Montego Village Carport Townhall Meeting - October 24, 2023
Approximately 25 owners participated in the virtual meeting. An overview of the project and carport construction was provided followed by a question-and-answer session. The following summary is provided.
Introductions:
- Architect - A7 Group, Inc. – Adam Rohrbaugh/ Marco Guiterrez
- Pre-Construction Contractor - Nautilus Reconstruction – Robbie Houser
CCHOA retained A7 Group to assist with designing new carport structures to provide covered parking and storage for Montego residents within the existing parking lot area. The HOA-approved design includes 2 wood-framed structures: one with a simple gable roof (double row of parking in the middle) and the other with a south facing shed roof (row of parking nearest the pool). Architectural finishes for the new carport buildings are designed to match the existing aesthetics of the community. Allura-like board & batten siding will be used to match the adjacent clubhouse and standing seam metal roofing to match the surrounding Village buildings. Outer walls for the carports will be built just inside of the current retaining walls. Both buildings will have aluminum gutters and downspouts.
The interiors of the carports will include exposed structural wood framing giving owners the flexibility to convert their parking spaces into an enclosed garage. Additionally, each parking space includes roughly 90 cubic feet of storage cabinetry on the rear wall (4 feet high, 9 feet wide, 30 inches deep). The 10’ interior ceiling height with the open rafter design of the carport structures gives additional storage space for residents above vehicles. Each pair of resident parking spaces will be electrically metered independently and will feature a 110 electrical outlet. Common area LED space lighting will be provided for locations not enclosed by residents. The new carport/ garage structures will include solar-ready roof design with pre-installed capped penetration flashings for ease of future solar upgrades.
Timeline:
Permitting – 2-4 months. Expect to finalize construction drawings and submit in late October or early November. The drawings for the carport will move forward while the electrical upgrade continues to be planned. (End of February 2024.)
Updating Construction Bids – 5-6 weeks. Concurrent with permitting.
Village Vote on Funding (Dues Increase or Special Assessment) – 3 months, concurrent with permitting.
Construction – 6 months. Timeline to be provided by selected construction contractor. (End of August 2024.)
Costs: All amounts are estimates and not final. Updated construction estimates will be obtained based on final construction drawings.
Per the initial estimate shared in the September 21st newsletter, the total is $1,007,926 and when divided by 72 units, the individual cost would be approximately $14,000. Cabinets were previously estimated at $234,000 but were verbally updated to approximately one half that amount by the pre-construction contractor. Additional costs are estimated at $280,000 for an electrical upgrade to support a solar array and electric vehicle charging (50 EV chargers maximum). A SDGE program promoting electrical upgrades to support electric vehicle charging may be able to offset the cost of the electrical upgrade and electric vehicle chargers. An application has been submitted but SDGE won’t be reaching out to applicants until 2024. Also, the southern carport/garage roof is due for renovation and is estimated at $270,000 to modify and renovate it to match the new carports. A portion of the expense can be offset by Reserves, at least $110,000, but a final number remains to be determined as budgeting for next fiscal year begins.
Parking: Expect to park on Coronado Cays Blvd for approximately six months. The HOA has also discussed parking in the dirt lots along the entrance to Loews. Some guest parking spots may be available for mobility challenged individuals and loading/unloading. Plans will be finalized once the contractor has been selected and we can get more specifics on laydown areas. The HOA will reach out to the City for assistance with allowing overnight parking on the street near the park.
Electrical Upgrade: The current electrical distribution system will not support electrical vehicle charging or a solar array. The electrical upgrade would be to install a new larger transformer, wiring, and breaker panel that would support up to fifty 240-volt electrical vehicle (EV) charging stations. The SDGE program called Power Your Drive is designed to bring EV charging to apartment and condominium complexes. The new transformer is required to be within close proximity to the breaker panel and would need to be located inside the Village. The current transformer is located just outside the fence between Buildings A and B. The Power Your Drive option that will most likely apply to Montego Village is for SDGE to fund the new transformer and wiring up to the breaker panel and the Village to fund the remaining portion of the installation including the EV chargers. SDGE provides several EV charger models to choose from. The location of the chargers in the new and existing carports would need to be determined. Once the entire system and chargers are installed and certified, the HOA would then request a rebate for their portion of the cost. The cost of the electrical upgrade will be separate from the cost of the carport due to timing.
Customization: Several questions were asked regarding customization. The HOA is supportive of customization similar to what previously existed in the way of cabinets, however a standard cabinet would be the default and changes would be paid by the individual owner. Example: If you have a smaller car and want to extend the storage cabinet to the floor, then you would pay for the extra materials and time to do so. Overhead storage will need to be planned based on the weight bearing allowance for the structure and allowable space above the parking space. Overhead storage would also be an additional charge for the owner desiring that upgrade. Customization of enclosed garages was discussed previously.
The HOA and Montego Rebuild Committee will continue to push to move forward on both the new carport construction and existing carport roof renovation while planning for the electrical upgrade. An additional town hall meeting will be held before ballots are sent out to owners to decide on how to fund the new carport with either a special assessment or an increase in dues. Updates will be provided as additional information becomes available.
Sincerely,
MV Director: Janice Nierenhausen