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Council rejects bids for Frenchman's Creek Park Phase 2 and directs scaled use of Prop 68 grant
Summary
Bids for Frenchman's Creek Park Phase 2 came significantly above the engineer's estimate; council voted unanimously to reject all bids and pursue a reduced-scope option that fits the city’s Prop 68 per-capita grant allocation.
Council discussed bids for the Phase 2 improvements at Frenchman’s Creek Park and chose to reject all bids and pursue a reduced-scope alternative that aligns with the city’s Prop 68 per-capita grant funds.
Public Works staff reported seven bids were received; the lowest responsive bidder (Half Moon Bay Grading & Paving, Inc.) submitted a bid roughly 23.1% above the engineer estimate, and total costs including contingencies and testing were estimated at about $444,000. The city has approximately $186,000 in Prop 68 per-capita grant funding earmarked for the project and had previously expended about $58,000 on design and environmental work. Staff outlined three alternatives: (1) reduce scope to match available Prop 68 funding, (2) reduce scope to match Prop 68 plus previously allocated funds (less than full design), or (3) postpone and coordinate with the grantor to reallocate funds to other parks projects.
Given current city finances and the wide bid-cost gap, the council voted unanimously to reject all bids and pursue the first alternative: scale the project to the Prop 68 funding. Council discussion emphasized ensuring any reduced scope still addresses Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility requirements for park play components. Council asked staff to return with an adjusted scope that prioritizes accessibility and delivers meaningful improvements within the grant allocation; staff also noted that reducing scope and rejecting bids will require rebidding if the city later decides to seek a larger scope.
Why it matters: The decision preserves grant eligibility while avoiding a contract award that would exceed available funding. The city will need to decide which amenities to prioritize (accessible surfacing vs. additional features) and whether to reallocate local funds to finish the originally planned phase later.
What’s next: Staff will prepare a reduced-scope plan that conforms to Prop 68 eligible uses and prioritizes ADA needs, and will return to council with the revised scope and cost estimate.
