Trails committee to ask CPC for contingency funds after bridge/boardwalk bids top budget

The Town of Southborough Trails Committee said Dec. 18 it will ask the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) to consolidate contingency money and consider a town‑meeting warrant after bids for a planned bridge and boardwalk came in higher than budgeted.

The committee’s chair told members the bids exceeded the project budget and that one contractor provided a rough cost split of about 65% for the bridge and 35% for the boardwalk. The chair said the committee contacted the bridge supplier, who estimated material and labor price increases of "roughly 20 to 25%" since prior quotes in 2022–23, which pushed the project over budget.

The committee discussed three options that will be raised with CPC: release phase‑1 contingency funds to add roughly $41,000 to the phase‑2 bucket, extend the spending deadline for the approved funds (currently 2026) to 2028, and support drafting a warrant article for town meeting to reallocate approved funds. The chair said using the contingency would require CPC support and a warrant for voters if the transfer is to proceed.

Committee members reviewed preliminary math during the meeting. One member cited a low bid figure given in the discussion and used the cited 65/35 split to estimate the bridge-only portion could be on the order of the mid‑hundreds of thousands of dollars under the original material assumptions. Members agreed the bridge should be prioritized because a boardwalk without a bridged stream crossing would not achieve the project goal.

To reduce cost, the committee discussed switching from the originally specified fiberglass/poly bridge components to pressure‑treated lumber, noting chair comments that lumber could be "30 to 60% less expensive." The group acknowledged that changing materials would require engineering changes — the chair said she asked engineer Dave LaPointe for a scoped quote to modify existing plans rather than a full redesign — and that such reengineering would add some expense and time.

Members also discussed procurement risks and "bid‑splitting" questions. The chair said the committee researched the topic and believes the bridge and boardwalk can be scoped as two distinct projects; the committee agreed to seek guidance from general counsel and relevant CPC counsel to confirm the approach complies with procurement rules.

Next steps the committee identified were to present its request and rationale to the CPC at the CPC meeting the chair planned to attend immediately after the Trails Committee meeting, to obtain re‑quotes using lumber if CPC indicates support, and to prepare any necessary town‑meeting warrant language in time for the March town meeting if required.

The committee did not take a formal vote on moving ahead with lumber or on a specific funding transfer at the Dec. 18 meeting; members said further engineering estimates and CPC feedback are required before a formal decision.