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Mills River board reviews plan for new 6,600-square-foot maintenance facility and procurement options
Summary
Board members examined a conceptual 6,600-square-foot maintenance facility to support park expansion, discussed storage and safety features, and reviewed procurement routes and staffing needs; council-level decisions and consultant selection are next steps.
The Mills River Park Board reviewed a conceptual design for a new 6,600-square-foot maintenance facility intended to support an expanding park system. Staff described vehicle bays (including a maintenance lift), secured chemical storage, covered exterior storage, staff hoteling space and room for future expansion.
Board members emphasized operational needs the building would address: on-site fueling and maintenance to avoid off-site runs for gas, pallet-scale interior storage for bulk supplies, and a covered exterior area for equipment. Staff said the facility would be gated and intended for staff access only to protect expensive equipment and reduce public exposure to work areas.
Staff outlined a projected schedule and noted that the building was sized to allow a roughly 600-square-foot future addition. The town has placed funds in its budget to begin the project planning and will soon move toward consultant selection and bidding.
On procurement, staff reviewed three common approaches: traditional design–bid–build (qualifications-based architect selection followed by a public bid for construction), design–build (a single contractor/firm responsible for design and construction), and hiring a construction-manager/general-contractor or project manager to oversee delivery. Staff noted North Carolina rules on qualifications-based selection for architecture services and that the project will likely exceed $500,000, which triggers public-bid requirements and additional council review.
The board discussed trade-offs among cost, schedule and control. Staff said consultants will convert the needs assessment into detailed design documents and that council will determine the contracting route. If the board moves forward, the next steps are consultant selection, detailed design, permitting and then advertisement for construction bids or selection of a design–build team, depending on council direction.
The meeting closed the discussion with members asking to be kept apprised as consultant selection advances and as design details (fence location, materials and flood mitigation) are resolved.
