The nearly 100-foot tall crane that is on the corner of D’Arcy and Murphy Parkways?
That’s not for temporary construction.
Last month the Lathrop Planning Commission approved a site plan review that will allow NEMO Building Systems to install a permanent 95-foot tall crane that will be used in the manufacture and placement of modular rooms for residential buildings and student house that boast a stackable design that utilizes internal architecture to fit architectural specifications.
Since 2014 the company has been manufacturing the unique living quarters at the site of the TPS Fuel Systems manufacturing facility that built fuel tanks for use at the Toyota plant in Fremont – creating fully-furnished and completed living units that include utility connections, insulation, framing and siding.
The company’s product was recently used in a 236-bed student housing project in Berkeley that consisted of 18 buildings and 295 modules that were stacked five-stories tall. It uses underground mechanical rooms and a vegetated roof as well as a common roof area deck.
The current 118,056 square-foot building was set to be expanded in 2016 when the applicant requested permission to expand the current facility by more than 150,000 square-feet. And while that development plan is still active through June of 2019, according to the staff report the applicant has expressed a need to propose a new development to better fit their business model and growth horizon.
In addition to the tower crane and outdoor storage for finished modules and the materials that are needed to construct them, there will also be another 59 parking spaces along the eastern edge of the building.
In order to create the space necessary to store modules outdoors, three of the four fire hydrants that are located on-site will have to be relocated and the current fire access lane will have to be revised so that the new lane will travel between the crane and outdoor storage area as well as the building itself.
The crane, which will be constructed on a 30’ x 30’ base and located on a 32-foot wide rail line that will allow it to move north-south, will have a reach of 132 feet that will not spill over adjacent properties or the public right-of-way. The crane will be operated for roughly 16-hours a day, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., and will be powered by electricity and subject to the city’s existing noise ordinance. Because the height of the crane exceeds the maximum building height for the zoning of the area, a site plan review was required.
The applicant will also be expected to adhere to all of the environmental mitigation requirements of the Crossroads Business Park’s environmental impact report.
To contact Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.
