MUNICIPALITY

A municipality is a local government unit (LGU) in the Philippines. It is distinct from city, which is

a different category of local government unit. Provinces of the Philippines are divided
into cities and municipalities, which in turn, are divided into barangays (formerly barrios)
– villages.
A municipality is the official term for, and the official local equivalent of, a town,[2] the latter being
its archaic term and in all of its literal local translations including Filipino. Both terms are
interchangeable.
A municipal district is a now-defunct local government unit; previously certain areas were
created first as municipal districts before they were converted into municipalities.

A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of

self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is
subordinate.
The term municipality may also mean the governing body of a given municipality.[1] A municipality
is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district.
According to Chapter II, Title II, Book III of Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code of
1991,[18] a municipality shall mainly have a mayor (alkalde), a vice mayor (ikalawang alkalde / bise
alkalde) and members (kagawad) of the legislative branch Sangguniang Bayan alongside a
secretary to the said legislature.

The following positions are also required for all municipalities across the Philippines:

 Treasurer
 Assessor
 Accountant
 Budget Officer
 Planning and Development Coordinator
 Engineer / Building Official
 Health Officer
 Civil Registrar
 Municipal Disaster Risks Reduction and Management Officer
Depending on the need to do so, the municipal mayor may also appoint the following municipal
positions:

 Administrator
 Legal Officer
 Agriculturist
 Architect
 Information Officer
 Tourism Officer
 Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer
 Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer

LIST OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS

1. Local Government Buildings

a. Mayor’s House
b. City Hall

c. Union Hall

d. State building

e. Executive office

f. Law office

g. Embassy

h. Hall of records.

i. Municipal Building

j. Chamber of Deputies

2. City Society Building

a. Post office

b. Newspaper Agency

c. Neighborhood Watch

d. Administration Building

e. Social Security Office

f. Civic Center

g. Community Center

h. Employment Office

i. Unemployment office

j. Welfare Center k. Tourist Bureau

l. Public Safety Office

m. Fire Station and Fire Department Landing Strip

3. Department Agencies

a. Department of Public Works

b. Department of Public Health

c. Water Department

d. Power Department

e. Service Department

f. Treasury Department

4. Crime and Justice Building

a. Police Station

b. Courthouse

c. Bureaucracy Office

d. City Jail

e. Rehabilitation Center

LAYOUT, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION FEATURES

General Building Layout Building arrangement is the next step in planning a city
hall. It is helpful as a starting point to the following checklist of departments,
offices, special-purpose rooms, and service areas in analyzing interior building
requirements:

1. Departments requiring constant contact with the general public and the
collection or payment of money for example, the finance department end tax
collector.

2. Departments requiring contact with special classes of the public for example,
city-owned utilities, building permits, personnel, city planning, and city clerk.

3. Other departments including public works, recreation, police, fire, etc.

4. City council chamber and office space for use by the mayor and councilman

5. Offices for the chief administrator.

6. Courtrooms

7. Storage vaults and record rooms.

8. Locker rooms, rest rooms, janitor closets, public telephones, and space for
heating, ventilating, plumbing, and electrical equipment

9. "Circulating areas" for lobbies, corridors, elevators, and stairways.The

relationship of one room or functional area to another is important, no room
exists by itself, and many of the problems of living in a building arise from the
neglect of this fact Departments related in function should be located near one
another and consecutive operations planned in production-line style, Excessive
lobbies and hall space add to the cost of construction without adding usable
space.

The height of the building will depend upon the amount of ground available and
the amount of office space needed. Land generally is cheaper than additional
height taller buildings are more difficult to maintain and require more planning of
the interior to get related functions on adjacent floors. Also any city building of
more than two floors should have an elevator, especially if the public has any
greet of the top floor.

Provision for a full basement housing general offices is not often made in new
city office buildings- Most professional organizations advise against locating
general offices in the basement. The basement can be used for storage and
service activities such as duplicating, receiving end shipping rooms, heeling and
air-conditioning equipment, and central switchboard.

Departmental layout will depend on the activities carried on by the deportment

end the tools or special equipment used. For example, e finance department
layout may require an open area for accounting clerks and collectors with one or
two private offices, a machine room, and a vault, The public works department,
on the other hand, may require private offices for the director, the engineer, and
individual inspectors, s drafting room, a vault, a plan or map room, and
conference rooms.

Private Office, major factor in the determination of space needs is the question
of who should get private offices and under what circumstances.

More space is required for private offices; space utilization Is restricted through
segregation of areas tor private offices; and considerable expense is involved in
rearranging and re-erecting partitions. Ventilation, lighting, and heating
problems ere complicated by a number of small offices; supervision and
coordination of work, flow of work, and communications are made more difficult.
An open, well-arranged office has a more orderly and business like appearance
than a series of small offices.

Certain conditions justify private offices. First, transactions of a confidential

nature re-aquire private facilities, General conference rooms, however, where
confidential meetings may be held aa occasion demands, may reduce Ihe need
for private offices- Second, privacy is often desirable not so much because of the
confidential nature of the work, but because of the number of persons
interviewed or because the work is of an independent nature which requires
more quiet and privacy than the open office will allow There is little agreement
as to who should have private offices except for the chief administrative officer
and department heads.

Chief Administrator Office, The location of the chief administrator s office ia

important to good public relations. It should be located so as to give the
impression of being easily reached and open to any caller, but it should not be
too prominent. The second floor ordinarily is a good location since some effort
must be expended to visit it, and the casual or merely curious individual is less
likely to intrude.

The City Managers Office administers the day-to-day operations of the City. We
provide leadership, guidance, and support to city departments and oversee the
implementation of policies, citywide goals, and performance measurements, as
established by the City Council. Department responsibilities include:

• Policy Implementation

• Citizen Concerns

• Legislation & Government Relations

• Economic Development

• Communications & Engagement

• City Council & Citizen Committees

• Special Projects

City Hall/Town Hall Recommended Space Program

Municipal Building (Minimum 9,464 GSF)

Town Hall Assessment

• Prior designs (1991): 150-person, multipurpose space + 20 person conference room

• Uses beyond City meetings – art shows, concerts, community meetings, events

• Current estimates show 170-175 persons

• Restrooms: separate facilities from City Hall

• Del Mar TV, currently uses +600 SF

• Storage: need for kitchen or specialized support space?

Municipal Building
75-seat Town Hall DMTV Small
Control Room
Minimum 2,316 GSF

Plaza Assessment

• What uses to consider:

– 50 person = 2,500 SF
– 100 person = 5,000 SF

– 200 person = 10,000 SF

– 300 person = 15,000 SF, current Farmer’s Market

– Larger?

Chula Vista’s Plaza/Green

+ 25,000 SF and

+ 45,000 SF
Plaza Options
50 person – 300 person
2,500 – 15,000+ GSF
Parking Assessment
• Municipal stalls vary with size of facility
• City Hall @ 1:300 SF:32 – 38 stalls
• Town Hall @ 1:5 seats + DMTV:16 – 37 stalls
• Options for Public Parking:
– 50 public stalls
– 75 public stalls
– 100 public stalls
– 125 public stalls
• Parking – 100% site:+150 stalls
• Parking today:58 stalls

Parking Options
48 -75 for City Hall/Town Hall
 0 – 125 for Public Parking

SITE PLANNING PRINCIPLES

A. The main elements of sound industrial site design include the following:

• Controlled site access;

• Service areas located at the sides and rear of buildings;

• Convenient access, visitor parking and on-site circulation;

• Screening of outdoor storage, work areas, and equipment;

• Emphasis on the main building entry and landscaping;

• Landscaped open space.

B. A variety of building and parking setbacks should be provided in order to

avoid long monotonous building facades and to create diversity.

C. Structures should be located on landscaped pads, where the office portion

of the building does not directly abut paved parking areas. A minimum 5 to 7
foot landscape strip should be provided between parking areas and the office
portion of a structure.

D. Building setbacks should be provided proportionate to the scale of the

structure and in consideration of existing development adjacent to it. Larger
structures require more setback area for a balance of scale and so as not to
impose on neighboring uses.

E. Placement of structures which creates opportunities for plazas, courts, or

gardens is encouraged. Setback areas can often be used to provide space for
patio areas.

F. Where industrial uses are adjacent to non-industrial uses, appropriate

buffering techniques such as setbacks, screening, and landscaping need to be
provided to mitigate any negative effects of industrial operations.
SITE PLANNING INCLUDES

Putting together a development site plan is like telling the story of the site and
building. Think of it as telling the story of the site and building. For plan
reviewers to understand the design, the more information included the better.
Here are some of the main items a good site plan should include:

1. Property Lines and Setbacks

You cannot encroach on an owner’s adjacent property; hence, the importance of

including the property lines on your development site plan. Property lines are
called out around the exterior of the lot.

2. Easements

The feature of a property that is shared by someone else for a specific purpose is
an easement. These can include a pathway through your property to a
neighborhood park, utility lines, or parts of the property that are maintained by
a homeowners association. You can show easements graphically or with text.

3. Construction Limits and Lay Down Areas

This shows the areas of the property where construction takes place. It also will
show the areas near the site where construction supplies and equipment will be
stored.
4. Existing and Proposed Conditions

Fence lines, utility, and power lines need to be shown on your site plan. It also
lets you know if other city officials such as inspectors need to be present
throughout the construction of your building.

5. Driveways

A good site plan will show the exact dimensions of driveways and curbs. There
are many code requirements concerning the design for access to your site.

6. Parking

Parking is another crucial feature when planning a site, especially in a

commercial setting or crowded city environment. Site plans should include
parking diagrams equipped with dimensions, number of parking spaces, the flow
of traffic, and signage.

7. Surrounding Streets and Ground Sign Locations

How traffic flows through and around your site is important to know. It will show
the impact your building will have on traffic around the site. Your streets should
include stop signs, traffic lights, and highway signs.

8. Fire Hydrants

Access to the site is important for occupants and emergency personnel. New
construction must have fire hydrants included on the development site plan
when you submit it to the city.

9. Landscaped Areas
Existing and proposed landscaping, as well as erosion and runoff controls should
be included. A good site plan will include not only the measurement but also the
type of landscape feature.

PRINCIPLES AND FUNDAMENTALS OF LANDSCAPING

1. Unity

Unity in landscaping is the repetition and consistency of a design. Repetition is

used to bring about unity in your design by repeating like elements which
include plants and decor in the landscape. Consistency is used to create unity by
fitting different elements of a landscape together to create a common unit or
theme.

2. Balance

Balance is simply a sense of equality. There are two types of balance in design:
symmetrical and asymmetrical balance. In symmetrical balance, two sides of the
landscape are identical while in asymmetrical balance, the landscape
composition is balanced using different elements and objects which have almost
similar imaginary weight.

3. Contrast and Harmony

Contrast helps highlight certain elements in your design, while harmony helps
elements in a landscape composition look unified. Contrasting elements draw the
viewer’s attention when they’re placed next to each other. Contrast and
harmony are achieved by the juxtaposition of any elements of art or using
complementary colors side by side.

4. Color
Color gives your landscape design the dimension of real life. Warm colors (e.g.
red and orange) seem to advance towards you, making an object seem closer.
While cool colors like blues and greens seem to move away from you. Blues and
greens are used to create perspective.

5. Transition
Transition is simply a gradual change. Transition in a landscape design is
illustrated by gradually varying the plant size or the color intensity. Transition
can also be applied to texture, foliage shape and size of different elements.

6. Line

Line is the mother of all elements in landscape design. Lines are used almost
everywhere including creating beds, entryways, walkways, texture and
perspective. Lines are also used to give an illusion of depth and distance.

7. Proportion

Proportion refers to the size of an element in relation to the other. Among the 8
principles of landscape design, this is the most obvious one but still needs a little
planning and thought. One must ensure that all the elements in a landscape
design have proper proportions.

8. Repetition

Repetition is directly related to unity. It’s good to have several elements and
forms in a garden, but repeating the same elements gives your design various
expressions. Too many objects that are not related can make your design look
unplanned and cluttered. Also, don’t overuse an element since over using an
element can make your design feel boring, uninteresting, and monotonous.