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Holyoke committee hears update on Jones Point and GlowTech Field park projects
Summary
City Park & Rec director John Moquin told the Community Preservation Committee he is moving forward with playground installs at GlowTech Field and Jones Point but needs purchase orders, additional contractor estimates and a change order; members discussed wetlands, stormwater, plantings and timing for bids.
At a recent meeting of the Holyoke City Community Preservation Committee, Park and Recreation Director John Moquin described the status and near-term steps for two active park projects: a playground at GlowTech Field and a larger renovation at Jones Point.
Moquin said he started in the role June 2 and has been catching up on projects that began before he arrived. “GlowTech right now, I just gotta get a PO started so we can order all of the equipment,” Moquin said. He told committee members he still needed one more contractor estimate for a concrete pad and that some suppliers list a 4–7 week delivery after ordering, with concrete needing to be poured at least two weeks before delivery.
The committee heard that Jones Point’s final plans arrived around Aug. 18 and that a contractor identified a change order because the new layout requires additional pour-in-place surfacing. Moquin said the contractor indicated he could install playground equipment in October and complete related work by November if the city issues purchase orders and change orders promptly. He also described tradeoffs on bidding timing: a consultant recommended waiting until January so contractors will not inflate prices at the end of the construction season, while Moquin said he wants to push to complete work sooner so he can oversee projects from start to finish.
Committee members raised several technical and site concerns. Sarah asked whether a stormwater design and survey were complete; Moquin said the survey was done and that drainage questions mainly concern parking along the fence, not the playground footprint. He noted parts of a walking path may fall within wetland boundaries and recommended coordinating with the conservation commission and staff member Yoni on permitting. “He thinks there should be no problem,” Moquin said of his conversations with conservation staff, but added the final design will determine what, if any, approvals are required.
Members also discussed plantings and neighbor maintenance. Moquin said some garden areas adjacent to the playground have been maintained by neighbors for decades and that the committee should design plantings so longtime volunteer stewards can continue their work. Mary raised that Yoni previously pursued a tree/shrub grant with a June 30 fiscal-year deadline that was missed; Moquin said staff will follow up with Yoni to see if similar funding can be obtained.
Contractors and firms discussed during the update included O'Brien and Sons (concrete), Ty and Bond (engineer/consultant Tim Grace), and local vendors for playground equipment. Moquin asked committee members to identify one person to serve as a project contact to speed decisions and said he is available for site visits and calls.
No formal committee votes were taken on the park projects at the meeting. The committee plans to continue coordinating on estimates, change orders and bid timing; Moquin and staff will circulate updated cost estimates and timelines for members to review.
Moquin: “If we get that PO done, let’s say by next week … there still would be time to come out and do that work in my opinion.”
The committee noted a preference for completing the major site work and planting in spring where possible to improve plant survival, and discussed whether some elements (benches, parking, entryway) could be deferred to spring bidding while playground equipment is installed in late fall if procurement timelines permit.
