Commission ranks priorities for Wedge Preserve Park; staff to use results in GMP negotiations

City of Parkland staff presented updated plans and cost considerations for the Wedge Preserve Park at a Feb. 19 commission workshop and commissioners recorded prioritized additions that staff will use during guaranteed-maximum-price (GMP) negotiations.

Parks staff member Christine — who led the presentation — told the commission the park’s original construction budget was $32,000,000 and that the team has reached 90% construction documents and is negotiating the GMP. Christine said the commission’s ranking would guide which optional elements the city seeks to include in the initial construction contract and which might be deferred to later phases.

Why it matters: The commission’s priorities will influence the park’s final scope, the April strategic-planning budget discussions and whether the GMP must include amendments for additional features.

What staff presented Christine outlined the park layout and optional amenities under consideration: a 10-station Ninja Warrior course and spiral elevated two‑story tower (tower elevation noted as about 12 feet above grade with top under 31 feet); a splash pad with an approximately 1,500-square-foot water feature and adjacent rentable pavilions; a 9-building mini play village; eight pickleball courts and four basketball courts (all fenced); options to add hard or soft covers for pickleball and basketball; artificial turf for multipurpose fields; and a 16-station inclusive “bank shot” court area.

Staff also described the community building that remains in the base bid (approximately 4,400 square feet, with restrooms that can be accessed separately from the exterior and a 2,200-square-foot meeting space).

Commission direction and ranking Commissioners were asked to prioritize the optional elements; staff recorded the group’s preferences and will use them during GMP negotiations and when preparing the amendment for the commission’s later approval. Christine confirmed the commission’s process: “The lowest number is the highest rank. Right, Jackie?” Christine then read the final tallies.

Votes at a glance (staff-reported outcome) - No formal roll-call motion was made; staff collected ranking preferences from commissioners and recorded them for GMP negotiations. - Final prioritized list (lowest number = highest priority): 1) Ninja course and tower (rank 1) 2) Tie — Splash pad and pickleball covers (rank 2); commissioners indicated a preference for hard covers for pickleball 3) Mini play village (rank 3) 4) Tie — Basketball covers (preference: soft) and artificial turf for multipurpose fields (rank 4) 5) Bank shot court (rank 5, lowest priority)

Staff notes and next steps - GMP negotiations: Christine said the city is negotiating the guaranteed maximum price and will return with an amendment for commission approval once costs are clearer. - Feasibility follow-ups: Staff will examine whether adding a cover to the Ninja course is feasible without significant redesign; they will also verify timeline and cost impacts for hard vs. soft court covers and potential noise-mitigation options for pickleball covers. - Maintenance and operations: Commissioners raised concerns about long-term maintenance, noise and use patterns; staff noted coverage choices affect durability, water permeability and maintenance cycles (soft fabric covers are more susceptible to weather and require more maintenance than hard metal canopies).

Quotes and concerns - Christine (Parks staff): “The original construction cost for this park was budgeted at $32,000,000.” - Christine (reading results): “Number 1 is Ninja Course. Number 2 is a tie between splash pad and pickleball covers.” - Commissioners asked staff to prioritize covers at Pine Trails Park if budget or usage concerns suggested that covered courts would be more useful at existing programmed venues.

Clarifying details and figures - Original park construction budget (base bid): $32,000,000 (presented as the baseline figure by staff) - Community building: approximately 4,400 square feet total; meeting space ~2,200 square feet - Splash pad water feature: roughly 1,500 square feet - Ninja course: presented as a 10-station custom course with a 12-foot-elevated spiral platform and two-story tower; tower top cited as under 31 feet - Bank shot: a 16-station inclusive play court system - Courts: eight pickleball courts and four basketball courts shown on the plan - Existing pavilions/gazebos on the plan: six scattered across the site and rentable for events

Speakers - Christine — Parks staff, City of Parkland (presenter) - Jacqui — Staff member, City of Parkland (communications/agenda support) - Mayor Walker — Mayor, City of Parkland (government) - Nancy — City Manager, City of Parkland (government) - Commissioner Murphy Soleimone — Commissioner, City of Parkland (government) - Commissioner Kanterman — Commissioner, City of Parkland (government) - Commissioner Breyer — Commissioner, City of Parkland (government) - Vice Mayor Israel — Vice Mayor, City of Parkland (government)

Authorities: []

Actions [{"kind":"other","identifiers":{},"motion":"Commissioners provided prioritized rankings for optional Wedge Preserve Park amenities to guide GMP negotiations; staff will return with cost and amendment recommendations for formal action.","mover":"not specified","second":"not specified","vote_record":[],"tally":{},"legal_threshold":{"met":false,"notes":"No formal vote recorded; priorities were recorded by staff for negotiation use."},"effective_dates":{},"outcome":"approved","notes":"Staff to use rankings during GMP negotiations and bring amendment back to commission for approval.","amendments":[],"programs":["Wedge Preserve Park"],"dependencies":[],"implementation":{"assignee_dept":"Parks and Recreation / City Manager's office","follow_up_tasks":[{"task":"Complete GMP negotiations and cost validation for Wedge Preserve Park optional elements","due_date":"2025-04-07","status":"planned"},{"task":"Assess feasibility and cost for covers (hard vs soft) and Ninja course cover option","due_date":"2025-04-07","status":"planned"}],"reporting_requirements":"Return to commission with GMP amendment and cost breakdown"}}]

Discussion_decision {"discussion_points":["Design elements: ninja course, mini play village, splash pad, pickleball and basketball covers, artificial turf, bank shot","Budget baseline: $32,000,000 base construction cost; GMP negotiations ongoing","Operational concerns: noise from pickleball, maintenance and longevity of soft vs. hard covers"],"directions":["Staff to use the recorded rankings in GMP negotiations","Staff to verify feasibility, cost and schedule impacts and present an amendment for commission approval"],"decisions":["Commissioners recorded prioritized list of optional amenities to guide staff negotiations (see 'Votes at a glance')"]}

Clarifying_details [{"category":"budget","detail":"Original base construction budget for Wedge Preserve Park","value":32000000,"units":"USD","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"community_building","detail":"Community building size and meeting room","value":4400,"units":"square feet","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"splash_pad","detail":"Splash pad water feature area","value":1500,"units":"square feet","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"ninja_course","detail":"Ninja course stations and elevated tower height","value":"10 stations; 12 ft elevated platform; tower under 31 ft","units":"N/A","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"bank_shot","detail":"Inclusive bank shot court stations","value":16,"units":"stations","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"courts","detail":"Number of pickleball and basketball courts on plan","value":"8 pickleball; 4 basketball","units":"courts","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christine"},{"category":"pavilions","detail":"Number of pavilions/gazebos shown on plan","value":6,"units":"count","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Christine"}]

Proper_names [{"name":"Wedge Preserve Park","type":"facility"},{"name":"City of Parkland","type":"government"},{"name":"Pine Trails Park","type":"facility"},{"name":"Heron Bay Village","type":"program"},{"name":"Parkland Golf","type":"organization"}]

Community_relevance {"geographies":["Wedge (Parkland)","Hillsborough Road","Northwest Side of Parkland"],"funding_sources":[],"impact_groups":["families with children","youth sports participants","senior residents"]}

Meeting_context {"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":10,"duration_minutes":135,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"medium","history":[{"date":"2025-02-19","note":"Commission prioritized optional park amenities to inform GMP negotiation; amendment to be returned for approval."}]}

Searchable_tags ["Wedge Preserve Park","park design","pickleball","splash pad","bank shot","GMP negotiations"]

Provenance [{"block_id":"s3231.0352","local_start":0,"local_end":120,"evidence_excerpt":"Sure. Good evening. So as we discussed in our strategic planning session last year, we've been talking about Park. And at some point, we would maybe get to this point where some of these amenities may have to be considered... The original construction cost for this park was budgeted at $32,000,000.","global_start":3231,"global_end":3351,"tc_start":"00:53:51","tc_end":"00:55:51","text_sha256":"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"s5046.44","local_start":0,"local_end":38,"evidence_excerpt":"I think we achieved what we did. Thank you very much.","global_start":5046,"global_end":5084,"tc_start":"01:24:06","tc_end":"01:24:44","text_sha256":"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]

Topics [{"name":"parks-and-recreation","justification":"Detailed design and budget decisions for a major city park were the focus; commissioners recorded a prioritized list of optional amenities.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":1.00,"depth_score":0.95,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.35,"civic_salience":0.75,"impactfulness":0.70,"geo_relevance":1.00}},{"name":"capital-projects","justification":"The conversation centered on construction budget, GMP negotiation and future amendment for expenditure approvals.","scoring":{"topic_relevance":1.00,"depth_score":0.80,"opinionatedness":0.05,"controversy":0.25,"civic_salience":0.70,"impactfulness":0.75,"geo_relevance":1.00}}],