Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Burlington Park Pavilion topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hinsdale board advances Burlington Park pavilion plan after trustees weigh private funding, design changes
Summary
At a June 30 special meeting, the Hinsdale Village Board moved the Burlington Park Pavilion contract to a second reading after trustees reviewed bids, value-engineering changes and private donations that staff said would cover construction costs so no village tax dollars are needed.
President Hart, the village president, said the pavilion would mark a long-standing community goal and stressed the project would be privately funded: "No village tax dollars are being used for the construction of this pavilion." The board heard a first reading of agenda item 6A, the recommendation to award the construction contract to Dave Knight Homes, with a net construction cost reported as $341,121.94 after an $85,000 in-kind donation credited to the contractor and a $100,000 private donation from resident James Buchard.
Trustee Alexis Braden presented the procurement history, noting the village rejected earlier bids in April and then worked with bidders and architect Michael Abraham to value-engineer the design toward a previously budgeted target of $350,000. Braden said the design was developed with input from a committee including the historic preservation commission, the plan commission and area stakeholders.
Trustees questioned whether any landscaping or planting costs would fall to taxpayers and asked for clearer contract accounting. Trustee Fischer asked about a custom cupola (referred to in the meeting as a "Koopa") and whether a prefab alternative would meet the design. Staff and the project team said the structure would include a custom cupola to better match the memorial building, and landscaping would be coordinated with other park improvements; however, trustees were told $17,000 earmarked for planting could be paid from village funds rather than donor funds because landscaping had been planned separately.
Trustees also pressed for clarity on contingency and overage risk; staff said the value-engineered bid items had been developed from contractor quotes and that the project as presented reduces uncertainty, but they agreed to return with contract language and the three donation agreements for final approval.
After discussion, the board voted to advance the pavilion item to a second reading; staff will return with the formal contract and donation agreements for final action.
