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Park board narrows Budweil Memorial Park playground bidders to three
Summary
After presentations from five vendors, the Fenton Park Board voted to forward AB Creative, Vernon Jones and Playground Consultants/Burke to the Board of Aldermen for final selection. Presentations emphasized accessibility, drainage and warranty differences; staff and vendors noted lead times and possible site work for the hillside location.
FENTON, Mo. — The Fenton Park Board voted May 5 to forward three playground vendors — AB Creative, Vernon Jones and Playground Consultants (Burke line) — to the Board of Aldermen for final selection of the Budweil Memorial Park playground.
Board members heard presentations and asked questions of five vendors about accessibility, surfacing, drainage for the site’s hillside, warranty terms and timelines before making their recommendation to the aldermen.
The presentations focused on inclusive play and on-site constructability. An AB Creative representative told the board the company offers multiple interchangeable design options and an in-house design team to combine elements from different proposals. The representative emphasized safety training: “Everybody on our staff is CPSI certified, so you know that everything is going to be safe and up to code,” and noted a landscape-architecture line item of “30 to $40,000” to evaluate ADA parking and ramping needs when that work is required.
Ben Brown, director of project development for Vernon Jones, said his firm will provide survey, excavation, drainage and retaining-wall work in addition to equipment installation and highlighted local self-performance: “Our team's objective was to provide a dedicated outdoor play space offering the city of Fenton community engaging, dynamic, and recreational opportunities in an accessible, fun, and safe environment.” Vernon Jones told the board typical equipment lead times range from about 7 to 14 weeks after order, with site construction expected to take roughly eight weeks once equipment arrives.
Dana, representing Burke via Playground Consultants, framed her design around shade and caregiver amenities and said she had priced a full package, including retaining wall, surfacing and seating, with a bid sized to fit the city's budget. She noted Burke’s “generations warranty” that covers structural posts long-term while moving parts have shorter warranties.
Board members pressed vendors on specific technical issues: whether turf or pour-in-place surfacing was included, how embedded slides would be specified (stainless steel versus plastic), vandal-resistance of rope components, and how drainage would be daylighted from compacted rock bases. Vendors described a range of warranties and component lifespans — from multi-year warranties on moving parts to long lifespans on steel supports — and said replacement parts are generally available through manufacturers or dealer networks.
After discussion the Park Board moved, seconded and voted to send three vendors to the Board of Aldermen for the city’s final decision. The board recorded a unanimous voice vote in favor of forwarding AB Creative, Vernon Jones and Playground Consultants/Burke.
Next steps: the Board of Aldermen will review the three recommended vendors at an upcoming meeting. The board and vendors said final designs will be adjustable to address retaining-wall height, ADA access ramps and specific surfacing choices before construction is scheduled.
