City advances Village Green Phase 2 fundraising and selects contractor to reassemble historic Essen log cabin

The Wildwood Planning & Parks Committee recommended on Aug. 11 that the city proceed with community fundraising for Phase 2 of Village Green — the all‑inclusive playground — and that the city publish a donor brochure and convene a volunteer fundraising committee. The full council endorsed the committee’s recommendation.

At the same meeting the council also reviewed two competitive procurement results related to Village Green work: a purchase of playground equipment and bids for reassembling the historic Essen log cabin that previously stood in the area and whose logs remain in storage. The department reported that Unlimited Play has been selected as the playground equipment vendor and that Charette Creek Excavating LLC submitted the low responsive bid to reassemble the Essen log cabin; the reconstruction bid was reported as less than $280,000.

Why it matters: Village Green is the city’s central park project. Phase 2 is the city’s planned all‑inclusive playground intended for users of all ages and abilities. The Essen log cabin is a historic structure the city intends to reassemble on the park site. The fundraising campaign and volunteer involvement are intended to reduce taxpayer expense and accelerate completion of amenities.

What council approved - Fundraising materials and committee: The council approved publishing a fundraising brochure that will be available on the city and vendor websites and endorsed an informal volunteer committee to support fundraising; the first committee meeting was scheduled soon after council approval. - Playground equipment procurement: Staff reported that the playground equipment is on order and that the vendor is holding prices from 2024; the city authorized partial payment arrangements as part of the procurement process. - Essen log cabin reassembly: After a rebid, the planning and parks committee recommended selecting Charette Creek Excavating LLC to reassemble the cabin within the Village Green Phase 1 area; the department said the bid was lower and more successful than an initial solicitation.

Next steps: Staff will finalize fundraising materials, convene the volunteer committee and return to council with required contract documents and budget items for the selected contractors as each item moves from procurement to improvement‑plan stage.