Ashland board rejects Phase 1 engineering scope for City Park master plan

The Ashland Board of Aldermen on April 7 voted down a proposed engineering scope of services for Phase 1 of the City Park master plan after questions about scope, cost and design choices.

Staff presented a scope from Planning Design Studio priced at $259,830, which staff said represents approximately 7% of the project’s estimated $3.6 million cost. The scope includes geotechnical investigation, stormwater assessment, schematic design, construction documents, permitting and some fundraising and grant-support services.

Staff said the park-board-selected concept reallocated playground equipment to one side of the drainage channel and would substantially reduce — though not entirely remove — an existing pond near the Veterans Memorial. Staff described the pond as a shallow water feature roughly 4½ to 6 feet deep that is not part of the city’s stormwater infrastructure and said community feedback favored moving equipment to one side of the drainage channel.

Council members asked where the pond is located and sought clarification about how the concept would affect circulation and access. During the discussion one council member pushed staff for details about site access and references to the city’s 2019–2021 land purchases. The motion to approve the scope failed on a 3–2 vote.

Staff said engineering work could change the design and that the board could revisit the scope in later meetings, and that the park board has been asked to continue public outreach and refine concepts before resubmittal.