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San Carlos council pushes design refinements on Harrington Park pavilion, restrooms and fountain; asks for turf‑out and cost clarity
Summary
Council heard detailed designs for Harrington Park and the 700 block of Laurel Street — a restroom and storage building, a timber pavilion/stage, and a stone cascade fountain — and asked designers for safety, phasing and cost refinements; staff will return June 9 with revised schematic designs and the council requested on‑site tape/chalk mockups.
San Carlos — At a May 12 study session the City Council and design team reviewed schematic designs for Harrington Park and the adjacent 700 block of Laurel Street, focusing on three elements: a public restroom/storage building, a curving timber pavilion/stage, and a multi‑tier stone and cascade fountain. The council did not adopt final designs but directed staff and the design team to revise specific details and return June 9 with updated schematics.
Design highlights: Wear Associates and collaborators presented a five‑component approach: a north‑end restroom and storage building with two accessible restrooms and universal changing stations; an 18‑inch raised stage with timber canopy engineered for integrated lighting and recessed loudspeakers; and a 12–14 ft upright stone sculpture on a three‑tier cascade/fountain approximately 37 ft by 13 ft in plan. The team proposed durable materials (stainless fixtures, Alaskan yellow cedar for the pavilion, standing seam metal roofs), accessible ramps and integrated AV mounting points for performance uses.
Council direction and concerns: Council members praised the aesthetics and community activation potential but raised recurring concerns: public safety around the fountain (young children or pets accessing water), the number and layout of restroom stalls versus changing‑table requirements, pavilion massing and shadowing, the distance between fountain and stage (minimum 20 ft for emergency access), and construction/phasing tradeoffs. Cost estimates shown to council placed Harrington Park at roughly $4.25 million for the park portion, $6.9 million including the pavilion, and about $8 million for the full block including the fountain; council asked for firm cost breakdowns.
Public and operational issues: Residents and council members asked how the fountain would be commissioned (stone fabricator vs. artist competition), whether the fountain would be shut off during drought or overnight, and how construction would keep sidewalks and emergency access functioning. Designers said the fountain includes embedded mechanical and storage rooms in the restroom building and that the fountain can be turned off; they described typical construction best practices and stormwater protections.
Next steps: Council asked the design team to show a tape‑out (chalk or temporary outline) on Laurel Street so members can better visualize scales, asked staff to return June 9 with schematic revisions (restroom details, fountain barrier/benching options, and small shifts to pavilion siting), and agreed that further refinements should not block the project proceeding to shovel‑ready drawings if the council later directs construction.
Council members also asked staff to present a clearer phasing plan and to confirm that picnic/amenity features and public safety measures meet festival and parade needs on the 700 block. The study session produced guidance rather than formal approvals; staff will incorporate council feedback and return to the council.
