Council hears updated designs and budget scenarios for Orver's Park splash pad

Designers and staff told the committee of the whole that the proposed splash pad and park reconfiguration at Orver's Park reflect community input and the 2025 vision plan and would include a restroom/community building, a circular drop-off/loop drive, shade shelters and space reserved for future parking and athletic amenities.

"We arrived at a preferred concept plan for the splash pad and I've started the construction document process," said Mike Saggel of the Kleiners Group, who led the presentation. Saggel said the design team reduced the originally large wet area in the vision plan and has been balancing amenity size with cost.

The preferred concept aligns the splash pad south of the civic center and keeps a restroom and equipment room adjacent to the wet zone for operational access. Designers highlighted accessible features, a monumental play structure with slides and runout flumes, and multiple misting and interactive spray elements intended to serve all ages.

Council members pressed staff on circulation and safety. Saggel described a circular drive so arriving vehicles can loop and exit without forcing pedestrians to cross a vehicular lane. "The main purpose for it is we had to find a way to get vehicles ... to be able to turn around and then exit back out to the north," he said. Council members discussed signage and supervision concerns for children near a drop-off area.

On size and precedent, Saggel compared local splash pads ranging from about 1,250 to 8,000 square feet. He said designers reduced the proposed wet zone from roughly 8,000 square feet in the vision plan to a mid-range proposal (around 5,000–6,500 sq ft depending on options) to lower cost while retaining major features.

Budget figures discussed during the meeting varied by option and estimate source. Saggel described the base pricing for the project components as "3 millionish, 3.1 million" for the core project elements and noted the team had included about $450,000 of contingency for unforeseeable conditions or procurement changes. Staff earlier described a value-engineered option with a line-item shown at about $3.3 million that includes the parking lot, building and splash pad; staff also said the project is roughly $900,000 over an initial internal budget estimate and that a supplemental appropriation is anticipated.

On schedule, designers said schematic and design development work ran January–May, with construction documents to follow. The current plan calls for public bidding in early September and construction starting in late fall, with a partial opening targeted for next year if timelines hold.

Staff recommended bidding alternates (landscaping or optional amenities) so the city can accept options that fit the final appropriation. Council and staff agreed to return to the committee with final reduced-option numbers and anticipated requesting legislation at the next meeting rather than taking action tonight.

What happens next: staff said they will provide the council with a clearer breakdown of cost differences between the larger and reduced designs and bring a legislative request and bid-ready documents to the committee at a later meeting.