please provide a detail for all fencing on the west
side of the building.
Distribution
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