Sandpoint officials seek design engineer for $1.1 million City Beach RV campground and parking-lot plan; council endorsed reallocation of $100,000

Commissioners reviewed a draft request for qualifications (RFQ) to engage engineers and designers for a multi-part City Beach project that staff said is the first step toward a broader $1.1 million program to renovate the RV campground and redesign the vehicle and trailer parking lot.

Jason, parks staff liaison, told the commission that the City Council recently approved the concept of reallocating $100,000 in parks capital funds — money the city had originally committed toward a WIF grant that the city did not receive — to pay for engineering and design work. “So with the million dollar budget for the RV park, obviously, the first step of that project is to get it engineered and designed,” he said.

Why it matters: staff said thorough design is required before bidding construction and to make the million-dollar RV investment feasible and defensible for future grants and budgeting.

Scope, objectives and trade-offs

The RFQ asks for a design team to deliver planning, engineering, public outreach and construction-cost estimating to meet a list of objectives. Among the scope items Jason reviewed: modernize the RV campground layout and utilities, address drainage and grading, consider prefabricated restroom and shower facilities, design an updated parking lot with improved circulation and trailer access, add a bus turnaround and drop-off zone, provide visual renderings for public engagement and support permitting and grant applications.

On restroom facilities, the commission heard a budget caution from Eric, speaking from past procurement experience: “The last one of those I purchased was in 2021 … and that was about $500,000,” he said, referring to prefabricated restroom/shower units. Eric noted prefabricated units can be cost-saving compared with site-built facilities but are often expensive in current markets. The commission discussed alternatives such as a central dump station or water-filling/pump-out station as a lower-cost option than full sewer hookups at every site.

Staff also discussed site-surface options. Eric said hardening individual campsites (paving pads) is popular with campers and can reduce overall asphalt cost compared with paving entire loop roads; however, he recommended prioritizing any sewer infrastructure during design because retrofitting sewer later would require disruptive rework.

Budget, phasing and schedule

Jason said the city envisions a two-phase approach: phase 1 is the $1,000,000 RV park work and phase 2 would use other future funds (grants or parking-in-lieu fees) to fund additional parking-lot improvements. The RFQ asks the selected engineer to align designs with an overall $1,100,000 project budget and to propose phasing and value-engineering strategies.

Project advisory group and public engagement

Staff asked for three parks commissioners to serve on a smaller project advisory group that would meet four times between now and a final advisory meeting on May 13, at which the advisory group would make a recommendation to council. Jason said volunteers would meet with the design team and provide iterative feedback; he named Heidi and Josh as already nominated for the committee and asked for any other volunteers. The commission agreed to circulate potential meeting dates by email.

Unresolved items and constraints

- Commission members pressed staff for clarity on occupancy changes; Jason said the project would remain inside the existing footprint but designs could reduce or alter site counts to add showers, restroom facilities or larger sites that might accommodate Class A motor homes. He said current site count is not fixed and could change depending on priorities.

- The RFQ requests the engineer identify permits required across local, state and federal agencies; staff warned that the cost of restroom buildings and utilities is likely the largest component of the project budget.

Ending

Staff will finalize the RFQ and issue it to procure a design team; commissioners asked to receive the SOQ language and schedule of advisory-group meetings by email. The commission did not take a formal vote on the RFQ itself at the meeting; council had already approved the concept to reallocate the $100,000 design match earlier in the week.