Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Capital Projects topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears $16.9 million plan for new tracks and synthetic turf at Don Julian and Edgewood
Summary
District officials and Cummings Group presented bundled construction plans for Don Julian Elementary and Edgewood Academy — $16,888,123 in work including synthetic turf fields, Musco lighting, grandstands and restrooms — and trustees pressed project teams on controls, ADA access and why costs rose from earlier estimates.
Representatives of the Cummings Group presented detailed plans and a timeline for two bundled athletic projects at Don Julian Elementary and Edgewood Academy, telling the Bassett Unified School District board the combined construction contract totals $16,888,123 and will run approximately 275 calendar days once mobilized.
"This project did come in under budget expectations," Anthony Sanchez, executive vice president with the Cummings Group, told the board, describing bundling the two campuses as a strategy to attract more competitive bids and achieve better unit prices.
The projects include synthetic turf fields with an 8-year manufacturer warranty, a performance shock pad, all-weather Rokotan track surfacing, Musco LED stadium lighting, aluminum grandstands (Don Julian: 10 rows/828 seats; Edgewood: five rows/462 seats), concession and restroom MOD buildings, new basketball courts at Don Julian and related site work. Sanchez said both projects have DSA approval numbers and that the team expects to begin mobilization in July with substantial completion by the end of March and final turnover to the district in April.
Board members asked technical and community-impact questions. Trustees sought clarification on light controls and neighbor impacts; Sanchez said the Musco lighting will be timed and remotely controllable and that the optics are designed to focus inward to limit spill to surrounding neighborhoods. Trustees also asked whether the concession/restroom buildings include baby-changing stations and confirmed ADA-compliant stalls will be provided.
One trustee noted the original budget estimate for the two projects had been about $12 million and asked where the extra roughly $2 to $4 million came from. Sanchez and a district representative said earlier scopes omitted some items and that combining the projects increased competitiveness and yielded an overall bid that compares favorably to separate procurements.
District staff identified the primary firms: Villareal Architects (architect), Nazarian Group (general contractor), Cummings Group (construction manager), TYR (inspector of record) and Smith Emery (lab of record). The presenter described turf specifications (monofilament, factory-extruded nylon root zone, 2-inch pile height, 52-ounce face weight), infill strategy and a maintenance plan that minimizes irrigation and heavy metals.
The presentation closed with a Q&A; trustees thanked the team and asked staff to note warranty planning — including a trustee request for a plan of action near the end of the manufacturer warranty period — and to ensure the projects do not conflict with modular classroom work at Don Julian.
No final contract award vote appears in the transcript; the presentation was informational and the board indicated readiness to move forward pending formal action.
