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Mercer Park plan tabled for refined playground options and cost analysis
Summary
Board reviewed Mercer Park construction-level drawings showing courts, playground, and paths, probed high-cost items (lighting, courts) and contingency, and voted to table action so staff can return with additional playground options and narrower budgets.
The board reviewed Mercer Park’s more-developed construction documents and pricing estimates, including three pickleball courts, a tennis court, playground areas, pavilion and trail connections. Staff said the construction-level package incorporated survey, engineering and soil testing and represented what could actually be built on the site.
Board members questioned several high-ticket line items and contingency assumptions — notably a $190,000 figure cited for sports-court lighting and individual court pricing such as $159,000 for three pickleball courts and $212,000 for a tennis court. Staff said those items are typical candidates for bid alternates and that infrastructure (for example irrigation or grading) is often cheaper to include during initial construction.
Several board members advocated for maintaining playground quality, noting residents in the area have limited nearby play assets and that the playground is a central part of the proposal. Staff noted the overall playground package was within the same ballpark as recent neighborhood projects and that contingency percentages may be reduced from the consultant’s 20% to 10–15% to better reflect construction-stage pricing.
The board ultimately voted to table action on the Mercer Park plan so staff can return with additional playground options and a refined budget. The motion to table was made and seconded and carried by voice vote.
