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Home My WebLink AboutASTER PLACE - ELECTRCIAL VARIANCE REQUEST - GARFIELD COUNTY encompass design inc 1535 liberty lane suite 110b missoula mt 59808 O: 406.540.4437 1 MEMO ASTER PLACE PROJECT NO.: 24.108 OWNER: ASTER PLACE LP CONTRACTOR: CMC DATE: 9/1/2026 ELECTRICAL VARIANCE REQUEST – SUBMITTED TO JOHN PLANO – GARFIELD COUNTY CHIEF BUILDING OFFICIAL PER ELECTRIC VEHICLE PARKING PER MODEL COLORADO ELEC & SOLAR READY CODE Dear Mr. Plano We are writing to explain our request for a Variance to the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (published June 1, 2023) for our project named Aster Place Apartments. As you know, it is a fifty-eight (58) unit, two apartment building with one community building that creates our affordable housing project using low income housing tax credits approved by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. We are following the path outlined in Section 102 Waiver and Variance of the code in this narrative to explain our conditions. Per Section 102.2 of the code and our direct communication with the State Electrical Inspector, Micheal Frenze, we are requesting your review and approval for our request. The request is to allow our six (6) EVSE charging spaces and our six (6) EV Ready spaces, as well as our newly proposed (10) EV Capable spaces on our site per our reasoning herein. encompass design inc 1535 liberty lane suite 110b missoula mt 59808 O: 406.540.4437 2 Below we identify the policy requirements to prove and identify our request clearly. Please see each heading as the title of area we are explaining per the policy outline. A. EV INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY: 1) Commercial Buildings Areas per the EV Infrastructure Policy (See Policy attachment) A. Eligibility - Must have a gross floor area greater than 10,000 GSF = project complies; BUILDING SQUARE FOOTAGE BLDG “A” = 42,171 GSF BLDG “B” = 38,377 GSF B. Eligibility –Substantial Cost Differential – costs incurred as a result of compliance exceeds one percent of the total mechanical, electrical and plumbing costs inclusive of materials and labor = project complies; BIDS (See attached) Mechanical Bid = $ 1,219,251.00 Electrical Bid = $ 1,040,000.00 Plumbing Bid = $ 1,044,478.00 GRAND TOTAL = $ 3,303,729.00 1% = 33,037.29 2) Establishing the EV Costs to show the Substantial Cost Differential per the Model Code requirements. Below we describe what we currently have in the permitted design and what is constructed and the costs associated for the Aster Place EV Charging and EV Ready parking spaces. A. Eligibility - Actual EV Costs per Plug Op - Costs for (3) dual pedestals and CMS with materials and labor costs = project complies; BID (See attached) $ 28,923.75 B. Eligibility - Actual EV Costs per our permitted documents as they stand today per Walker Electric Inc - Costs for the following: EVSE = 6 spaces provided as per permitted documents; 5% - 5 spaces required but 6 are provided with 3 pedestals serving the 6 spaces. We exceed this minimum by (1). Includes; • Excavation for 3 sleeves to panel, backfill • 3 Sleeves • Electrical capacity • Wire • Labor and install • 3 actual pedestals supplied by owner and installed by owner encompass design inc 1535 liberty lane suite 110b missoula mt 59808 O: 406.540.4437 3 EV Ready = 6 spaces provided as per permitted documents; While 15% is required per the model code = only 6 are provided in our documents for 3 future pedestals serving the 6 spaces. o Our current project includes; o Excavation for 3 sleeves provided to panel, backfill o 3 Sleeves o Electrical capacity o Wire o Labor and Install BID (See attached) $ 13,300.00 GRAND TOTAL BIDs EXCEEDS 1% = $ 42,223.75 spent on the project to date. Exceeds the 1% and therefore complies with the request for the variance. FINDINGS: The above information shows we have already exceeded the 1% substantial cost differential based on the work we have in the plans and completed during construction at this point. The below information in 3) will prove why the information is correct and backed by the bids from the sub contractors and we also provide the costs associated with our proposal to include ten (10) more EV capable light spaces to the project. While these newly proposed spaces do not match the model code count requirements for this type of space, we believe we have substantiated the cost differential, and therefore, request the variance to be approved by Garfield County. B.VARIANCE REQUEST SUBMISSION DESIGN NARRATIVE 1) In order to show evidence of our cost differential, we provide the following: A. Completed Variance Request Form (see attached) B. Design Narrative explaining the Model Code requirements and our project variance request with evidence and explanation on what we propose to provide additionally to the permitted project documents. Since the base requirements are derived from the parking requirement, please see below as the path for the calculations. PARKING; Under our Planned Unit Development (PUD) we are required to provide 1.5 parking spaces per dwelling unit = 58 x 1.5 = 87. We have provided 97 spaces on site. We calculate our requirements from the most restrictive, therefore 97 spaces is the factor used in the calculations. (See attached section of the PUD parking requirement) encompass design inc 1535 liberty lane suite 110b missoula mt 59808 O: 406.540.4437 4 Below are the numbers of the particular parking space types per the requirements of the Model Code. EVSE = 5% of 97 spaces = 5 spaces required but 6 are provided with 3 pedestals serving the 6 spaces. We exceed this minimum. EV Ready = 15% of 97 spaces = 15 spaces required but only 6 are provided in our documents and constructed on site for 3 future pedestals serving the 6 spaces. o To determine the actual Model Code total, the math is as follows -- Provided 6 + 1 from additional EVSE spot = 7 minus 15 required totals 8 more are required EV Capable = 15% of 97 spaces = 10 spaces required EV Capable Light = 30% of 97 spaces = 30 spaces required o We propose to add ten (10) of these spaces on site and have directed the contractor to install the sleeves for these future spots. We determine this through our transformer capacity on site. ASTER PLACE ELECTRCIAL TRANSFORMER CAPACITY: We have (2) 500 kVA transformers. The one located on the north portion of the site serves the two buildings adjacent (Bldg “A” and the Community Building). The one located on the south portion of the site serves the building adjacent (Building “B”). The project Electrical Engineer has calculated the remaining capacity to install more EV Capable spaces: below is the determination Building A – (5)40A/2P, 8.3kVA • Panel HA1 – (2) spaces would have capacity • Panel HA2 – (3) spaces would have capacity Building B – (6)40A/2P, 8.3kVA • Panel HB1 – (3) spaces would have capacity • Panel HB2 – (3) spaces would have capacity GRAND TOTAL = 11 FINDINGS: If we were to adhere to the Model Code we would need forty-eight (48) more locations or twenty-four sleeves and a new transformer to serve the capacity. We know that simply adding 5 more sleeve locations costs $1,620 per the bid to do so, so we would incur at minimum $7,776.00 to just add the sleeves to be compliant with the model code. But we know we do not have the capacity to provide these. We would be forced to add a new transformer which is cost prohibitive and is estimated at $50,000 to add for this affordable housing project. encompass design inc 1535 liberty lane suite 110b missoula mt 59808 O: 406.540.4437 5 We, therefore, propose to add 10 more future EV capable light spaces on this site. We felt the existing parking layout and the fact that one sleeve can serve 2 parking spaces, adding 10 NEW EV Capable Light spaces works for the project and the future needs rather than 11 as that is an odd amount and rather than the total of 60 parking spaces that would be required if the model code was followed. Therefore, we respectfully request that we are granted the variance and are allowed to provide a total of 22 parking spaces that are either EVSE, EV READY and EV CAPABLE LIGHT in this project. C. Evidence to Support the requirements (see attached) 1. Sub Contractor Bids 2)Documents supporting qualifications for consideration of the variance request (see attached) A. BUILDING PLANS – shows areas for gross square footage & SITE PLAN – original plans showing permitted EVSE and EV READY space locations & NEW SITE PLAN – shows the 5 new sleeve locations for the additional EV Capable Light spaces. B. BIDS FOR MECHANICAL, PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL as well as the BIDS for the PEDESTALS with Materials and Labor and the ELECTRICAL BIDS for the permitted work and the additional sleeves proposed. Attachments: • VARIANCE REQUEST FORM • PUD PARKING REQUIREMENT • BUILDING PLANS • DEPLOYMENT PROPOSAL FOR EVSE PEDESTALS • WALKER ELECTRIC BID for Permitted EVSE & EV READY work • MECHAINCAL PROJECT BID • PLUMBING PROJECT BID • ELECTRICAL PROJECT BID END Issued by: encompass design inc – Jenn Clary, Principal Architect