Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Partner Park master-plan draft shows costs above 2027 budget; consultant revisions and scope choices ahead
Summary
Planning staff told the Historic Preservation Commission that the Partner Park master-plan first draft was well received, but two cost estimates exceeded the city’s roughly $1 million budget because of a proposed new bank building and a permanent restroom.
The Department of Planning updated the commission on the Partner Park master-plan process and said the first draft was generally well received by the ad hoc group but that cost estimates exceed the city’s 2027 budget allocation.
Staff said the consultant, Tara Speck, provided a first draft and two cost estimates. The higher estimate was roughly $150,000 above the lower estimate and exceeded the approximately $1,000,000 the city had set aside for the project. Two items — a new bank building to replace a structurally unsound building and a permanent restroom facility with septic and ongoing maintenance costs — were highlighted as major cost drivers. Staff said removing those two items would bring estimated costs much closer to the budgeted figure.
A structural engineer had inspected site buildings and found all but one structure (the chicken coop) to be unstable, unsound, or in very poor condition. Because of that assessment, staff said hopes to salvage intact building shells for park components appear limited, though the ad hoc group recommended salvaging materials where feasible and incorporating salvaged elements into future work.
Staff said the ad hoc group will review a second draft on March 4 and recommended the full commission visit the site if members had not yet done so. Staff noted that the park type and programming proposed would differ from existing Wildwood park facilities and said the project offers a distinctive public space for the city.
Ending — Next steps: The ad hoc group will review the second draft and refine priorities; staff and the consultant will present revised costs and a recommended scope that fits the approved capital budget.
