Designers propose 20% in savings for Belvoiron mini park as commissioners table the item for revisions

Designers from RHAA presented 90% plans for the Belvoiron Mini Park and walked the Tiburon Post Commission through a line-by-line cost review, proposing roughly 20% in savings by changing materials, reducing feature counts and shifting some town tasks out of contractor scope.

The proposal divides the roughly two-acre site into a lower phase 1 (lawn, picnic area, resurfaced asphalt path, nature-play log, furnishings) and an upper phase 2 (meadow, boardwalk crossing for a seasonally wet area, viewpoint along a heritage oak, habitat plantings). RHAA said earlier March estimates produced a high site-construction subtotal and an equally high "all-in" number; the firm reported it had already tightened quantities and contingency to produce about a 20% reduction since March and then walked commissioners through additional line-item reductions.

Specific savings the consultant identified included replacing a $70K—$75K Arborica monocultural carved log play piece with a less expensive fabricator (~$25K), trimming the boardwalk crossing scope (presently assessed at $80K) to a narrower/shorter crossing closer to $30K, substituting standard non-powered trash cans for tech-enabled models (saving a few thousand dollars), eliminating or halving some boulder quantities, and replacing high-priced birdhouses with simple wooden boxes or volunteer-built kits. The presenter also said some site-cleanup work the town plans to perform could be removed from the contractor's scope to save roughly $60K.

Public commenters were split: some neighbors urged advancing the park given underused nearby amenities and the potential to relieve pressure on other parks; others said access and priority relative to higher-use parks should be considered. Commissioners debated whether to reduce phase 1 footprint (ending scope at the picnic area) or keep the crossing in phase 1 to provide an accessible connection to upper areas.

Given the remaining uncertainty in the estimate and desire among some commissioners for additional value engineering, the commission agreed to have the subcommittee (members and the consultant) refine a lower-cost phase 1 and return to the Post Commission in July. The commission elected to table further action on the Belvoiron plan at this meeting rather than taking it immediately to town council.