Seabrook council debates $78,000–$93,000 wayfinding study; directs staff to pare scope and return

Seabrook City Council members on Jan. 23 heard a presentation from wayfinding consultants about a multi-stage program to update gateway, wayfinding and park signage and directed staff to negotiate a reduced scope and return with a revised proposal.

The presentation was made by Christina Malik, principal with Kimley-Horn, and Dawn Diamond of DG Studios, who described a multi-step process that begins with a site assessment and steering committee meetings and moves through schematic design, design development and construction documents. Malik told council the full master-plan process could take about 10 months for site assessment through design development, and as long as two-and-a-half years for site assessment through installation depending on review and fabrication schedules.

The proposal on the council agenda was for professional services “not to exceed $93,000,” a scope the Seabrook Economic Development Corporation (EDC) had reviewed earlier. Kimley-Horn provided a reduced Scope 2 that would lower the fee to about $78,000 by removing the most expensive elements (the gateway installations) from the initial contract. The…