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Auburn Recreation and Park District reports mitigation fund balance, plans playground, ADA path and gym roof repairs
Summary
ARD presented its annual impact mitigation report to the council, reporting a trust balance of $187,004.65, completed pickleball/multiuse courts, and planned projects including a new playground for ages 1–5, an ADA path to the playground, an emergency exit at Recreation Park, and a gym roof truss replacement covered by insurance.
Racquet and park staff presented the Auburn Recreation and Park District’s annual impact mitigation report during the Aug. 11 council meeting, outlining recent work, current balances and planned expenditures drawn from the district’s mitigation fund and insurance proceeds.
Staff said the ARD city trust fund holds $187,004.65. Completed work included a roughly $224,000 multiuse court project (primarily used for pickleball) for which $70,000 came from mitigation fees. Upcoming projects noted in the presentation include replacing the aged playground at the north end of Recreation Park (estimated playground cost about $120,000, not including a separate ADA path), constructing an ADA-compliant path-of-travel extension to connect the playground to existing ADA parking and pool access, and adding an emergency vehicle exit at the rear of Recreation Park (estimated at about $40,000) to address safety and access concerns highlighted by Auburn Fire.
Staff said the playground replacement is intended for ages 1–5 and will follow ARD’s practice of providing manufacturers a budget and then soliciting public design preferences via an online vote. Council members and the public asked about ADA-accessible swings and equipment; staff confirmed accessible equipment will be included. On the ADA path, staff explained a fully ADA-compliant route from existing paths would require long switchbacks and be more expensive, which is why the proposal calls for a shorter ADA extension plus a non-ADA connector path to reduce cost while improving access.
The report also covered non-mitigation projects: completion of the Railhead Park parking-lot repave and curb repair; a gym roof-truss failure inside the Recreation Park gym with a manufacturer quote of $659,000 to replace trusses (staff said about $100,000 has been spent for shoring and engineering; the replacement is covered by insurance and the goal is to complete work by Dec. 1 ahead of youth basketball); structural erosion at the Ashford Park levee/driveway requiring a retaining wall; a new scoreboard at Beggs Field under engineering review; and fence repairs at Marriott Meadows. Staff described Discovery Club as ARD’s largest revenue program and confirmed three summer sites operated this year.
Council members and members of the public expressed support for playground improvements and accessible equipment. The council did not vote on new mitigation expenditures at the meeting; staff said specific project scopes, final costs and funding sources will be returned to the council when procurement and design details are complete.
