Commissioners discuss lower‑cost picnic pavilion kits for Bear Trap; parks to refine plan

Garrett, a county staff member, presented a package for 24‑by‑36 post‑frame picnic shelters for the county’s Bear Trap recreation area and recommended a kit approach to reduce costs compared with engineered steel structures. Garrett said the package price for each shelter (materials only, not including the concrete pad or dirt work) is approximately $14,925.

Michael, a county staff member overseeing parks work, reviewed alternate kit and concrete estimates. He told commissioners that a 30‑by‑30 metal kit reviewed for a city park was priced at about $46,000 before engineering to meet the county’s 100‑pound snow‑load and 105‑mph wind‑load specifications. Michael said an engineered 6‑inch slab quote he saw ran about $23,000 for one location that required geotechnical work; local contractors quoted concrete pads of roughly $3 to $11 per square foot for a 4‑inch pad.

Commissioners and staff discussed whether monolithic pad construction is appropriate; staff said properly tied and thickened monolithic pads have performed well and can reduce costs. Commissioners emphasized the need for geotechnical review at each shelter site because soils vary across the mountain and poor compaction could reduce pad service life. Staff noted ADA access requirements for one accessible shelter and said the county will evaluate parking and surface options that meet ADA obligations.

Commissioners asked about vandalism mitigation and durability. Garrett and Michael said uprights can be wrapped with metal or composite cladding to deter cutting and vandalism and that replacing a damaged post on a monolithic pad can be a cost‑efficient repair.

Commissioners discussed how to fund the project and which body should lead procurement. Several commissioners suggested the Bear Trap shelters are more properly a parks board project and recommended that the parks board coordinate procurement and budgeting; Michael said he will prepare a memo for budgeting and suggested the project be included in the parks department budget for the next fiscal year and possibly constructed as soon as fall 2025 if funding and procurement timelines align.

Commissioners also asked for public input; Michael and commissioners agreed to include example kit elevations, cost breakdowns and the memo in the parks board packet so the parks board or the public can recommend whether additional outreach is needed. No contract awards or final procurement decisions were recorded in the meeting minutes.